Radcliffe races into marathon record books

PAULA RADCLIFFE hit a new high in a magnificent year yesterday as she shattered the world record marathon time in Chicago.

The 28-year-old Briton's awesome strength and speed saw her cross the finishing line in two hours 17 minutes 18 seconds slicing a stunning 89 seconds off the world record time set by defending champion Catherine Ndereba in this event last year.

Yesterday she thrived in the environment of running alongside talented male opponents. She did not look back at her rivals during the first 10 miles, before making a strong surge just before the halfway point.