Radcliffe returns to form at the Great North Run

Britain’s master of Marathon’s, Paula Radcliffe, made her competitive return at the Great North Run in Newcastle on Sunday.
Despite disappointment at her second place finish behind USA’s surprise champion Kara Goucher, Radcliffe’s 1:07.53 finish marked a solid come-back for the 33-year-old World record holder for 10km, Half Marathon and the full Marathon distance.

Persistent foot injuries, and the birth of her daughter Isla in January this year, meant that Radcliffe had not competed competitively since her 10,000m win in Madrid, on New Year’s Eve, 2005. Unable to compete at the World Championships in Osaka due to a stress fracture at the base of her spine, Radcliffe had chosen the 21.1km Great North Run as her come-back venue, as the two-time champion (2000, 2003) and current course record holder (1:05.40).

However, the long-distance champion was simply out run by newly emerging distance competitor, Kara Goucher. The same 29-year-old American who dashed British hopes for a podium position at the 10,000m in Osaka, when she narrowly beat Jo Pavey to the World bronze medal. Radcliffe remained positive after the run, delighted to be back competing, and knowing her goal is on achieving peak condition for Beijing,

„My pride’s taken a little bit of a bashing. I came out here wanting to win the race, but it is good to be back.“
„Kara was just a little bit too fast for me today, it’s OK, it gives me a platform to build off – it’s not a disaster.“

In third place, Hungary’s Anikó Kálovics, demonstrated her continuing development in the Half Marathon distance by running her second best ever time of 1:10.17, while in the men’s competition, the fastest European was Britain’s Tomas Abyu, who ran a lifetime best of 1:02.50 to finish fourth and get one step closer to qualifying for the Beijing Olympics.

Source/Courtesy
European Athletics (EAA)
https://www.european-athletics.org/
EAA

Top ten women’s results:
1 Kara Goucher (USA) 1:06mins.57
2 Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 1:07.53
3 Anikó Kálovics (HUN) 1:10.17
4 Jane Muia (KEN) 1:11.49
5 Hayley Yelling (GBR) 1:12.14
6 Susan Partridge (GBR) 1:12.33
7 Tracey Morris (GBR) 1:13.22
8 Adenach Zekiros (ETH) 1:14.08
9 Birhan Dagne (GBR) 1:14.11
10 Tetyanna Mezentseva (UKR) 1:14.17

Top ten men’s results:
1 Martin Lel (KEN) 1:00.10
2 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) 1:00.18
3 Hendrick Ramaala (USA) 1:02.37
4 Tomas Abyu (GBR) 1:02.50
5 Josh Rohatinsky (USA) 1:02.54
6 Adam Goucher (USA) 1:03.17
7 R Ribos (POR) 1:03.36
8 Dejene Berhanu (ETH) 1:03.54
9 W Chinhanhu (ZIM) 1:03.56
10 Ian Hudspith (GBR) 1:03.59