Athletics: Radcliffe to Carry on 'for Years'

Paula Radcliffe has revealed that she withdrew from Sunday's London Marathon in order to prolong her career and is confident that she will re-emerge stronger.

The Bedford runner was not even in the country to see the American Deena Kastor win the race in 2hr 19min 36sec, the fourth fastest in history but more than four minutes outside Radcliffe's world record of 2:15.25.

"It was a decision that bitterly disappointed me as the London Marathon is a race that is so important for me and, after having to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games, it was what this season was all about for me," said Radcliffe. "I had to accept that my foot needs total rest to clear it up. With many more goals and hopefully years of serious running and racing left ahead of me, I didn't want to do anything to jeopardise this."

Radcliffe injured her toe in January and not even intensive treatment from Hans Muller-Wohlfahrt, the German doctor whose clients have included Jurgen Klinsmann, Michael Owen and Boris Becker, managed to aid her recovery in time. "I always find that, when something I love and enjoy so much is taken away from me, it only serves to emphasise and reinforce how much I still love and crave the basic act of being able to get out and run."

Radcliffe is expected to target the 10,000 metres instead of the marathon at the European Championships in Gothenburg in August. Her next marathon is more likely to be Chicago or New York in the autumn where she could meet Kastor.

The two would both be able to command six-figure appearance fees to race each other. But Kastor yesterday claimed that cash would not sway her decision. "The reason I am successful is because I continue to do it for the right reasons," she said. "That feeling of breaking the tape is greater than any monetary value."