WHEN Brendan Foster launched the Great North Run in 1981, he could only have dreamt of moments such as these. At the Hilton Hotel in Gates-head the master of ceremonies is introducing the top table of athletes gathered for one of the biggest weekends of road racing in the world. He reaches the middle of a group of seven, which includes the leading Briton Jo Pavey, and pauses to chat with Leanne Symonds, a Northumberland woman who has become the one-millionth entrant in the event’s history. At the back of the room, Foster, 60, is smiling as Symonds talks of her brief claim to fame.

How Foster’s baby has grown. This morning 52,000 people will start the Bupa Great North Run from Newcastle to South Shields. Organis-ers had to turn down 38,000 other hopefuls. But the lack of a leading British man in the field is notable. That dims Foster’s smile.

“It disappoints me that I might never see another British male winning the Great North Run,” says the BBC commentator and 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist. “Distance running is becoming more and more international. The Africans are taking a stronger and stronger hold and European distance runners are sliding. I am nervous that no big international event will be won by a European man in the foreseeable future because of the strength of the African nations.”

African distance runners have not exactly appeared overnight but Foster tells a story that shows how much the balance of power has tilted. “I was talking to a kid the other day, a British world cross-country international, and he is thinking of retiring. I said, ‘Are you going to retire from going out for a run every day?’ He said, ‘No, but I am going to retire from the top level’.”

No British man has won the Great North Run since Steve Kenyon in 1985. The last time a home-grown male was in the top three was eight years ago, when Andy Coleman was second. That story of gloom is unlikely to change today. Kenyan Luke Kibet, the world marathon champion, starts as favourite. Dan Robin-son, Britain’s No 1 marathoner, will lead the domestic challenge but the Africans should prove too quick.

It is difficult to look beyond 5,000m runner Mo Farah, the former European cross-country champion, and Andy Baddeley, our top 1500m man, as serious distance hopefuls for Britain at the London Olympics in 2012. But the Great North is the biggest half-marathon in the world; there should be no greater stage for talent to emerge.

“If you look at the formula, it was to have these mass events to stimulate people’s interest - and then precipitate world-class runners,” says Foster. “That [second] bit has not quite happened. It is time to address it. We have to realise that these people [such as Farah] are like diamonds, you have to protect them, you have to polish them and take care of them.

“You can see the reaction that people have when our cyclists and swimmers win Olympic gold medals and you can imagine what it would be like in 2012 if we saw some of our runners win gold. You could see Britain figuring in the women’s distance events in London. A few years ago it was the other way. It is a difficult one to rationalise.”

Farah, who has talked of stepping up in distance before London, is not in today’s race but yesterday he displayed his outstanding finishing ability to win the Bupa Great North Mile in 4min 12sec. Lisa Dobriskey retained the women’s title.

African men have won the Great North Run every year since 1991 but it is a different story with the women. Paula Radcliffe has won twice and today Pavey is looking towards 2012 as she runs the 13.1 miles for only the second time. Within the next year the 35-year-old Commonwealth 5,000m silver medallist plans to run her first marathon, with the long-term aim of having her first child before competing over 26.2 miles in London. This morning she faces Gete Wami, the world marathon majors champion.

Pavey’s half-marathon debut came in 2006, when she was fourth in this race and needed two hours of medical attention afterwards because of a dramatic rise in her blood sugar levels. That has meant a new diet routine, which will see her start to eat and drink 4½ hours before the gun fires. She will even be eating a Powerbar Gel on the start line, having had a big cup of coffee at 5.45am, a tuna roll an hour later, half a protein bar at 8.45am and the other half at 9.15am.

“In this race last time, with 800m to go, I was wondering if I could get to the line,” Pavey says. “It was to do with my blood sugar going high, not low. I have done a great deal of testing over the winter.

“It is a rare problem, like a diabetic response to exercise. It does not mean the distance is the problem. I have started to eat a lot more protein before I race. At first I felt a bit bloated, but you get used to it.”