Steve Cram column

The Great North Run sees Paula Radcliffe's competitive return after a 21-month absence following the birth of her daughter Isla and a succession of injuries.

It is certainly a big event to choose to make her comeback at, but she wouldn't be making it if she wasn't ready.

Once you are ready to race you look for the right event that suits you and I think she has chosen well as she knows the course and likes the crowds and atmosphere.

When you have been running as long as Paula has it helps if you are competing at a big event that's on TV as sometimes at the smaller events you don't get as nervous as you normally would.

She will get psyched up for it which is great as you can easily not get too concerned about your performance at a low key race.

I think she would have liked to have been racing a lot sooner than this.

In the grand scheme of things though it has been a good thing as it has given her a little bit more time to settle in with Isla and get used to the routine of being a mum.

Injuries are never good to have but it's probably been helpful for her to get everything sorted and settle in to a new way of life.

Where she chooses to compete after this and in the run up to the Beijing Olympics next year is anyone's guess and she is keeping her cards pretty close to her chest.

She is going to wait and see how it goes at the weekend and that will give her a great indication of where she is at.

The biggest thing she has to do is run a marathon between now and the back end of next spring to achieve the Olympic qualifying time.

She has two or three opportunities to achieve it and how she performs this weekend will help determine which option she will take.

She could just run a fairly small event and get it out of the way.

Or if her thinking is, 'If I'm going to run a marathon before Beijing let's make it a good one and put in a confidence- building performance,' she may opt for London in April.

The competition on Sunday is not as strong as it could have been because the promoters have had a difficult time getting certain people to compete as it clashes with the Berlin Marathon.

That said, I don't think she is going to be able to just trot round and win it, but I think she will be disappointed if she doesn't claim her third victory in the event.

Whatever her target is for the weekend her performance is probably more important than the result.

On to the men's event and Kenya's Sammy Wanjiru will be the man to beat.

He has broken the world half-marathon record twice this year.

Some people don't think the Great North Run course is fast, but if you look at the record books it does produce quick times so someone like Wanjiru could run inside an hour.

If he does, I don't think anyone will catch him, he is just about as good as there is and it will be interesting to see what event he plumps for in Beijing next year.

As for the British challenge, Jon Brown hasn't been running that well, but he has got Beijing in his sights and we know what he has done in the last two Olympics so you can never write him off.

As always there are a host of celebrities running to raise money for charity.

One of the most high profile is England manager Steve McClaren.

He was the starter at last year's race and it is good to see him back - at least he is fit and healthy, unlike most of his players seem to be!

Saturday 29 September
Great North Miles , 1300-1350, BBC One and BBC Sport website

Sunday 30 September
Great North Run , 0930-1330, BBC One and BBC Sport website

Great North Run highlights , 1805-1850, BBC Two and BBC Sport website

Source: BBC Sport