Debut delight for Tirunesh Dibaba in Great South Run

The Ethiopian – arguably the greatest distance runner of all time – blew the field apart, leaving rivals in her wake as she crossed the finish line in a time of 51min 49sec.

It was a feat made all the more impressive by the fact Dibaba had not previously run at the 10-mile distance.

Team-mate Senbere Teferi finished more than a minute behind in second place in a time of 52.51, with Elizeba Cherono of the Netherlands third in 53.54.

Lily Partridge was the first British runner across the line, finishing fourth in a time of 54.41.