Paula Radcliffe

Paula Jane Radcliffe (born 17 December, 1973) is a British long-distance runner. She is the current world record holder for the women's marathon, which she set during the 2003 London Marathon, with a time of 2:15.25.

Later career

In 2002, Paula Radcliffe made the move up to marathon distance, a decision that immediately paid off with victory at that year's London Marathon. She went on to win the same event twice more, claiming the world record in 2003. She has also won the Chicago Marathon and the New York Marathon. Indeed, of the seven marathons Radcliffe has run so far, she has won six, building up a claim to be the best female distance runner of all time. She has run four out of the five fastest times in history in the women's marathon (fourth place being held by Catherine Ndereba).

Related Topics:
2002 - Marathon - London Marathon - 2003 - Chicago Marathon - New York Marathon - Catherine Ndereba

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Paula Radcliffe did not compete in the London Marathon in 2004, but was the favourite to win the gold medal in the marathon at that year's Olympic Games. However, she suffered an injury to her leg just two weeks prior to the event, and was forced to use a high dose of anti-inflammatory drugs. Unfortunately, these had an adverse effect on her stomach and resulted in food failing to be absorbed. This in turn resulted in a lack of energy and carbohydrates in her system before the start of the race, and led to her distressing withdrawal after 36km. Five days later she started in the 10,000m but, still suffering from the effects of the marathon, was forced to retire with eight laps remaining.

Related Topics:
Olympic Games - Stomach

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She made a strong comeback in her next competitive marathon, winning the 2004 New York Marathon in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 10 seconds after a close finish during which she took a decisive lead over Kenya's Susan Chepkemei only at the very end. At the 2005 London Marathon she won with a time of 2 hours 17 minutes 42 seconds, although the victory was overshadowed in some parts of the British media by her need to take an al-fresco toilet break mid-race.

Related Topics:
2004 - New York Marathon - Kenya - Susan Chepkemei - 2005

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On August 14 2005 she won her first gold medal at a major championships when she took the marathon title at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, dominating the race and setting a championship record time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 57 seconds. For the same race, she and the other three British runners took third place in the team competition.

Related Topics:
August 14 - Helsinki - Finland

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Paula Radcliffe also holds the world records for 10, 20 and 30km on roads. She twice won gold at the World Cross-Country championships (in 2001 and 2002), and in December 2003 became European Cross-Country champion for the second time, the only woman to have achieved this feat in the event's ten-year history. Forced out of the Paris World Athletics Championships because of injury in 2003, her greatest moment on the track has been European gold at 10,000m in 2002. She has proved herself a good runner at distances as low as 5000m, too, running 14:31.42, just three seconds behind the world record, to win gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

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She was awarded an MBE in June 2002, and later in the year became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Related Topics:
MBE - BBC Sports Personality of the Year

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