Athletics golden girl Jessica Ennis is the early 3/1 favourite to win this years BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. The heptathlete has had a solid start to the year, most recently demolishing the field in May at the Hypo-Meeting in Austria where she won with a total of 6,790 points, just 33 points below her best ever score. The 25-year-old will be gunning for gold at this summers World Championships in Daega (South Korea) where she will also be aiming to eclipse Denise Lewis British record of 6831 points.

Boxer David Haye is currently Ennis closest challenger at 6/1 with William Hill. The current WBA World Heavyweight Champion faces a mammoth unification fight with Ukraines Wladimir Klitschko in July in what is being hyped as one of the biggest bouts in recent years. Scotlands Andy Murray has odds of 5/1 to win the award after a relatively successful start to 2011. The 24-year-old has so far finished as runner-up in the Australian Open Final, reached the French Open semi-finals a week ago and is due to play in the Queens Club final today. With Wimbledon just around the corner, who knows, maybe Murray can finally deliver and win his first Grand Slam on home soil.

Golfer Rory McIlroy is available at 10/1, and after coming agonisingly close to winning his first major at the US Masters in April, he will be more than confident of going a step further and winning one of the remaining majors in 2011, with the US Open at the Congressional Country Club next on the agenda on Thursday 16th June. Fellow British golfers Lee Westwood at 14/1, and Luke Donald at 16/1 will also be in a shout of winning the award if they are able to win a major in 2011.

The Rugby World Cup is set to burst onto our screens this September when our England bo! ys trave l to New Zealand with high hopes of reaching their third consecutive World Cup Final. England showed they can mix it up with the best of them by crushing Australia last autumn, and if they come away with the famous Webb Ellis trophy later this year then Chris Ashton (20/1), Tom Croft (33/1) and Toby Flood (33/1) will all be in with a shot of winning the Sports Personality of the Year award in December.

After a phenomenal Ashes win at the start of the year and with summer tests against Sri Lanka (England are currently leading after two tests) and India, Englands cricket team could end the year as the undisputed World No.1 test team. Alastair Cook (16/1) and Andrew Strauss (40/1) are Englands key performers and will need to be on top of their game if they are to propel England to No.1 in the world. 66/1 outsider Bradley Wiggins is also aiming high for a podium finish at this years Tour de France.

Although Ennis is the current favourite it is more realistic that shell be given the award next year when interest in athletics will reach fever pitch during the London Olympics. If Murray was to win Wimbledon, Haye to demolish Klitschko, or a British golfer was to win a major or two then it will certainly be a fascinating contest.

William Hill BBC Sports Personality of the Year Outright Odds (correct as of 13/06/2011):

Jessica Ennis 3/1
David Haye 6/1
Andy Murray 7/1
Rory McIlroy 10/1
Lewis Hamilton 12/1
Lee Westwood 14/1
Alastair Cook 16/1
Luke Donald 16/1
Chr! is Ashto n 20/1
Amir Khan 25/1
Phil Taylor 25/1
Jenson Button 25/1
David Beckham 25/1
Tom Croft 33/1
Tom Daley 33/1
Paul Scholes 33/1
Gareth Bale 33/1
Tony McCoy 33/1
Toby Flood 33/1
Andrew Strauss 40/1
Mark Cavendish 40/1
Wayne Rooney 40/1
Carl Froch 40/1
Ronnie OSullivan 40/1

All odds courtesy of William Hill