Paula Radcliffe has completed her first marathon in 10 years, finishing the Tokyo Marathon in 2:57:26.

What happened?

Radcliffe, 51, ran the 26.2-mile distance in under three hours, a notable achievement considering her age and the fact that she last competed at this distance in 2015.

She finished just outside the top 100 women, with Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede winning the women's race in 2:16:31.

Why it matters for Paula Radcliffe

Radcliffe's completion of the Tokyo Marathon is significant, as it marks her return to competitive marathon running after a decade-long hiatus.

Her goal is to compete in all six of the sport's "majors", including the Boston Marathon, which she will run next month.

What comes next?

Radcliffe will continue to train and prepare for her upcoming marathons, aiming to achieve her goal of completing all six majors.

She has already won seven marathon majors during her professional career, including victories in London, New York, and Chicago.

The other major marathons include Berlin and Chicago, in addition to London, Boston, and Tokyo.

Radcliffe's 2003 time of 2:15:25 remained the world's best for 16 years and still holds the British record.

She was at her peak in the era before carbon-reinforced "super shoes" emerged in 2016, meaning no woman has bettered her marathon time while wearing the previous style of shoes.

"I turned 50 last year, am now 51, and thinking about the goals I've got left," Radcliffe said, explaining her motivation for returning to competitive marathon running.

"One of those was always to tick off the six marathon majors," she added, highlighting her ambition to complete all six majors.

Radcliffe's experience and determination will be crucial in her upcoming marathons, as she aims to achieve her goal and make a successful return to competitive marathon running.

The men's race at the Tokyo Marathon was won by Ethiopia's Tadese Takele in a time of 2:03:23, with Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei finishing ninth in 2:05:59.

Radcliffe's return to competitive marathon running is an exciting development for fans of the sport, and her upcoming races will be closely watched.

"For most of my career it was five and then Tokyo was added so I never really had the opportunity to race Tokyo," Radcliffe explained, discussing her decision to run the Tokyo Marathon.

"And Boston I never did because it was so close to London," she added, highlighting the challenges of competing in multiple marathons.

Radcliffe's completion of the Tokyo Marathon in under three hours is a testament to her hard work and dedication to the sport.

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