Radcliffe to Run in New York

Only eight months after giving birth, world-record holder Paula Radcliffe has revealed she will run her first marathon for more than two years in New York on November 4.

Having given birth to her first child on January 17, Radcliffe, 33, returned to competition on Saturday when she finished second in the Great Bupa North Run in Newcastle, her first race since New Year's Eve 2005. She last ran a marathon at the world championships in Helsinki in August 2005, an event she won.

Radcliffe said she is thrilled to be coming back to New York, where she won the race in 2004. "I am delighted to be returning to the ING New York City Marathon," she said. "The race holds a special place in the world of marathoning and also in my heart. I love the buzz of the city, the unique atmosphere of the race, and the amazing crowd support, and I am excited to be part of the event once again. This year is an exceptional field, and I am looking forward to making my return to racing in New York."

Radcliffe set the women's marathon world record of 2:15:25 in London in 2003, having recorded the fifth-fastest time in history in her marathon debut in the same city a year earlier. She owns four of the five fastest women's marathon times in history and has six victories in seven marathon starts.

In 2004, only 10 weeks after dropping out of the Olympic marathon in Athens, Radcliffe made a stunning return in New York, winning a sprint finish over Kenyan Susan Chepkemei by three seconds - the closest women's finish in New York history.

"Paula is a living legend and the greatest woman marathoner," race director Mary Wittenberg said. "Hers is the most highly anticipated return to the marathon, after a two-year absence and a mere eight months after the birth of her daughter. She could have chosen an easier path, but in typical Paula fashion, she has chosen to return to compete in one of the deepest and most competitive women's fields ever assembled. We have come to expect no less."

Radcliffe joins one of the strongest women's professional fields in history, highlighted by two-time New York champion Jelena Propokcuka, Berlin champion Gete Wami, 2007 world champion Catherine Ndereba and 2007 Boston champion Lidiya Grigoryeva. The inaugural world marathon majors series positions and the winner of the $500,000 prize purse will be determined in New York.