Paula Radcliffe’s daughter, Isla, is set to run her first London Marathon at the tender age of 18. However, her renowned mother – a previous winner of the race during her illustrious career – had hoped she would wait another year.
Isla, who will be among the youngest participants, was diagnosed with cancer when she was just 13 years old. Her journey and recovery motivated her to run for the charity Children With Cancer UK.
She spoke to the BBC about her decision to participate this year rather than delay any further.
“Last year I was here and I saw the atmosphere and it was a bit on a whim,” Isla shared with presenter Gabby Logan. “I wanted to just run it, to be a part of the atmosphere, and obviously also for the charity.”
When asked what advice Paula had given, Isla’s response was candid. “She said do it next year!
“She’s like ‘you need a year for your studies, maybe this is a bit too soon’ but I wanted to be 18 and be the youngest, to be kind of like a child to do it.”
Isla admitted that she might not be as prepared with training as she could be, adding: “Not really. I’m lacking the training but it will be okay, hopefully.”
Paula acknowledged that her daughter might not have undertaken the level of preparation she herself would have done as an elite runner, but that didn’t matter.
“The one thing that we know with Isla is when she sets her mind on doing something then she will 100 percent go at it,” she said.
“Yes, she could have done more training, she could have been more prepared, but I’m extremely proud of her for taking on this challenge and seeing it through.
“It’s actually Isla who pointed out to me that it’s now 40 years since my dad ran it and I watched Ingrid Kristiansen set that world record and was inspired to run the marathon.
“It’s 10 years since I retired, it’s 20 years since I set the women’s only world best in 2005, and now she’s here completing three generations.
A record-breaking number of hopefuls entered the ballot for the 2025 London Marathon, with applications soaring to over 840,000 – a significant jump from the previous year by more than a quarter of a million.
An estimated 56,000 participants are expected to kick off the race in South-East London, with the vast majority predicted to cross the finish line. Beyond those lucky enough to secure a spot through the ballot, thousands will be running in support of various charities.
The event also boasts a formidable elite field, featuring athletes vying for victory. The late Kelvin Kiptum holds the men’s record with his 2023 performance of 2:01:25, while Paula Radcliffe’s iconic time of 2:15:25 from the 2003 marathon continues to stand as the women’s record.
