Paula Radcliffe has officially announced that she is going to run in this Sunday’s marathon. This is fantastic news but raises a few interesting points.

In Athens 2004 the world record holder suffered stomach cramps and dehydration which left her unable to finish the gruelling race. She claimed in an interview this morning that she is happier entering this race because she is at least ‘well’. She may be ‘well’ but is she fit? Apparently not.

After suffering a stress fracture to her left femur many experts doubted whether she would be able to participate at all. Stress fractures account for one in ten sports injuries and are often called fatigue fractures as they are caused by repetitive strain during sub-maximal activity, common then amongst long distance runners such as Paula. To avoid stress fractures the following is advised:

1. Avoid abrupt increases in overall training load and intensity, making sure you have sufficient rest.

2. Buy less expensive shoes and change them frequently. As a general rule, trainers tend to lose their shock-absorbing capacity after 400 miles.

3. Bony alignment may be modified to some extent by the use of orthotics in the shoes and taping the foot and/or ankle. Those with hyperpronating feet may choose shoes with maximally rigid heel counter. Expert advice is needed for correct choice of insoles and taping techniques

4. Women athletes should pay careful attention to training, hormonal status and nutrition, and recognise any eating disorder The extent to Paula’s injury was such that she was even forced to do zero-gravitational training in America using NASA technology to give herself a hope!

She has had to train whilst acclimatising in Beijing and has admitted that this is far from ideal training for a marathon. She has probably had to run extra mileage to improve her fitness, which could have caused unwanted muscle damage or fatigue. By the sounds of it she is about two or three weeks behind schedule, which is enormous, but not insurmountable. It will be interesting to see how the preparation manifests itself in the race.

I’m concerned it could backfire, as Paula was so desperately unlucky in Athens and badly deserves a medal. But I’m also excited at the thought of her pulling off a scientific miracle. It’s what the Olympics is all about.

Find out the best way to train for a marathon by using our training for distance running programme.