Sonia O'Sullivan will run in the Great Manchester Run

Manchester is to follow up on the success of the Commonwealth Games by staging a major road race.

Manchester City Council, who ensured last summer's Games were a success and within budget, will host the Great Manchester Run on Bank Holiday Monday, 26 May.

Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Sonia O'Sullivan has accepted an invitation to compete in the 10km race.

Approaches have also been made to the world's two top distance runners, Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat.

Marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe, currently altitude training in the United States, is also to be invited to take part.

"The course is a quick one and that in itself will attract some of the very best runners in the world wanting to post fast times," said former Commonwealth and European track gold medallist Brendan Foster.

It is hoped the event could become as big as the London Marathon and the Great North Run.

"This is one of the great sporting venues of the world," said Foster.

"And it is big enough to put on a race to match Chicago, London, the Great North Run and other leading big city road races."