Athletics: Radcliffe Lands Million Dollar Pay Rise

Paula Radcliffe's victory in the New York City Marathon on Sunday re-established not only the sport's biggest female star but also its most marketable, and next year she could more than double her 2004 income.

The Bedford runner is likely to receive $2m (£1.08m) in endorsement deals and race appearance fees, proving that her failure to finish the marathon and the 10,000 metres in the Athens Olympics has not affected her financially.

David Bedford, race director of the London Marathon, is prepared to offer what it takes to get Radcliffe on the start line for the 25th-anniversary race in April. That could be as much as $750,000 to ensure she is not tempted away by the Boston Marathon, in which she could become only the second woman to complete the grand slam of London, New York, Chicago and Boston.

"I believe if she decides to run a spring marathon it will be London," said Bedford. "We would want her not just next year but every single year."

Radcliffe could command a similar fee to defend her New York title next year. She was paid $500,000 to compete on Sunday plus $140,000 in prize money and bonuses. Her win also justified Nike's decision to offer her an improved $1.2m four-year contract when her present $250,000-a-year deal expires next month.

There had been speculation she might be dropped and replaced by Kelly Holmes, the Olympic 800 and 1500m champion, but industry sources believe Radcliffe is the perfect vehicle for Nike's advertising campaign.

"Besides being a huge star in Britain she is fluent in German and French so they can use her in the European market," said an insider. "Now, by winning New York, she can crack the United States big time."

Her main 2005 targets will probably be April's London Marathon, the 10,000m at the World Championships in August and defending her New York title in November.