Paula Radcliffe

History-making athlete, Paula Radcliffe is one of the world’s best long-distance runners. Having set numerous world records in her career, and won prestigious marathons, Paula raised the profile of female runners and pushed the boundaries of what they were set to achieve. A truly inspirational sportswoman, Paula now shares her story to motivate others to achieve their goals and exceed limitations no matter their gender. As a speaker, Paula is engaging, entertaining and educational, the ideal addition to any event looking to make a long-lasting impression on attendees.

An iconic marathon runner, Paula is known for winning the London Marathon on three occasions, the New York Marathon three times, and the Chicago Marathon in 2002. For a period of 16 years, Paula held the fastest Women’s World Marathon Record, having set a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 25 seconds in 2003. Excelling across events, Paula has been equally successful at distances including 1500m, 5000m and half marathons, leading her to represent the UK at four consecutive Olympic Games in various running lengths. She is also the former World Champion in three events, and the three-time World Cross Country gold medallist, a testament to her dominance in the sport.

In honour of her remarkable career, Paula has been awarded an MBE from the Queen in 2002 and was recognised as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year the same year. Following one of her many world records, Paula also received the BBC London Sport’s Award for ‘Sporting Moment of the Year’. Proving she could do it all, Paula took a brief break from running to have a baby and made a swift return which saw her awarded the Laureus World Comeback of the Year and the respect of millions around the world. Paula is a role model for working mothers and exemplifies the determination of strong females.

The English Athletics Hall of Fame inductee is now a sought after keynote speaker, booked to motivate others with anecdotes from her incredible time as a professional runner. An icon in her own right, Paula has highlighted women in sports, working mothers and the power of equality, topics which she expands on at events.