RADCLIFFE TO RETURN
Paula Radcliffe will contest her first race for nearly two years at the BUPA Great North Run on Tyneside later this month.
Radcliffe has confirmed she will compete on the course between Newcastle and South Shields on which she has produced two of the world's greatest half-marathon performances in the past.
The 33-year-old's last race saw her win over 10 kilometres in Madrid on December 31, 2005.
Since then her career has been on hold, initially because of a foot injury and then because of the birth of daughter Isla in January, followed by a complication with a stress fracture of the sacrum.
Radcliffe said: "I now feel that I am at that point and ready to come out and race well.
"I really missed racing through the pregnancy and the setbacks since have emphasised this even more."
Radcliffe's first Great North Run success came in 2000, when she smashed the course record - then held by Norway's Grete Waitz - and ran what was then the fastest time by a European woman of 67 minutes and seven seconds.
Then four years ago she produced a mark of 65mins 40secs which remains the world's quickest half marathon ever.
Now Radcliffe and Gary Lough, her husband and manager, believe the September 30 event will offer her a challenging test on returning to action.
She added: "I love the Great North, have many happy memories and always get such great support there.
"The atmosphere is so good at the start and all along the route.
"I also know I will get a big test on my comeback but look forward to getting back to having fun racing."
The Bedfordshire athlete will face a strong international field which will also include Jo Pavey, who has been the country's most successful female distance runner during her absence.
"I am really really looking forward to it,"said Radcliffe, who will be taking her first step in the build-up to next year's Olympic marathon in Beijing.
The consensus is that women come back and run stronger after childbirth.
I know that has been the case in some instances, but one wonders if that is an actual fact in all circumstances or just a myth.
I guess we’ll soon find out.
However, it’s great news that Paula is racing again.
She’ll have her work cut out next year though.
The marathon women ran well in the heat and humidity at Osaka.
Throw in the pollution in Peking - and the Chinese women up for it - she’ll have to be back to her very best to have any chance of a gold medal.
The best recent example of this is Jana Rawlinson. Has only lost one race since having her son in December, and world champ !
Edith Masai is a good example of an athlete maintaining top level performances after having children and aging. This year aged 40 she finished 8th in the WC marathon in Osaka less than 2 mins behind the winner. She set a half marathon PB of 67:16 in 2006 at Berlin 2 days before her 39th birthday; in fact all of her PB's have been set after her 35th birthday. This is of course subject to her age actually being correct. Apparently Masai took up running in 1999 to help support her small son after she had split from her husband.