She is a former world record holder and world champion, winner of seven major marathons and the prize for the sporting personality of the year of the BBC. But for Paula Radcliffe, the medal she will receive on Monday means just as much as everything she has accomplished in her professional career.
“I think it should probably be a pride in space,” admits the 51 -year -old in the mail. “For the moment, I have had none of my exposed medals, but I may put it in a setting.”
The special price to which Rarscliffe refers is the medal of the six stars, awarded to runners who complete the six main original marathons. The British athlete made the BBC commentator checked four at the top of his powers, winning in London and New York three times each, triumphant in Chicago and ranking third in Berlin.
Radcliffe then retired in 2015 after being prey to a persistent injury on the foot. But a decade later, she returned to the roads to continue her remaining stars – crossing Tokyo on her list last month and now aligned with Boston on Monday to finish the set.
“I will just be happy to arrive in one piece,” said Radcliffe when I was asked how she would feel at the finish line. “But I am excited about this. This has been one of my goals for some time to try to finish the six. You think, “Are you really a marathon runner until you did it?”.
“I thought it was not going to be possible because of my foot. But I punctuated a group of athletes for most of Berlin in 2023 and my foot was ok, so I started to watch the calendar and it worked this year.
Paula Radcliffe made his Tokyo return last month and will run the Boston marathon on Monday
The 51 -year -old man retired in 2015 after being prey to a persistent injury at the foot
In Tokyo seven weeks ago, the veteran timed a more modest 2:57:22
“I thought it was now or never and that I like the story in Boston. It was there that I won the World Cross-Country Junior Championships in 1992 and it was the race that gave me the conviction that I could make it a professional athlete.
Radcliffe has not only succeeded as a pro, but has become one of the biggest runners of marathon of all time, with the world record that it set in London from 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds from 2003 to 2019.
In Tokyo seven weeks ago, she timed 2:57:22 more modest, having been embarrassed by the starting line when she was presented as the fastest woman on the ground. However, her time was as remarkable as everything she achieved at her peak, since she is now in the fifties, had not traveled 26.2 miles in 10 years and made a injury that left her in a wheelchair.
“I loved the first half,” recalls Radcliffe. “I was just running out with people. This atmosphere and this camaraderie are what I missed.
“Then, from around 25k, my leg locked. It was as if I was running on a leg and a half. I said to myself at one point: “You will have to walk a little”, but I’m happy not to have done it because when I finished, I sat down and I couldn’t walk.
“I had to jump while keeping my husband’s shoulder. We then obtained a taxi at the hotel and I had to take a wheelchair to the room.
Radcliffe first feared that she should not withdraw from Boston, delaying her offer for this sixth elusive star.
“I was on the verge of tears because I said to myself” What did I do? ” “, She admits. “I have a high pain threshold, so I knew that if my foot was really painful, I had to do something really bad. I did not want to compromise to be able to run in 10 years. This is the thing that scared me.
Radcliffe has become one of the biggest marathon runners of all time, with the world record that she set in London 2h 15min 25sec
“But the fact that he settled so quickly, I knew that I would have done nothing so badly and I came from the bruise. It turns out that it was caused by my choice of shoes, so I just have to make the right decision this time.
RADCLIFFE – Who plans to wear Nike Zoom Fly 6 shoes Monday rather than the 3S Alphafly 3 with which she had a hard time in Tokyo – admits that the training was “ in the list of priorities ” behind family and work. However, she was able to go out for about an hour a day at home in Monaco, taking advantage of a few sessions with her 14 -year -old son Raphael, a promising junior runner.
Radcliffe’s other child, 18 -year -old, Isla also trained for her first London marathon on Sunday. She presents herself for children with UK cancer, the charitable body that supported her, she and her family, after being diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer at the age of 13, which she happily restored.
“I’m really proud that she takes up the challenge after all that she has experienced,” said Radcliffe. “The fact that she is in good health enough to be able to do it now is massive for all of us.
“I just want her to appreciate it. Because I liked the distance so much, what I don’t want is that she hates experience. I want her to finish with a smile on her face.
Radcliffe plans to watch Isla finish on the shopping center after commenting on the elite races for the BBC. In the female event, the Scottish star Eilish McColgan finally made her long -awaited marathon debut after a knee operation, starting her continuation of the Radcliffe British record.
“The big question is how she adapts to the distance and how she overcome the injury because it was a long road for her,” said Radcliffe. “But I’m really happy to see her again. It is a high quality field and it should help him shoot more quickly.
In the male race, the Olympic and World Triathlon Alex Yee also takes the distance for the first time, Radcliffe turning the GB team star for surprise. “He prepared very well for that,” she says. “He is a full -fledged runner and I can see him put a very strong performance.
In the male race, the Olympic and World Triathlon Alex Yee also takes the distance for the first time, Radcliffe turning the star of the GB team for surprise a surprise
“He will not go with the main group, but many people could get involved and not be able to go. He must be aware. I can see him pass very strongly towards the end. Since his day, I think he could do the top 10, which would be phenomenal.
Radcliffe admits that she will be happy to just look in the comments on Sunday, rather than beating the streets again after the efforts on Monday. But when they were asked if Boston would mark the end of her return from the marathon, she does not stop at the publication of a Steve Redgrave style declaration to stop me.
“I think it pushes him and I will be happy after this one,” adds Radcliffe. “But I’m never going to say.
Look at the London marathon on BBC Iplayer and BBC One on Sunday, April 27
