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“…and those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
Radcliffe returns to the dance floor.
Words no one thought that they would hear: Paula Radcliffe is a competitive age-group destination marathon runner.
Former world record holder Paula Radcliffe ran the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday at 51. She finished the race in 2:57:26. The record was good for a 51-year-old, but it was a far cry from running 2:15:25 in 2003 at the London Marathon. The record stood for 16 years.
Twenty-two years hence, it continues to stand as the British record.
Aged 51. Her first marathon in 10 years. 👏👏
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 2, 2025
Paula Radcliffe 🫡 @paulajradcliffe pic.twitter.com/0VMSRGi4dB
Radcliffe’s last marathon was a decade ago. In April 2015, she ran 2:36:55 at the London Marathon. Radcliffe has also run 2:17:18 at the 2002 Chicago Marathon and 2:17:42 in London in 2005.
Radcliffe wants to run all six marathon majors, so she will be enjoying the Boston Marathon in April to complete the sextuple; however, may want to run the seventh — Sydney, Australia — when it is officially a Marathon Major.
Sydney will be a marathon major on August 15, 2025. And more may be added. Radcliffe, one of the all-time most competitive distance runners, may drop her times on sheer natural ability and willingness to compete.
