Radcliffe runs first marathon in 10 years aged 51

Paula Radcliffe, the former world record holder, completed her first competitive marathon in a ten years on Sunday in Tokyo.

10 years after wrapping up her glittering athletics career at the 2015 London Marathon, Radcliffe, 51, completed the race in 2 hours, 57 minutes, and 26 seconds.

The Briton broke the record for Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei in 2019 by breaking the record in 2003 with a time of 2:15:25.

In 2: 16: 31, Sutume Asefa Kebede, the winner of Sunday’s Tokyo competition, defended her title.

Winfridah Moraa Moseti of Kenya came second in 2: 16:56, while Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia came third in 2: 17:00.

Tadese Takele’s first major marathon victory came in the men’s race with a time of 2:03:23.

Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich came third in 2: 04:00, followed by Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta in 2: 03:51.

Joshua Cheptegei, a double Olympic track champion, finished ninth in Uganda.

Radcliffe wants to compete in all six of the world’s top marathons in the upcoming Boston Marathon.

She recently added, “I turned 50 last year and am now 51, and one of the goals I’ve got left was always to tick off the six marathon majors.”

I never really had the chance to race in Tokyo because it was my primary career for the majority of my career, which was five before Tokyo. And because Boston is so close to London, I never went there.