Paula Radcliffe facts for kids

Paula Radcliffe
MBE

Radcliffe at the 2008 New York City Marathon
Personal information
Born	17 December 1973 (1973-12-17) Davenham, Cheshire, England
Residence	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Height	5 ft 8 in
Weight	119 lb
Sport
Country	Great Britain England
Club	Bedford & County Athletic Club Nike, Beaverton
Retired	April 2015
Achievements and titles
World finals	1993, 3000 m, 7th 1997, 5000 m, 4th 1999, 10,000 m, 2 Silver 2001, 10,000 m, 4th 2005, 10,000 m, 9th 2005, Marathon, 1 Gold
Olympic finals	1996, 5000 m, 5th 2000, 10,000 m, 4th 2004, Marathon, DNF 2004, 10,000 m, DNF 2008, Marathon, 23rd
Highest world ranking	1
Personal best(s)	5000 m: 14:29.11 10,000 m: 30:01.09 Half Marathon: 1:05:40 Marathon: 2:15:25 WR
Medal record Women's athletics Representing Great Britain World Championships Silver 1999 Seville 10,000 m Gold 2005 Helsinki Marathon World Cross Country Championships Gold 1992 Boston Junior race Silver 1997 Turin Long race Silver 1998 Marrakech Long race Bronze 1999 Belfast Long race Gold 2001 Ostend Long race Silver 2001 Ostend Short race Gold 2002 Dublin Long race World Half Marathon Championships Gold 2000 Veracruz Individual Gold 2001 Bristol Individual Gold 2003 Vilamoura Individual European Championships Gold 2002 Munich 10,000 m European Cross Country Championships Gold 1998 Ferrara Individual Gold 2003 Edinburgh Individual Gold 2003 Edinburgh Team European Cup Bronze 1997 Munich 3000 m Gold 1998 Saint Petersburg 5000 m Silver 1998 Saint Petersburg 1500 m Gold 1999 Paris 5000 m Silver 2001 Bremen 5000 m Gold 2004 Bydgoszcz 5000 m Representing England Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester 5,000 m
Updated on 02-01-2015.

Paula Jane Radcliffe, MBE (born 17 December 1973) is a British long-distance runner. She is a three-time winner of the London Marathon (2002, 2003, 2005), three-time New York Marathon champion (2004, 2007, 2008), and 2002 Chicago Marathon winner. She is the fastest female marathoner of all time and has held the Women’s World Marathon Record in a time of 2:15:25 since 2003.

Radcliffe is a former world champion in the marathon, half marathon and cross country. She has also been European champion over 10,000 metres and in cross country. On the track, Radcliffe won the 10,000 metres silver medal at the 1999 World Championships and was the 2002 Commonwealth champion at 5000 metres. She represented Great Britain at the Olympics in four consecutive games (1996 to 2008), although she never won an Olympic medal.

Her running has earned her a number of accolades including the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Laureus World Comeback of the Year, IAAF World Athlete of the Year, AIMS World Athlete of the Year (three times) and a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She has also been nominated for World Sportswoman of the year on several occasions. In 2010, she was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame.

She ended her competitive running career at the 2015 London Marathon.

Personal life

Paula Radcliffe was born to Peter and Pat Radcliffe. She was born on the 17 December 1973 in Cheshire. Radcliffe is the great-niece of 1920 Olympic Silver medalist Charlotte Radcliffe. Radcliffe has a brother. Martin. He is two years younger than her. Radcliffe's family moved to Oakley, Bedfordshire when she was 11. Radcliffe achieved four A levels at grade A in French, German, Maths and General Studies, while at Sharnbrook Upper School in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire. Radcliffe had a choice between Loughborough and Cambridge for University. She chose Loughborough. In 1996 she finished her degree a few months early so she could prepare for the Olympic Games.

Radcliffe met her husband Gary Lough at Loughborough University. At University Radcliffe studied French, German and economics. She left university with a first-class honours degree in modern European studies. Lough and Radcliffe married in 2000. They have two children. In 2007 they had their first child, Isla. Their second child, Raphael, was born on 29 September 2010. But had to be resuscitated as he had his Umbilical cord wound round his neck. Radcliffe first said of wanting to start a family in.

In the 2002 Queen's Birthday Honours, Radcliffe was awarded an MBE. In October she was given her MBE saying; "It means a great deal to me, it's a great honour and it really tops off an amazing year. To come here and receive this and to meet the Queen at the end of it just finishes it off perfectly." Radcliffe became the first Britain in 2006 to win the Abebe Bikila Award. At the end of 2010 Radcliffe was voted England Athletics athlete of the decade.

Records
Preceded by Catherine Ndereba	Women's Marathon World Record Holder 13 October 2002 –	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by David Beckham	BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2002	Succeeded by Jonny Wilkinson
Preceded by Stacy Dragila	Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 2002	Succeeded by Hestrie Cloete
Sporting positions
Preceded by Olga Yegorova	Women's 5,000 m Best Year Performance 2002	Succeeded by Berhane Adere
Preceded by Catherine Ndereba Yoko Shibui	Women's Fastest Marathon Race 2002 – 2003 2005	Succeeded by Yoko Shibui Deena Kastor

Images for kids

• 

  Paula Radcliffe leading the London Marathon in 2005, near to Limehouse in east London.

• 

  Paula Radcliffe with daughter Isla at the New York City Marathon, 2007

• 

  Paula Radcliffe at mile 14, New York City Marathon 2007

• 

  Radcliffe competing in the 2015 London Marathon, which would be the final race of her career