Former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe finished first in her age group at the 2025 Boston Marathon, and in doing so she became a Six Star finisher of the World Marathon Majors – and soon after announced that she was ‘signing out’ from road running.
Radcliffe retired from marathon running after finishing the 2015 London Marathon, but following a 10-year break she announced earlier this year that she was going to run both the Tokyo Marathon and the Boston Marathon in 2025 in order to earn a Six Star finisher medal from Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Having won the London Marathon (2002, 2003, 2005), Chicago Marathon (2002) and New York City Marathon (2004, 2007, 2008) as well as finishing third at the Berlin Marathon (2011), Radcliffe needed to complete the Tokyo Marathon in March and the Boston Marathon in April to have run the six Marathon Majors, and to collect her Six Star medal.
Radcliffe’s best marathon performance was running 2:15:25 at the 2003 London Marathon, a world record which stood for 16 years. She ran the 2025 Boston Marathon in bib 215 to commemorate her record.
Despite suffering from a calf issue from mile nine, Radcliffe was the fastest female to claim their Six Star medal from this year’s Boston Marathon and her time of 2:53:44 placed her 117th female overall, and first female in the 50-54 age group. It was the seventh-fastest time ever for a women in her age group.
Radcliffe received her Six Star medal from Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first women’s Olympic marathon champion, and two-time winner of the Boston Marathon.
But reflecting after the race, Radcliffe posted to Instagram: “That’s me signing out on the roads now! Lesson learned that my body is done with that.”
Here are Paula Radcliffe’s best times at the six Abbott World Marathon Majors:
Tokyo Marathon: 2:57:22 (2025)
Boston Marathon: 2:53:44 (2025)
London Marathon: 2:15:25 (2003) World Record
Berlin Marathon: 2:23:46 (2011)
Chicago Marathon: 2:17:18 (2002)
New York Marathon: 2:23:56 (2008)
Here are all the things you may have missed at the 2025 Boston Marathon including the winning shoes, a speedy 80-year-old, fast average times and new records.
Image Christian Petersen-Clausen
