Editor’s note: See also the more recent story on Paula Radcliffe at the New York City Marthon by clicking here.

With all the world intently watching Haile Gebreselassie in Berlin today, another great champion made her comeback to racing. After a 21 month lay-off, women’s world record holder Paula Radcliffe ran in the Great North Run in England. She finished in second place behind American Kara Goucher, who needed to run the fastest half-marathon of the year to beat her.

Goucher finished in 1:10:17 to win the fast-course half-marathon. Radcliffe finished 56 seconds behind her in second place. But in a testament to the greatness of Paula Radcliffe, she remains the course record holder, after running a world record 1:05:40 on this course in 2003.

Radcliffe was quoted in the International Herald Tribune as saying: “I don’t want to be flying now because it’s a long time to hold on, but at the same time I want to be winning races. 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.”

The 33-year-old Radcliffe’s last race was a 10-kilometer run that she won in Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 31, 2005. She was sidelined with a foot injury before becoming pregnant, and had planned to return at the world championships that finished Sept. 2, but a back injury prevented her from training properly. She gave birth to a daughter in January.

Radcliffe shouldn’t take the defeat so hard. She is the undisputed champion of women’s marathon running, holding four of the five fastest times ever in the world for the marathon distance. She holds the current world record mark of 2:15:25, which she set in the Flora London Marathon in 2003. It may take her some time to regain her form, but far and away she is the fastest long distance runner of our time. I’d predict that she’ll be back winning races very, very soon.

Coach Joe English, Portland Oregon USA

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