Alex Kipchirchir the Commonwealth 800m gold medallist, World athletics 1500m champion and African Champion at both 800m and 1500m is heading for the Great North Mile.
He will be taking on European 1500 metres silver medallist Ivan Heshko who will be gunning for a third successive victory at the event on September 30.
The 21-year-old Kenyan three years ago set a world junior record for the mile and this summer, has clocked up three victories on the highly competitive IAAF Golden League/Super Grand Prix circuit.
"If he can fetch that sort of form to road running and the adjustment isn't always easy, on paper he holds the upperhand."
"We'll have to see how he adapts, but I know Heshko isn't going to handover his title without a major fight, where his fast finish in the last two years, has won him the day," said Matthew Turnbull, elite athlete’s director for the meeting.
Mo Farah winner of the 5000m silver medal in Gothenburg will be sharpening his speed as he turns out for the mile and Andy Baddeley, Britain’s 1500m finalist from the European Championships, will also be lining up.
In the women’s race Becky Lyne the European 800m bronze medallist, will take on the Commonwealth 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya.
The men's 3000m race sees former world 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya up against Craig Mottram of Australia his main rival.
The women's 3000m includes Ethiopian Olympic 5000m champion Meseret Defar, and world 3000m steeplechase champion Dorcus Inzikuru of Uganda who will have their work cut out against Russia's Liliya Shobukhova who broke the world 3000m indoor record in February and Poland's Wioletta Janowska who leads the world rankings for 3000m steeplechase this season.
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