Paula Radcliffe

“I just want to be in the best shape I can be. Not to stand on that start line and say: 'Oh my God, I have this injury and that injury.' I just want to be able to go out and race.”

“People are lying when they say that their record being broken is good for the development of the event. I would like mine to remain as long as possible, please.”

“You can wish as hard as you like but all that really matters is the shape you're in on the day of the race. I've always felt these really big races aren't necessarily won by whoever is the fastest. They're won by the athlete who is the smartest and in the best shape on the day.”

“I have achieved a lot and I'm grateful for that - I'm just a bit greedy because I want to add the Olympics. It's once every four years - everyone wants it and very few people get it.”

“As an athlete, there are advantages being with a team and getting regular physio.”

“I apologise to people when I need to.”

“A half marathon is a good way to have a bit of fun and race against those girls and learn a bit more about them. The world half marathon is a world championship at the end of the day and it's important. I've win it twice and it's a quality event.”

“I've always been good at putting things behind me - I fall apart, do my crying bit and then put it away and move it.”

“I have not had the chance to go out there and do myself justice in an Olympic marathon yet. I have not been able to get to an Olympic marathon injury-free yet.”

“I have always loved running on the roads, ever since I used to take part in relays for my club when I was 12 and 13. I felt really at home on the surface.”

“It's totally different from last year because I came in with good shape with no health worries so it was about going out there and running well and enjoying it.”

“For an athlete, the biggest pressure comes from within. You know what you want to do and what you're capable of.”

“I am not going to let Athens affect the rest of my life.”

“I don't like going away from my children.”

“I don't feel guilty in having pleasure!”

“At big championships it's not the fastest person, it's the person who gets it right on the day.”

“I've no desire to do one of those 50-mile races like the Comrades or anything like that.”

“I am not driven by any bitterness by what happened in Athens. I learnt a lot of lessons from it and probably came through it a stronger person in the end. There have been a lot of near misses, and that's taught me to keep persevering and that there is a chance it can come right.”

“I deliberately returned slowly to training after Raphael was born and everything, apart from being bitten by a dog whilst out training in Monaco at the beginning of the year, has gone pretty well.”

“When you get close to race day, there's that anticipation and excitement - it's the same whatever level you're running at because the marathon is like a festival.”