Pregnant Radcliffe Vows to Keep on Competing

Paula Radcliffe today announced she is pregnant, but insists she will carry on competing.

The 32-year-old and her husband, Gary Lough, revealed their baby is due in January. Radcliffe has been suffering from a foot injury and has not raced since New Year's Eve, although she did not rule out competing during pregnancy.

"What has surprised me most is that people ask if I will carry on competing," she said. "This is especially surprising as I have said I want to carry on until 2012. And this news means it is more likely, rather than less likely, that I will do that. I want to get back running as soon as possible. I know I'll miss it."

Radcliffe and Lough, himself a former British international 1,500 metres runner, have always said they would start a family at the appropriate time. In the past their plans have been thwarted by the athletics calendar which sees a world championships held every two years and the Olympics and European championships held on an alternative four-yearly roster.

"My recent foot injury made me realise I was never going to decide to reach the Beijing Olympics and then give it up to have children, so we decided to give it a go," added Ratcliffe. "We are ready to be parents and if you are happy, you run better. I have been competing since 1991, so the rest will do me good and it probably won't do my body any harm to be challenged in a different direction. Mentally I will have fulfilled one of my life goals, so I will return more mature and with the wisdom that is part of being a mother."