Callum confident he’s fully recovered

Callum Hawkins insists he is ready to bounce back from his Commonwealth Games drama as he prepares to go head-tohead with Mo Farah.

The Kilbarchan AAC marathon runner is set to make his first appearance since his collapse on the Gold Coast after being confirmed for the Vitality London 10,000 on Monday.

Hawkins will also be joined by the likes of Jo Pavey and Lily Partridge at the event, which starts on The Mall and finishes in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Elderslie athlete continues to recover at home but has recently returned to training ahead of his competitive bow on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Scottish star had been on course for victory in Australia until, overcome by the heat, he lost control of his body and fell just two kilometres from the finish. Australia’s Michael Shelley came through to win the race, while Hawkins was taken to hospital to receive medical treatment.

But he is adamant that he is in the best possible shape ahead of the 10km run.

Hawkins said: “I feel a lot better now I have had some rest since returning from Australia and I’m looking forward to getting out there and competing again.

“It has been a few years since I ran a 10km on British roads, and it will be a good race to see where I am at in order to kick-start my summer.

“Hopefully, it will be an entertaining race for all the fans who will come out to watch too.”

More used to pushing himself to the limit over the course of the marathon, the shorter 10km has become something of a rarity for Hawkins.

But that didn’t prevent him from clocking a new personal best time back in February, following a run of 29.03 in the Netherlands.

But up against Farah, Hawkins knows that he will have to be at his best with Mo’s 10km personal best sitting at 27.44, which he ran in the London 10,000 course in 2010.

The four-time Olympic champion showed he remains in good shape following his third place at this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon by running 28.27 to win the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10km on Sunday.

Chris Thompson has also shown by his form this year that he still has the quality to make it more than just a twoman race.

Other British men confirmed for this year’s Vitality London 10,000 are Johnny Mellor, John Beattie, Josh Griffiths and Matt Sharpe.