With the stifling heat and questions still surrounding the pollution issues in Beijing, the athletes competing in the long distance events will need to draw on every ounce of their endurance training to achieve Olympic glory. Paula Radcliffe’s announcement that she will be competing in the women’s marathon came as welcome news to Great Britain who will be hoping that she can rediscover the form that saw her win the New York Marathon in 2007. However her recent injury woes will not have helped her preparation for the Olympics and she may struggle with the climate as she did in Athens.

One of her main rivals to the podium will be Athens gold medallist Mizuki Noguchi. Noguchi confirmed that she would be a genuine challenger for the 2008 Beijing gold medal following her impressive victory at the 2007 Tokyo Marathon. Kenyan athlete Catherine Ndereba will also look to challenge for the marathon title following her silver medal at Athens and recent gold in the 2007 World Championships.

China will pin their hopes of achieving a long distance medal on exciting young prospect Yingying Zhang, who will be competing in the women’s 5000m, 10000m and marathon. Eighteen-year-old Zhang will be particularly confident in the marathon as she holds the fastest time for the 2008 season and will be more acclimatised to the difficult conditions than her rivals.

The US is hoping Shalane Flanagan can continue her form of 2008 with a victory in the 10000m but she will face the daunting task of challenging the world’s top-ranked runner, Tirunesh Dibaba. Dibaba has been dominant at the World Championships in the 10000m winning gold in 2005 and 2007. She will also look to challenge for a medal in the 5000m as she currently holds the 2008 season’s best run time, but will face fellow Ethiopian and favourite Meseret Defar, who won gold at the 2004 Olympics.

The men’s marathon will be missing one of the greatest-ever distance runners, as Haile Gebrselassie has confirmed he will not be competing due to the climate issues in Beijing. He will however compete in the 10000m and attempt to win gold for the third time in this event. His challengers are fellow Ethiopians Sileshi Sihine and world record holder Kenenisa Bekele. Bekele and Sihine will also compete against each other in the 5000m and will be strong favourites together with Kenyan Moses Masai and Olympic debutant Moses Kipsiro, who represents Uganda’s best chance of a medal.

Martin Lel will enter the marathon as the favourite to win gold following his victories at the 2007 New York Marathon and the 2007 & 2008 London Marathon. He will be joined by fellow Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru who has set the long distance running scene alight following a series of impressive marathon runs. In only his second marathon he broke 2 hrs 6s to become the third fastest runner of the year. Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri is likely to form the best challenge to the numerous Kenyan marathon runners in Beijing.