Former world report holder Paula Radcliffe ran her first aggressive marathon in a decade on Sunday in Tokyo.
Radcliffe, 51, completed in a time of two hours, 57 minutes and 26 seconds – 10 years after ending her glittering athletics profession on the 2015 London Marathon.
The Briton held the world report for 16 years from 2003 with a time of two:15:25 earlier than it was damaged by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei in 2019.
And her former report was nonetheless quicker than that recorded by Sunday’s winner, Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede, who defended her Tokyo title in 2:16:31.
Kenya’s Winfridah Moraa Moseti was second in 2:16:56, with Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa third in 2:17:00.
The boys’s race was gained by Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele in a time of two:03:23 for his first main marathon title.
Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta was second in 2:03:51, with Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich third in 2:04:00.
Uganda’s double Olympic observe champion Joshua Cheptegei got here ninth.
Radcliffe may also participate in subsequent month’s Boston Marathon as she goals to compete in all six main marathons.
She just lately informed Athletics Weekly, exterior: “I turned 50 final yr, am now 51, and fascinated about the targets I’ve acquired left a type of was all the time to tick off the six marathon majors.
“For many of my profession it was 5 after which Tokyo was added so I by no means actually had the chance to race Tokyo. And Boston I by no means did as a result of it was so near London.”
Along with London, Boston and Tokyo, the opposite main marathons are Berlin, Chicago and New York.