Rate it!

0 votes

American Deena Kastor will return to high profile competition in the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run next month, having been struggling with a broken foot in last year's Olympic marathon.

Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, was one of the pre-race favourites favourites in Beijing but was forced to drop out just three miles into the race.

The 36-year-old US record holder was devastated by the setback and admitted the three months straight after the incident had been the most difficult in her career as she waited for her foot to heal naturally.

Kastor's patience paid off and seven months after Beijing she made her comeback at the Shamrock Shuffle eight kilometre road race in Chicago, winning comfortably as snow fell in freezing conditions.

That encouraging display prompted the 2006 Flora London Marathon champion to accept an invitation to compete over a testing 10km course in Edinburgh on May 3.

"I have gotten in some great training over the past two months," said Kastor, also a world class 10km performer. "I am running free of caution and with months of stored race energy."

Kastor is determined, having seen her Beijing hopes wrecked, to get her career firmly back on track and is planning to compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

"Since Beijing went terribly wrong, I guess you can bet I'll be around for another four years," said Kastor.

Andy Caine, the Edinburgh event's elite athletes manager, added: "We're delighted to welcome Deena who is the Paula Radcliffe of American distance running to our meeting and I know she wouldn't be coming unless confident she can produce a good performance.

"She's accepted a massive challenge, particularly with Jelena Prokopcuka a three-times Edinburgh champion returning this year and other top European stars also in the field.

"This is all about rehabilitation for her and I understand after a few more shorter races she'll be looking to return to marathon running in the autumn."

Sporting Life / Eurosport