Britain's Radcliffe enters unknown territory
AFP
8 October 1999 - Newcastle, England - Britain's number one middle distance runner Paula
Radcliffe said Friday she was ready to enter unknown territory when she makes her half
marathon debut in Sunday's BUPA Great North Run.
Radcliffe is determined to produce a good performance in the 13.1-mile half marathon race from Newcastle to South Shields in northern England and hitches in the fitness of her main rivals have given her optimism.
Tegla Loroupe (the Kenyan winner of last week's IAAF world half marathon title), must start as favourite while defending champion Sonia O'Sullivan is still returning to form after having a baby daughter in July.
Loroupe, however, on Friday cast doubts over her ambition for the race when asked if she could break Grete Waitz's course record of 68 minutes and 40 seconds set in 1988.
Loroupe has every right to be tired after running a half marathon in Amsterdam three weeks ago, breaking her world record a week later in the Berlin Marathon and taking the world title for the third successive year in Palermo last Sunday.
Asked if she was confident of breaking Waitz's record, Loroupe shook her head in uncertainty and said: "I will be looking for a nice steady pace on Sunday."
Radcliffe said: "I know it's new territory for me and could be scary but I've regularly ran in excess of the distance in training so I know I'll finish."
Asked whether she thought she could win, Radcliffe, showing the steel which gained her the world 10,000m silver medal in August, replied: "I never go into any race without the expectation of winning."
Reigning London Marathon champion Joyce Chepchumba will also be in the field.
O'Sullivan will prefer a sedate pace, but with her impressive finishing speed the Irishwoman will probably be hoping the race comes down to a kick finish.
Having started training 10 days after delivering daughter Ciara she said: "I've had a couple of low-key races in my build-up to the Great North Run. If I can run as well as I did last year I will be happy with my performance"
It seems unlikely any of the male trio will manage to cope with last year's winner Josiah Thugwane, the 1996 Olympic champion, who is aiming to ensure a South African victory for a third successive year.
Joining Thugwane is fellow countryman Gert Thys, the first athlete ever to run the marathon in under 2hrs 8mins on three occasions, former world half marathon record holder Antonio Pinto from Portugal and Spain's highly experienced Martin Fiz.
