A look ahead to Sunday's 13.1 mile event

The Vitality Reading Half Marathon this Sunday (April 3) has, as usual, assembled a strong field – despite not being an English or British championships event and despite the demise of the Run Britain Grand Prix, of which it had been a part.

Chris Thompson and Scott Overall, like many, will be using this race as a build-up to spring marathons.

The pair will be vying for Olympic selection in the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 24. Thompson ran 61:00 for this distance in the 2012 Great North Run and clocked 63:00 at the Great Birmingham Run last year. Overall, who has the Rio marathon selection time, has a PB of 61:25.

Prolific half-marathon runner Paul Martelletti is coming back from training in Kenya in time to try to lower his recent PB of 64:53. His Run-Fast stablemates Robert Mbithi and Lenah Jerotich, the winners of the Bath Half Marathon this year, are also running.

Ireland’s Paul Pollock is entered but may not start following his 62:46 at the World Half last week.

Also in the field is UK-based American Chris Zablocki, who ran 64 minutes in Bath.

Aside from Cherotich, Worcester’s Jenny Nesbitt - running her first half-marathon - and Cornwall’s Emma Stepto could be ones to watch in the women's race.

After her start-line fall and withdrawal while wearing an England vest in Cardiff last weekend, Bryony Proctor may take up her entry here.