Paula Radcliffe Net Worth: Age, Origin, Husband, Marathon World Record, Doping Allegations, How Rich She Is in 2025?

Paula Radcliffe was a dominant force during her time. Here is everything you need to know.

Former world record holder Paula Radcliffe ran her first competitive marathon in a decade on Sunday in Tokyo.

Radcliffe finished in a time of two hours, 57 minutes and 26 seconds - 10 years after ending her glittering athletics career at the 2015 London Marathon.

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The Briton held the world record for 16 years from 2003 with a time of 2:15:25 before it was broken by Kenya's Brigid Kosgei in 2019. Pulse Sports gives you everything you need to know about the Briton.

Paula Radcliffe Net Worth: Age, Origin, Husband, Career Titles, Marathon World Record, Doping Allegations, How Rich is she in 2025?

How old is Paula Radcliffe?

Paula Radcliffe is 51 years old since she was born on December 17, 1973.

Paula Radcliffe Origin

Radcliffe was born in Davenham near Northwich, Cheshire. Her family then moved to nearby Barnton where she attended Little Leigh Primary School. Despite suffering from asthma and anaemia, she took up running at the age of seven, influenced by her father who was a keen amateur marathon runner and joined Frodsham Athletic Club. Her family later moved to Kingsley.

When Radcliffe was aged 12, the family moved to Oakley, Bedfordshire and she became a member of Bedford & County Athletics Club. Her joining the club coincided with a talented and dedicated coach, Alex Stanton, building the women's and girls' sections into one of the strongest in the country, in spite of Bedford's relatively small size.

Radcliffe's father became club vice-chairman and her mother, a fun-runner, managed the women's cross-country team. Radcliffe attended Sharnbrook Upper School and Community College. She went on to study French, German and economics at Loughborough University, gaining a first-class honours degree in Modern European Studies.

Paula Radcliffe Husband

Radcliffe met her husband Gary Lough, a former Northern Irish 1,500m runner, when he was her lodger at Loughborough University. The pair married in 2001. She gave birth to her first child, daughter Isla, in 2007. Her second child, a son, Raphael, was born in 2010.

Paula Radcliffe Career Titles

Radcliffe is a former world champion in the marathon, half marathon and cross country. She has also been European champion over 10,000m and in cross country. On the track, Radcliffe won the 10,000m silver medal at the 1999 World Championships and was the 2002 Commonwealth champion at 5000m. She represented Great Britain at the Olympics in four consecutive games (1996 to 2008), although she never won an Olympic medal.

At the 2005 London Marathon, Radcliffe won with a time of 2:17:42, a world's best time for a women's only race by over a minute. The race is remembered for a notorious moment towards the end when Radcliffe, hindered by runner's diarrhea and in need of a toilet break, stopped and defecated on the side of the road in view of the crowd and TV cameras which broadcast the incident live.

On August 1 2005 at the World Championships held in Helsinki she won Britain's only gold medal when she took the marathon title, dominating the race and setting a championship record time of 2:20:57. Catherine Ndereba of Kenya finished in second place, more than a minute behind.

After taking a break in 2006, Radcliffe made her marathon return at the New York City Marathon on November 4, 2007 which she won with an official time of 2:23:09. Radcliffe won the 2008 New York City Marathon, making it her third victory at the competition with a time of 2:23:56. Radcliffe won the 2009 New York City Half Marathon in 1:09:45, two seconds off the course record.

Her running has earned her a number of accolades including the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Laureus World Comeback of the Year, IAAF World Athlete of the Year, AIMS World Athlete of the Year (three times) and a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She has also been nominated for World Sportswoman of the year on several occasions. In 2010, she was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Loughborough University Hall of Fame in 2015.

Paula Radcliffe's Marathon World Record

In 2002, Radcliffe made the move up to the marathon, a decision that immediately paid off with victory at her debut in that year's London Marathon on April 14, 2002 in a world's best time for a women's only race (2:18:55). Her time was the second quickest in women's marathon history behind the world record of 2:18:47 set by Catherine Ndereba, of Kenya, in Chicago.

Later that year, Radcliffe set a world record time of 2:17:18 in the Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2002, breaking the previous record by a minute and a half. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2002 Birthday Honours for services to athletics.

Doping Allegations

In 2015, in the wake of revelations of widespread doping in athletics, Radcliffe said that, unlike some other prominent British athletes, she would not be releasing her blood-test history, and discouraged other athletes from doing so. She was later indirectly identified as a suspected doper by MP Jesse Norman during a parliamentary inquiry into blood doping.

In response, Radcliffe issued a statement in which she "categorically denied" cheating in any form and said she has "nothing to hide". Shortly afterwards, her three suspect test results were leaked, though Radcliffe still refused to release her complete blood-test history. In late November 2015, the IAAF declared that the accusations were "based on the gross misinterpretation of incomplete data".

The UK Anti Doping Agency, having received Radcliffe's blood test history via the IAAF, stated that "UKAD has come to the same conclusion as the IAAF review that there is no case to answer". It is likely that the first suspicious off-score was caused by faulty equipment. The third suspicious off-score was the direct result of an altitude training trip in Kenya with Mo Farah and other British athletes.

Paula Radcliffe, How Rich is she in 2025?

Radcliffe is believed to have a net worth of over £6 million. In 2009, he discussed owning multiple homes and the financial aspects of property investment.

At the time, she was renting in Monaco while maintaining ownership of a four-bedroom house in Loughborough, which he chose to let. Additionally, he owned a student house purchased in 1996, which was also rented out.

Despite fluctuations in property values, Radcliffe benefited from not having mortgages on either of his properties, allowing them to generate income. However, the high cost of real estate in Monaco made purchasing a home there unattainable.

Property prices in Monaco range significantly, with two-bedroom apartments costing anywhere from £1 million to £6 million or £7 million in prime locations with views. Given these high costs, Radcliffe acknowledged that he was not in a financial position to invest in Monaco’s luxury property market.