Radcliffe triumphs again in New York

Eurosport - Mon, 03 Nov 15:05:00 2008

Britain's Paula Radcliffe won the New York Marathon, defending the crown she won last year to become only the second woman to win the race for a third time.

ATHLETICS 2008 New York Radcliffe - 0

Radcliffe won in an unofficial time of 2hrs, 23mins 55secs with Russian Ludmila Petrova second in 2:25:43 and marathon debutante Kara Goucher third in 2:25:52, becoming the first American on the podium in the race in 14 years.

In cool and windy conditions for the 39th New York Marathon, Radcliffe led from start to finish to match her 2004 and 2007 triumph and join nine-time winner Grete Waitz as the only woman to capture the race more than twice.

Radcliffe, whose victory last year came 10 months after giving birth to her first child, suffered a stress fracture in her left leg this year that led to a disappointing 23rd-place finish at the Beijing Olympics.

Radcliffe, 34, jumped to the lead from the opening gun with US debutante Kara Goucher, trained by three-time New York winner Alberto Salzar, right behind her for the first two-thirds of the race.

Leading a pack of six at the half-way mark, Radcliffe knew that seven of the past nine women's winners at New York led at that mark.

Goucher, who ran in memory of a father killed by a drunk driver when she was only a child in New York, dropped off Radcliffe's pace in the 19th mile.

That left 2000 winner Ludmila Petrova of Russia, reigning Boston Marathon champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia and two-time Berlin champion Gete Wami of Ethiopia in a line behind Radcliffe.

In a 21st-mile bridge climb, Wami and Tune fell off the pace as well, leaving Radcliffe shadowed only by the 40-year-old Russian.

Radcliffe ran the 22nd mile in 5:12 and pulled away from the Russian to put herself clear as downtown Manhattan loomed before her after two hours, tugging the margin to a minute with a mile to run.

One year after outdueling Wami to the line, Radcliffe was alone to enjoy the cheers as she crossed the finish line, after which she hoisted her baby daughter and the British flag in celebration.

Two-time world champion Catherine Ndereba, a Kenyan who won her second Olympic silver medal at Beijing, fell back early, the two-time Chicago and four-time Boston winner unable to challenge for her first New York crown.

Australian Kurt Fearnley won his third consecutive men's wheelchair title and Swiss Edith Hunkeler captured her third women's wheelchair title in a row.

Reuters

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  1. Fantastic Paula you are brilliant and a credit to this­ country. Please stay well and win Gold at the next­ Olympics it would be a fitting climax to a wonderful­ career.

    From Ross H, on Sun 1 Nov 5:13PM

  2. Secret Face, I get your point; read the British papers­ and its all football,football, football.When did­ England last win the World Cup??? but then I prefer­ rugby
    Talking about World Cups; Track Cycling World­ Cup, Manchester, last weekend-British Team 5 gold­ medals on first day.Similar story in World Champs­ earlier in year and Beiging Olympics, more medals than­ all our other sports put together including 3 triple­ gold Olympic medalists, Chris Hoy and Victoria­ Pendleton.
    Thats where our World and Olympic champions­ are.

    From Dr.J, on Mon 3 Nov 7:40PM

  3. paula is our best marathon runner ever give her the­ same accolade as dame kelly homes she deserves it­ .bryan.

    From bryancrookes, on Mon 3 Nov 4:36PM

  4. paula is our best marathon runner ever give her the­ same accolade as dame kelly homes she deserves it

    From bryancrookes, on Mon 3 Nov 4:33PM

  5. Well done Paula and good on you for not letting the­ cynics get to you (of which there are many. In­ athletics as in life there are peaks and troughs and we­ have to take the rought with the smooth that's what­ makes us who we are.

    I would like to see you now­ devote time to coaching the up and coming sportsmen or­ women of the future and to give them the motivation to­ carry on when the going gets tought. You need tanacity­ and termination to do what you have done. So all the­ best to your and your family for the future no matter­ where you path now takes you.

    Again well done for­ giving us Brits something to be proud of as we are a­ great countgry despite all this economic gloom. Rule­ Brittania!

    From Annette T, on Mon 3 Nov 12:49PM

  6. Brilliant Paula, just stick two fingers up to the­ unachieving morons who criticise you from afar.­ Remember the old but still true adage, Those who can­ -DO! Those who can't - crticise! I think you and­ Kelly Holmes are the greatest women athletes this­ country has produced. Keep on running girl!

