Paula Radcliffe wins New York marathon - less than 10 months after giving birth to baby Isla

 

Last updated at 20:00pm on 4th November 2007 Comments (5)

Briton Paula Radcliffe won the New York City marathon today less than 10 months after giving birth.

The 33-year-old world record holder, who was running her first marathon in 2 years and 81 days, led throughout the race around the city's five boroughs.

As she crossed the finish line in Central Park more than 20 seconds ahead of anyone else, Radcliffe draped herself in the Union flag and cradled her nine-month old daughter Isla as she kissed her husband Gary and waved to the crowds.

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Stronger: A jubilant Paula celebrates her win with her daughter Isla

 

Radcliffe, wearing sunglasses and white gloves, was shadowed throughout the race by Ethiopia's Geta Wami, who finished second, and a police motorcycle outrider, who at times was just centimetres from the Briton's right elbow.

Speaking after the race, Radcliffe said she was "glad to be back".

"The motivation was to win the race," she said.

"Probably that was made even greater by the fact that back to 1992 Geta and I have raced like that and she is probably way up on me and I was thinking,

She said she felt "stronger" both mentally and physically after giving birth to daughter Isla in January and added that she had run throughout her pregnancy.

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Winner: Paula crosses the finish line after leading throughout the race around the city's five boroughs

 

"You're not getting me in the marathon".

"And I was thinking back to all of the weeks cross-training that I had to do with my back injury and all of the time that I missed out through pregnancy and not giving up.

"I was thinking, 'This is mine, this is mine', and working really hard."

She went on: "I felt quite relaxed for the early part of the race.

And the plan was to go a good pace to half way and pick it from there.

"But I think with the wind, and maybe we went a little bit quicker to half way.

"Obviously I didn't pick it up but I kept trying to push on strongly.

"And I knew she was behind me but she wasn't dogging my heels like she would do on the track. She was more alongside so it wasn't as annoying.

"Then coming into the park I had a lot of support. But it was so noisy you couldn't judge and I didn't know where anyone was.

"Then I thought I had a gap, and then she was right there, and then she came alongside me and then went past me at Columbus Circle.

"And I was thinking, '400 to go, don't go too early, don't go too early, but this is mine, she's not getting past me'.

"And it was, I guess, in my favour that the final 400's uphill because it just makes it that little bit tougher."

She added: "I'm just really enjoying it. I was nervous at the start, but not that nervous because I was just so happy to be back here.

"New York for me is a special place. I've always come here and raced well.

"As soon as I get here I go round the park and see all the other people running, go round the reservoir.

"It's just a buzz to me and that helps to get the best out of me in the race.

"I've had fun today, and I've really enjoyed it, and I'm glad to be back."

Both the city's mayor Michael Bloomberg and race organiser Mary Wittenberg dedicated this year's marathon to elite distance runner Ryan Shay, who collapsed and died yesterday five-and-a-half miles into the US men's marathon Olympic trials.

Radcliffe finished the race in two hours 23 minutes and nine seconds and led throughout, apart from a brief period during the 26th mile in Central Park when Wami took the lead.

Radcliffe responded with a strong finish and picked up a winners' cheque for £65,000.

Around 38,000 people were taking part in today's race and around two million cheering spectators supported the runners along the city's streets.

A further 315 million television viewers around the world were expected to watch the race.

Coe hails Radcliffe as GB great

 

Coe described Radcliffe as inspiration for young hopefuls

 

London 2012 boss Sebastian Coe heaped praise on Paula Radcliffe after watching her win the New York Marathon, just 10 months after giving birth. "She's something else," he said of the 33-year-old. "Paula has clearly now transcended track and field.

"Paula is one of the biggest names in British sport of all time."

Lord Coe also noted that Radcliffe aims to run the marathon at the 2012 Games, saying: "She's talking about it. I wouldn't bet against her."

Report: Radcliffe wins New York Marathon

Interview: Paula Radcliffe

She has had more impact on track and field than any single man in the last 15 or 16 seasons

 

 

Sebastian Coe

 

Radcliffe, who was running her first marathon in two years and 81 days, crossed the finish line in two hours 23 minutes and nine seconds after a race-long duel with Ethiopian Gete Wami.

Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 organising committee, believes Radcliffe has made a huge impact on athletics in Britain and inspired more girls to take up running.

"She has taken this distance to a different level, completely changed it," added the double Olympic 1500m champion.

"She has had more impact on track and field than any single man in the last 15 or 16 seasons."

