Annadale Striders will hope to pull off a local double when Ormeau Park plays host to the Podium 4 Sport 10k road race on Saturday (2.30pm).
Neil Johnston and Hannah Gilliland will be among the favourites to take the honours in a race that has easily met its 1,000-strong entry limit.
Johnston will be intent on ensuring that he will go one better than last year’s runner-up spot when, despite recording a huge personal best time of 30 mins 20 secs, it was not enough to beat Irish Olympian Paul Pollock, who won by some 20 seconds.
The problem Johnston faces is the formidable challenge of team-mate Brhane Gebrebrhan.
Following his recent arrival in the province, Gebrebrhan has accumulated a number of notable successes .
The NI 5,000m champion made an easy transition to the road in September when he took a surprise bronze medal in the Belfast Half Marathon.
He then followed this up with comfortable victories in both the Bangor 10k (30.16) and the Laganside 10k (30.31).
While Gebrebrhan has clearly the required speed for this distance, he could well be challenged by other good track runners such as Thomas Moran of Dunslaughlin, who ran a time of 3 mins 43 secs over 1,500m in Belfast in June.
Also competing is Callum Morgan of Candour TC, who impressed with a time of 13 mins 46 secs in the 5,000m in Brussels last summer .
In the Women’s event, current champion Gilliland should be able to retain her title from Letterkenny’s Nakita Burke, who was second two years ago, plus Robyn McKee, also of Annadale.
Irish Universities Champion Gilliland won the Bangor 10k this season and should be confident of another good race at Ormeau following her PB by a minute last year.