Radcliffe, Paula (1973-…), an English athlete, is one of the greatest woman marathon runners in the history of the sport. Radcliffe also set United Kingdom and Commonwealth records in the 2-mile, 3,000-meter, 5,000-meter, and 10,000-meter events. The British Athletics Writers’ Association named her British Female Athlete of the Year in 1999, 2000, and 2002. The International Association of Athletics Federations named her World Female Athlete of the Year in 2002.
Paula Jane Radcliffe was born on Dec. 17, 1973, in Northwich in Cheshire, England. She won the world junior cross-country championship in 1992. In 1996, she finished fifth in the 5,000-meter run at the Olympic Games. In 1998, Radcliffe won the European cross-country championship and moved up to the 10,000-meter distance in track and field. She finished fourth in the 10,000-meter run at the 2000 Olympics, but her time still set a British and Commonwealth record in the event. Radcliffe won the world cross-country title in 2001 and 2002.
Also in 2002, Radcliffe set a new women’s world record of 2 hours 17 minutes 18 seconds at the Chicago Marathon. Radcliffe broke her own record by running 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds at the London Marathon in 2003. She later won the marathon at the 2005 world track and field championships. Radcliffe’s 2003 marathon record stood until 2019, when Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei completed the Chicago Marathon in just over 2 hours 14 minutes.
