Radcliffe crosses the finish to win the San Juan 10km (© Copyright: Brian J. Myers / Photo Run)
London, UKWorld marathon recordholder Paula Radcliffe who will seek a third World Cross Country long course title in Brussels next month (20/21 March) will race over 10km in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday (29 Feb).
Radcliffe, who set the current World 10km road race record in the San Juan race on 23 February last year (30:21), will be competing for the first time since winning a second European Cross Country title on 14 December 2003.
The race will give a clear guide to the form of the 30 year-old ahead of her bid to win the World Cross again, an event she previously won in 2001 and 2002. Radcliffe holds the championships very close to her heart especially considering that she also won the junior title back in 1992.
Looking further ahead to the summer and her Olympic bid at either 10,000m or Marathon, Radcliffe remains undecided about which discipline to contest, and wants to keep her options open as long as possible.
UK Athletics Performance Director Max Jones said: “We've had this conversation and Paula says she does wish to keep her options open until later in the summer but I'm sure she'll have decided what she is doing by July 19 (final selection date for the Great Britain side).''
For the last seven weeks Radcliffe has been training at high altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico and after this Sunday's race will return to her USA training base to begin final preparations for her part in the 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Brussels.
