Radcliffe back with a win
Paula Radcliffe claimed glory in New York for the second time
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Sunday, 04, Nov 2007 08:26
Paula Radcliffe got back to winning ways in New York after edging out Ethiopia's Gete Wami in the city's marathon.
The 33-year-old Briton was back competing over 26 miles for the first time since claiming gold at the World Championships in Helsinki two years ago but showed few signs of ring-rustiness.
Radcliffe gave birth to her first child, Isla, at the beginning of the year but her training since then has ensured she remains at the top of the game in this gruelling event.
But it was not easy for the Cheshire-born distance runner and she had to work hard to claim her second New York victory, eventually winning by just 23 seconds.
Radcliffe, the world record holder for the women's marathon, came down the finishing straight in Central Park in two hours, 23 minutes and nine seconds.
She had led for almost the whole race, breaking the course record to reach the halfway mark in 1:10:40.
But Wami refused to be shaken off by the Briton and at one point in the closing stages got ahead of Radcliffe before her rival sprinted back to claim the win.
Radcliffe has now booked her place at the Olympics in Beijing next year with this time and will be desperate to make up for the disappointing withdrawal at Athens in 2004 which cost her the chance of an anticipated gold medal.
In the men's race Martin Lel of Kenya added the New York title to the one he won in London earlier this year as he beat Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri in a time of 2:09:04.
But his victory was overshadowed by the shock death of American athlete Ryan Shay during the men's trials yesterday.