Jelena Prokopcuka, who completed a hat-trick of Bupa Great Edinburgh Run victories in 2007, will chase a fourth title when returning for this year's race on May 3.

The 32-year-old will start the 10 kilometres race with the knowledge she has plenty of strength in her legs after winning the Paris half marathon crown last month. She also showed pace over 10km last weekend when taking third place in a hotly-contested Great Ireland Run in Dublin.

"The course was probably a little too flat for her there," said Andy Caine, the Edinburgh event's elite athletes manager. "Jelena in the past has thrived on the uphill stretches of the Edinburgh route which have always proved to be the foundation for her victories."

He added: "It's great to see her back but this promises to be the most competitive ever Great Edinburgh Run and I'm just a day or so away from another big signing."

Caine refused to hint who that will be, but with Portugal's European cross country silver medallist Jessica Augusto and the highly-experienced Aniko Kalovics in the field, a close contest is on the cards.

Kenya's former world 10,000 metres gold medallist Sally Barsosio will lead the African challenge, although surprisingly no-one from the continent has ever won the women's title since the meeting's inception four years ago.

Bernard Kipyego, who made one of the world's fastest ever half marathon debuts with his victory in Berlin last weekend, heads the line-up in the men's race.

Despite the confidence gained from that success, the 22-year-old Kenyan will be wary in particular of Boniface Kiprop, Uganda's Commonwealth 10,000m champion.