Photo via Athletics Weekly

Hannah Irwin and Kadar Omar land UK 10-mile titles at Great South Run

The AJ Bell Great South Run in Portsmouth doubled as the UK Athletics 10-Mile Championships this weekend, delivering dramatic finishes in both elite races. Kadar Omar, a British citizen who arrived in the UK as a refugee from Ethiopia at age 13, claimed his first Great South Run title in commanding fashion.

The Birchfield Harriers runner crossed the line in 47:26, pulling away from Andy Butchart of Central AC by 24 seconds—a dominant performance that followed his recent UK half-marathon crown in London. Omar’s journey to the podium has been marked by resilience, including a 5000m appearance for the Refugee Team at the 2017 World Championships, where he met his idol Mo Farah before settling into British athletics with the support of an IOC Olympic Solidarity scholarship.

In the women’s race, Hannah Irwin secured the UK 10-mile title in a tight sprint to the line, finishing in 53:34 just three seconds ahead of defending champion Verity Ockenden. Irwin, who represents Northern Ireland and holds their 10km and half-marathon records, also set a new 10km best of 31:32 earlier this year.

Ockenden, coached by three-time Great South Run winner Chris Thompson, had previously won the UK 10-mile title in 2025 but fell short this time despite improving her time by nearly three minutes. The podium was completed by Daisy Glover, while Butchart—making his Great South Run debut—added silver in the men’s race after a strong comeback from injury, including a half-marathon personal best in Barcelona.

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