606: DEBATE

Radcliffe's whole career is the shining epitome of never-say-die determination

 

 

clumberpup

 

Radcliffe's winning time on Sunday secured her Olympic berth for Beijing 2008, but the marathon star has not ruled the possibility of competing in London as well.

She said: "It would be an electric occasion to be able to take part in the Olympics in your home country, with that support.

"If my body can hold together, which I'm sure it can do, then I would really love to be there."

Lord Coe commented: "She'll probably have two or three children by then.

"It's possible. It's a very unforgiving sport, a very unforgiving event but she's uniquely focused and uniquely talented."

She's just a very, very, very gutsy lady

 

 

Liz McColgan on Radcliffe

 

Radcliffe gave birth to her first child, Isla, in January, but former world champion Liz McColgan said the greatest hurdles she had to overcome were her long-running injury problems.

McColgan, herself a former New York and London Marathon champion, won the 10,000m at the 1991 world championships in Tokyo just nine months after giving birth to her first child.

"It's not the fact how great is it after giving birth for Paula," McColgan told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Paula had an awful lot of injury problems. It was one thing after another, so it's more her guts and her determination to come back from all of that, with all the negativity that was around her.

"People were suggesting 'she'll never do it again, she's had her best race', and she's come out and blown an absolutely fantastic field away.

"New York is a really tough course so the time she did on that was very, very good and just the way that she ran it - she's just a very, very, very gutsy lady."

Steve Cram column

 

By Steve Cram

BBC Sport commentator

What now for Paula Radcliffe after her incredible win in the New York marathon?

What races should she run, and can we now believe that she could win that elusive Olympic gold in Beijing?

Right now, there will be only one thing on her mind - rest. She'll take a couple of weeks off and then start planning.

Radcliffe celebrates her triumph in New York

 

There's the World Cross Country championships in Edinburgh in March, and the option of doing either the London or Boston marathons - but if I were her, there would be only two things on my mind.

The first would be this: to win Olympic gold in Beijing, you have to get there in the best physical condition possible.

Don't worry too much at this stage about acclimatisation, or what the local conditions might be like there - because your ability to cope with all of those factors ultimately comes down to what shape you are in.

I've talked to Liz McColgan about her preparations for the world championships in Tokyo in 1991, and she made the same point - the fitter you are, the easier you'll find it coping with heat, humidity and pollution.

The second point follows the first - how can Paula get into the best shape possible?

All her decisions about which races to enter flow from this.

606: DEBATE

I defy anyone to underestimate her hunger and desire to triumph in Bejing next year

 

 

marathongaz

 

If running the World Cross is the best thing to get her in ideal shape for Beijing, she should do them. The same goes for London.

But if peaking for those races, or the efforts she puts into them, in any way impedes her Olympic preparations, she should leave them alone - or run them in a way that helps her, rather than simply trying to win.

You can rest assured that the Chinese and Japanese rivals she'll come up against in Beijing won't be trying to win the World Cross, or break their national records on the track in the build-up.

The person who wins in Beijing will be a combination of the best runner and the athlete in the best shape on the day.

We know that Paula is the best marathon runner in the world. Now it comes down to the other part - being in the best possible condition on race-day.

As for New York itself - well, it was one of the great marathons I have witnessed.

Radcliffe relaxes with daughter Isla after her win

 

With two miles to go, Paula was probably one of the very few people in the world who thought she could out-kick Gete Wami.

I walked the final mile with Paula and her husband Gary last year, when Paula was still heavily pregnant with Isla, and it came back to me on Sunday as I watched her battle with Wami reach its climax.

There's a little uphill section with about 1000m to go, and I thought on Sunday that if she couldn't break away there then her chance would have gone.

But somehow she managed to lift her pace just when it mattered most, and at a stage when most athletes would find it impossible.

You just can't sprint-finish in a marathon. There's nothing left in your legs and arms, nothing left in your lungs.

What you can do is change the rhythm of your running, to lift your cadence, and that's exactly what Paula managed to do.

Usually during a race she counts numbers in her head. It's her way of keeping her pace up, of ignoring the distance she has left to go or the discomfort she is feeling.

This time she switched to repeating the phrase "I love you Isla" over and over - and the short, staccato rhythm of those words enabled her to pick up her pace when her body had nothing more to give.

She needs to eat more

She needs to eat more

i second that...

 

i thought that nobody was going to say it... :uhoh: and was only me who see her a bit skinny. :uhoh:

She needs to eat more

 

No she doesn't - she's a professional runner.;)