    From raycurtis34, on Mon 3 Nov 11:02AM

  7. First of all, this is a truly great achievement; i take­ my hat off to all marathon runners and Radcliffe is the­ best! But, whether you like it or not, she does appear­ to be more competitive when there is a large pot of­ cash for the winner. This is NOT a criticism - merely­ an observation.

    From cameron w, on Mon 3 Nov 10:47AM

  8. Joestone you are a complete MORON!! let me kill your­ argument with one point... How much money do you think­ Kelly Holmes, Chris Hoy, Linford Christie, Steve­ Redgrade etc etc etc made on the back off being Olympic­ Champions? do you think they'd have had the same­ financial success on the international racing scene?

    From Robert F, on Mon 3 Nov 9:36AM

  9. Well done Paula a truly great achievmement and one to­ be so proud of. As for the mindless ignorant people who­ left such negative comments, you really dont know­ anything about this sport and you certainly know­ nothing about paula. Shame on you

    From s.clatworthy468, on Mon 3 Nov 9:22AM

  10. Good luck Paula, i think the win says it all. and if­ the two people who were behind me in the post office­ queue running her down. read this, whats your comments­ now?

    From senator1988, on Mon 3 Nov 9:09AM

  11. Well done paula you done use proud forget the negative­ people let them run the 26 mile.See if they can do as­ good as you well done girl.

    From gary.tranter, on Mon 3 Nov 9:04AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Did you see her wipe her kid's nose with the Union­ Jack???
    I would not be happy if I were a Brit. Good­ thing her kid didn't need a poop!

    From Jona, on Mon 3 Nov 9:01AM

  13. Why not pay medallists in the Olympics cash prizes too,­ they deserve it more than footballers salaries for­ living like monks for years and training, we have it­ the wrong way round.

    From daverobertson05, on Mon 3 Nov 8:53AM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Shame she cant win when she is not being paid to be­ there.

    From DAVID, on Mon 3 Nov 8:51AM

  15. Funny how I read through the paper and didn't see­ this even mentioned. This is the first I've heard­ of it. I think this is a bigger achievment than any­ other British sporting achievment recently. Fantastic­ work. Well done.

    From Secret Face, on Mon 3 Nov 8:50AM

  16. Well done Paula, that was the old Paula we have been­ waiting to see return. Lets clear up one thing before­ any one else goes on about big races and cash. 1.­ Runners like Paula earn no where near the sort of money­ that NFL or soccer players earn, maybe some of you­ critics should try training to run let alone running­ marathon and realise how much time and effort it takes­ to become that good and achieve those sort of times. ­ As for the olympics this lady wants that more than­ anything and has had some of the worst luck and­ injuries at the wrong time maybe she shouldn't of­ gone to Beijing but I understand the reasons why she­ did and despite that I don't think there would of­ been any other UK lady who even fully fit that would­ of beaten a depleated Radcliffe...

    From newti1978, on Mon 3 Nov 8:40AM

  17. The notion that Paula Radcliffe 'doesn't try as­ hard' when running for an Olympic gold medal is­ absurd - the pinnacle of any athlete's sporting­ career is always to be Olympic champion, and she'd­ exchange any amount of money for that honour. The­ simple fact is that she's been unlucky enough to be­ ill or injured when the big races came - just like her­ compatriot Kelly Holmes, who finally came good with a­ vengeance in Athens 2004. Perhaps London 2012 will be­ Paula's time? But if not, she's still the best­ female athlete Britain has ever seen and the­ world's greatest marathon runner today.

    From bttn58, on Mon 3 Nov 8:19AM

  18. she had a stress fracture during the­ olympics,period.and even if she was okay and did not­ win in beijing no two marathons are the same.the­ terrain,pollution,weather are all factors atheletes­ have different reactions to.let paula be.newyork is her­ speciality.bring the olympics to newyork and see­ whether she wont win the marathon gold.love you paula­ and congrats.

    From franklin b concience, on Mon 3 Nov 8:15AM

  19. Money or no money, she is only the second woman to win­ 3 times. It takes training, perseverance and guts to­ win the New York marathon. All you people running Paula­ Radcliffe down, have you got what it takes? I think­ not, or you wouldn't spend your time being so nasty­ about the achievements of a fantastic athlete. WELL­ DONE, PAULA!!!

    From Cynic, on Mon 3 Nov 7:49AM

  20. Cash or not she still won it...

    From tulip, on Mon 3 Nov 7:29AM
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