The eDreams Mitja Marato Barcelona, an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, has seen half marathon world record performances in the last two years thanks to Kenya&rsquo;s Florence Kiplagat, with her running the current mark of 1:05:09 in 2015 and also setting world records for 15km (46:14) and 20km (1:01:54) along the way.Consequently, there are hopes that the 28-year-old Kenyan can make it three-in-a-row on Sunday (12).However, those ambitions may have to be tempered after she arrived in Barcelona on Thursday morning, from her home in Eldoret, and revealed at a press conference that she had been suffering from flu for several weeks at the end of 2015 which has hampered her build-up for Sunday&rsquo;s event. In Kiplagat&rsquo;s own words, a third consecutive world record looks unlikely but her knowledge of the Barcelona circuit and the employment of her favourite pacemaker should give her a fighting chance of producing another cracking performance.As was the case on the past two occasions, Kiplagat will be paced by the Spanish runner Marc Roig, who has even shared some training sessions with her in Kenya during in recent weeks. Kiplagat stiffest opposition looks set to come from Portugal&rsquo;s Jessica Augusto, an accomplished road runner who took the marathon bronze medal at the 2014 European Championships.The 2010 European cross country champion will compete in Barcelona eight months after giving birth to her first daughter. It will be her second outing in 2016 following a third place finish at the Portuguese 10km champs three weeks ago in 33:07 Her half marathon best remains at 1:09:08 from back in 2009.Sweden&rsquo;s Isabellah Andersson, who has nice memories of Barcelona as she took the 2010 European Championships marathon bronze medal in the Catalan city, Great Britain&rsquo;s Susan Partridge and Italy&rsquo;s Veronica Inglese are among the other leading elite women.Unfortunately, the men&rsquo;s event has suffered the late withdrawal of Eritrea&rsquo;s marathon world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, who has suffered a sprain in training.In his absence, the favourite should be Kenya&rsquo;s 2011 world championships marathon silver medallist Vincent Kipruto. The 28-year-old has a marathon best of 2:05:13, albeit from 2010, while his last half marathon appearance came in Lille last September when he finished in a career best of 1:00:19.The Kenyan contingent also includes Elicky Kipchoge Masse, a 1:01:36 performer and the experience Josephat Kiprono Menjo while Europe is represented by Italy&rsquo;s 2014 European marathon champion Daniele Meucci. Despite having a relatively modest career best of 2:11.08, the 30-year-old Italian also finished eighth at the world championships in Beijing last summer and his half marathon best of 1:01:06 could be under threat. Sweden&rsquo;s three-time European cross country championships medallist and former steeplechase ace Mustafa Mohamed of Sweden could also be in contention.A record figure of over 16,511 have signed up to run on Sunday and slight changes to the circuit have been made to provide the runners with wider and more comfortable streets.Weather forecasters predict quite a windy day, another factor which may mitigate against Kiplagat getting another world record, partially cloudy and a 50 per cent chance of rain with temperatures between 12-14 degrees Celsius at the time of the event. Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

The eDreams Mitja Marato Barcelona, and IAAF Bronze Label Road Race has seen half marathon world record performances in the last two years thanks to Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat, with her running the current mark of 1:05:09 in 2015 and also setting world records for 15km (46:14) and 20km (1:01:54) along the way.

Kiplagat returns to Barcelona with organisers hoping for world record hat-trick

Eritrea&rsquo;s world marathon champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie will try to take his personal best for the half marathon under one hour at the eDreams Mitja Marat&oacute; de Barcelona on Sunday 14 February.Organisers for the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race in the Catalan city announced the participation of the 20-year-old Eritrean, one of the most surprising winners of a title at the World Championships in the Chinese capital last August, on Tuesday (2)."I want to show the world that my victory at the world championships was no flash in the pan,&rdquo; said Ghebreslassie.Barcelona will be Ghebreslassie&rsquo;s first race since his triumph in Beijing."I have heard lots of very good things of the eDreams Half Marathon ​​and, of course, I am aware that Kiplagat twice got the world record here. I am very happy because I will come to Barcelona with my training partner Merhawi Kesete, so my goal is the podium and get my personal best at this distance.&rdquo;Ghebreslassie has a personal best of 1:00:09, actually clocked three years ago when he was incredibly just 17 and which is one of the fastest times over the distance ever run by a teenager.In addition to Ghebreslassie, the men&rsquo;s race will feature Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hunegnaw Mesfin, who has a half marathon best of 59:39, his compatriot Abera Kuma (best of 1:00:19), Kenya&rsquo;s Josphat Kiprono Menjo (1:01:43) and Eritrea&rsquo;s Kesete (1:01:43). A large group of European athletes, led by Italy&rsquo;s European marathon champion Daniele Meuccci, will be using the race as a part of their preparations for the IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships Cardiff 2016 on Saturday 26 March. In addition to Meucci, who has a half marathon best of 1:01:06, the European contingent also includes Italy&rsquo;s Simone Gariboldi, Sweden&rsquo;s Mustafa Mohamed and the French pair of Nicolas Navarro and Dejamel Bachiri.Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

Eritrea’s world marathon champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie will try to take his personal best for the half marathon under one hour at the eDreams Mitja Marató de Barcelona on Sunday 14 February.

Ghebreslassie looking to prove he's no 'flash in the pan' in Barcelona

Despite having to face some problems with the budget for this year, the 36th Almond Blossom Cross Country, an IAAF Cross Country Permit Meeting, is looking forward to an exciting day of racing on Sunday (24).Organisers will this weekend also reveal their plans for the 2014 edition, where they hope to combine the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country with the event.But for now the immediate focus is on this weekend where last year’s winners Josphat Menjo and Gorreti Jepkoech will return to defend their titles.Men’s race – will Menjo take his fifth victory?The men’s start list includes four of the athletes who finished in the top five at this race last year. Josphat Menjo of Kenya, who has a 10,000m personal best of 26:56.74, has won four times in the last five editions of this race, making him the favourite to win again.But he will also face the two men who pushed him all the way last year – Mohamed Burka of Ethiopia and Manuel Damião, the 2012 Portuguese cross-country champion.Other competitors expected to challenge include Kenyans Cyprian Kotut, who finished fifth last year and boasts a Half-marathon PB of 62:25, Philemon Kemei, fourth in the junior race at the 2000 World Cross, and Ethiopian Melaku Belachew, winner of the Pune Half Marathon last December with 61:19.Women’s race – rematch of 2012As is the case with the men’s race, the Almond Blossom Cross Country will welcome back the top four women from last year. Twelve months ago not much was known about Kenyan Gorreti Jepkoech, but she came to Albufeira and won the race by 24 seconds ahead of Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka, the two-time New York City Marathon winner.The Portugal-based athlete will try to win again this year but she will face tough opposition in the form of Ana Dulce Felix. The European 10,000m champion finished third last year in Albufeira, but is a former winner of the event and took bronze when the European Cross Country Championships was held here in 2010.Also among the front runners will be Kenya’s Eunice Jepkorir, the 2008 Olympic 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist, and Russia’s Marathon specialist Marina Kovaleva.In total, the event expects more than 3500 runners across the various races on Sunday.António Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF

Defending champions Menjo and Jepkoech return to Albufeira

Despite having to face some problems with the budget for this year, the 36th Almond Blossom Cross Country, an IAAF Cross Country Permit Meeting, is looking forward to an exciting day of racing on Sunday (24).