Paula Radcliffe: “In perfect conditions I could have run 2:15“

Paula Radcliffe ran the third fastest marathon time ever in Sunday’s London Marathon. She clocked 2:17:42 hours. She has now won five out of her six marathons. Paula Radcliffe gave the following interview.

How do you feel after the race?

Paula Radcliffe: I feel very good, everything is fine. The first half was really good; we had the wind in the back. The second was a little bit tougher and slower because of the headwind.

Did you get your confidence back after winning New York?

Paula: Well, the confidence doesn’t come back from races, it comes back from training. I wanted to get back to races, and surely I was much more confident here than in New York. In Athens the problem was, that I wanted to go into the race but my body wasn’t ready for it. After New York I took a longer break and was able to train without interruptions. It was a smooth preparation. Maybe I have to learn not to race too much and to take breaks seriously.

Was the early pace perhaps the reason for not running better towards the end?

Paula: No, the wind was behind us in the first half. That is why the pace was faster than expected in the first mile. The second mile was okay, apart from the windy condition. I was just running the way my feeling was and enjoyed the race. I wasn’t pushing too hard at all at the first 5 kilometers. So probably I was in the shape to run 2:15 hours but then the conditions have to be perfect, and they weren’t today.

What comes next for you and have you decided about Helsinki yet?

Paula: I don’t know what comes next. Every race is different. I need to see what comes next, but now it’s time to recover and get back into training first. Sometime later we will decide what I will run in Helsinki. I my career I would love to win both, the 10,000 meters and the marathon. It is my dream to have a track medal and a marathon medal. The other event I already have in mind is the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Why did you stop during your race?

Paula: Well, I felt fine this morning and during the first half. But at 15 miles I felt a little bit odd and at 35K I had to stop for a moment. I had a slight stomach problem, but that wasn’t the same thing I got last summer. I must have eaten either too much or something wrong.