Radcliffe wins London in 2:17:42!
(The following information is from the Flora London Marathon's official website.)
London certainly belongs to Paula Radcliffe. Her record in the Flora London Marathon is three starts, three wins, three world records!
Having asked to be paced through the half marathon mark in 68 minutes, 30 seconds Paula in fact dispensed with pacemaker services in the fifth mile and passed halfway alone in 68:27. For once Paula failed to run a negative split but came home in the third fastest time ever for a new women-only marathon record of 2:17:42, improving the record she set in the 2002 London by 74sec - despite losing around 15 seconds when stopping in the 23rd mile to relieve stomach problems. Only Paula’s two world records set with male pace makers are faster.
Radcliffe’s intentions were clear from the start. Slotting in behind the pacemakers – Leah Malot (Ken) and Restituta Joseph (Tan) - Paula ran the first mile in 5:03 and had clear road behind her. After 7 minutes of running, however, Joseph dropped off the pace and provided a target for Susan Chepkemei (Ken) – second behind Radcliffe in last year’s New York Marathon - and Margaret Okayo (Ken). Behind these two the world class field was already well strung out.
The downhill third mile was run in 4:58, despite which Okayo and Chepkemei were towed back to Radcliffe by Joseph. The 5 kilometre mark was reached by the leaders in 15:47 (which prompted the BBC’s computer to predict a 2:11:52 finish). The string of stragglers behind included China’s Sun Yingjie, one of only four women to run under 2:20.
During miles five and six Radcliffe made some slight but significant surges and she reached the Cutty Sark going away from the two Kenyans. At 15km she had a lead of 28 seconds over Okayo who in turn was 19 seconds clear of Chepkemei. Interestingly, in fourth place – 1min 30sec minutes down on the leader was Constantina Tomescu-Dita, better known for her blitz-starts than caution.
Paula’s miles from there on averaged around 5:15 as she ground out a relentless pace towards The Mall. Tomescu-Dita closed on the Kenyan duo and at halfway, which she reached in 1:10:15, was only 15 seconds adrift of Okayo and two in front of Chepkemei and on schedule for a three minute improvement on her personal best.
By 30km the Romanian had moved into second, 1:24 ahead of Okayo. Five kilometres later Chepkemei again passed Okayo and that is how it remained for the rest of the race.
Paula’s drive to the finish continued into the 23rd mile where she suddenly swerved to the side and stopped. The watching tv audience must have thought: Is this a repeat of Paula’s Athens disaster? However, 15 seconds later Radcliffe set off again. Explaining the incident after the race, Paula said, “I had stomach problems at around 16 miles and I should have ‘gone’ before I did but I didn’t want to resort to that in front of thousands of people”.
Thus comforted, Radcliffe continued pushing against the wind, completely unaware of her four-minute-plus lead because of the crowd noise: “They were so loud in places I thought I would be deafened”.
In The Mall, Paula came home to more delirious cheering, one minute and fourteen seconds faster than her women-only world record. “I knew I was in good shape for this race,” she said, “I was approaching (2:15) shape but the day wasn’t perfect. It was definitely windier than 2003 (when she set her world record). In New York I was winging it but I definitely feel I am capable of approaching (2:15) again.”
Now Paula will see how she recovers before she decides what event she will go for in the World Championships in Helsinki. Asked which one, 10,000m or marathon, she would prefer to do if her recovery is all she hopes, Paula said, “I would like to do both. I would love to win a world track race and I would love to win a world championship marathon”.
Constantina Tomescu-Dita was surprised and delighted by her second place and lifetime best of 2:22:50: “I was hoping for a place in the first five and a fast time." Asked if she now feels she can beat Paula she replied, “No way!”
Susan Chepkemei: “I thought I would give Paula a race but it was not possible. I slowed when I saw how fast she was running, I run how my body tells me.”
London certainly belongs to Paula Radcliffe. Her record in the Flora London Marathon is three starts, three wins, three world records!
Having asked to be paced through the half marathon mark in 68 minutes, 30 seconds Paula in fact dispensed with pacemaker services in the fifth mile and passed halfway alone in 68:27. For once Paula failed to run a negative split but came home in the third fastest time ever for a new women-only marathon record of 2:17:42, improving the record she set in the 2002 London by 74sec - despite losing around 15 seconds when stopping in the 23rd mile to relieve stomach problems. Only Paula’s two world records set with male pace makers are faster.
Radcliffe’s intentions were clear from the start. Slotting in behind the pacemakers – Leah Malot (Ken) and Restituta Joseph (Tan) - Paula ran the first mile in 5:03 and had clear road behind her. After 7 minutes of running, however, Joseph dropped off the pace and provided a target for Susan Chepkemei (Ken) – second behind Radcliffe in last year’s New York Marathon - and Margaret Okayo (Ken). Behind these two the world class field was already well strung out.
The downhill third mile was run in 4:58, despite which Okayo and Chepkemei were towed back to Radcliffe by Joseph. The 5 kilometre mark was reached by the leaders in 15:47 (which prompted the BBC’s computer to predict a 2:11:52 finish). The string of stragglers behind included China’s Sun Yingjie, one of only four women to run under 2:20.
During miles five and six Radcliffe made some slight but significant surges and she reached the Cutty Sark going away from the two Kenyans. At 15km she had a lead of 28 seconds over Okayo who in turn was 19 seconds clear of Chepkemei. Interestingly, in fourth place – 1min 30sec minutes down on the leader was Constantina Tomescu-Dita, better known for her blitz-starts than caution.
Paula’s miles from there on averaged around 5:15 as she ground out a relentless pace towards The Mall. Tomescu-Dita closed on the Kenyan duo and at halfway, which she reached in 1:10:15, was only 15 seconds adrift of Okayo and two in front of Chepkemei and on schedule for a three minute improvement on her personal best.
By 30km the Romanian had moved into second, 1:24 ahead of Okayo. Five kilometres later Chepkemei again passed Okayo and that is how it remained for the rest of the race.
Paula’s drive to the finish continued into the 23rd mile where she suddenly swerved to the side and stopped. The watching tv audience must have thought: Is this a repeat of Paula’s Athens disaster? However, 15 seconds later Radcliffe set off again. Explaining the incident after the race, Paula said, “I had stomach problems at around 16 miles and I should have ‘gone’ before I did but I didn’t want to resort to that in front of thousands of people”.
Thus comforted, Radcliffe continued pushing against the wind, completely unaware of her four-minute-plus lead because of the crowd noise: “They were so loud in places I thought I would be deafened”.
In The Mall, Paula came home to more delirious cheering, one minute and fourteen seconds faster than her women-only world record. “I knew I was in good shape for this race,” she said, “I was approaching (2:15) shape but the day wasn’t perfect. It was definitely windier than 2003 (when she set her world record). In New York I was winging it but I definitely feel I am capable of approaching (2:15) again.”
Now Paula will see how she recovers before she decides what event she will go for in the World Championships in Helsinki. Asked which one, 10,000m or marathon, she would prefer to do if her recovery is all she hopes, Paula said, “I would like to do both. I would love to win a world track race and I would love to win a world championship marathon”.
Constantina Tomescu-Dita was surprised and delighted by her second place and lifetime best of 2:22:50: “I was hoping for a place in the first five and a fast time." Asked if she now feels she can beat Paula she replied, “No way!”
Susan Chepkemei: “I thought I would give Paula a race but it was not possible. I slowed when I saw how fast she was running, I run how my body tells me.”
posted by WalkSports.com | 1:57 PM
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