Radcliffe following Waitz's path

NEW YORK – Four years ago, Grete Waitz experienced a case of mistaken identity that is almost unheard of for a runner of her stature.

“I was in Boston for the Boston Marathon, and I was in the line waiting to buy a cup of coffee,” Waitz said. “Somebody came up to me and said, ‘Excuse me, are you Paula Radcliffe?’ And I was like ‑‑ that was when my hair was different.  I had a ponytail like Paula had – ‘Please, can you say that again?’ They said, ‘Are you Paula Radcliffe?’ And I said, ‘I wish I were. Only in my dreams.’”

Waitz, 56, said being compared to Radcliffe, the world-record holder in the women’s marathon, is the biggest compliment she has ever received. But here, just days before the start of the 40th ING New York City Marathon, the comparisons have been reversed.

The 35-year-old Radcliffe, who has won the last two races and three overall, will attempt to secure a fourth victory on Sunday, a feat only trumped by the unprecedented nine titles won between 1978 and 1988 by Waitz, who will watch the race from the lead car.

“I like it when she's in the race truck, because I feel that brings me luck on race day,” Radcliffe said. “But I have a long way to go.”

During a press conference that resembled a mutual admiration society, Waitz said she sees great similarities between Radcliffe and herself when she was running competitively.

And they start at the very beginning.

“Running has been my passion since I was a very young girl,” Waitz said. “So, you know, I started out running because I loved it. I enjoyed it. I didn't think about fame or being a world class runner at all. I just did it because it was something within me that told me that, you know, this is something you should do.  I liked it.  I was happy when I was running. As a young girl growing up before it was acceptable for females to run, even my mom was like, ‘Grete, can't you ever walk?’ Because I was always running.”

Radcliffe echoed the sentiment.

“I just say that running is more a part of me in terms of it's something that I love doing and always have,” she said. “I feel that it's given me a lot not just in terms of my career, but in terms of health and self confidence. I actually feel I probably did better in school because I was running. And I'm very passionate about passing that on to youngsters and children and getting them involved in sport and running and showing them just how magical it can be.”

For Waitz, the magic began long before the Norwegian won the marathon world championship in 1983 and the Olympic silver medal in 1984. As a juniors runner, she had already established herself as force on the track, and she went on to accomplish even greater things in cross country.

Radcliffe followed a comparable path. In 1994, she won the World Junior championship in cross country and had a series of strong performances in the 5000m and 10,000m on the track. After some notable setbacks at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the 2001 World Championships, Radcliffe won the senior race at the 2001 World Cross-Country Championships and began turning her attention to the roads. She won the World Half Marathon Championships in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and in her marathon debut in 2002, she won the Flora London Marathon in 2:18:55. 

“I see a lot of myself in Paula,” Waitz said. “We both have a passion for track, cross country.  That was how we both started, and then we moved on to the marathon. We have a friend in common, and his name is Gerard Hartmann. And he said that he has never seen two runners so much alike like Paula and myself.  Our trademark is run hard, do your best, and there is no limit for how hard we want to push ourselves.  We overdo it. But that is also what makes us champions. If you didn't have that personality, you wouldn't have been a world class runner.”

Radcliffe agreed that her shared background with Waitz could be attributed to her success in New York and in the marathon in general.

“I think part of cross country running is you run with your heart, and you run with everything you can,” Radcliffe said. “It's not about the watch. It's not about trying to hit splits. It's just trying to run as fast as you can. Even though the distances are totally different, that translates to the marathon very well. I think it can make you mentally strong, and make your body strong, too, for racing over the marathon distance.”

Both also share a love of the city.

“When I first came to run the 5th Avenue Mile, I just from the very first loved it here,” Radcliffe said. “We arrived late on a Saturday night and went out for a run Sunday morning. We thought we'd come into some big carnival or there is a big event going on. It was actually just a regular Sunday morning in Central Park. There were so many people running around and rollerblading, out with kids.  It was just great to have that kind of oasis in the middle of this brilliant city.  I think I just kind of caught a bug of New York, then ran well, which always helps.  Then you come back the next year and run better, and it kind of snowball effects.”

Waitz added that the thrill of winning in New York should be enough motivation for Radcliffe without her having to worry about chasing her place in history.

“I felt the same way when I was running,” Waitz said. “You know, coming to New York, especially the week of the marathon, if you weren't inspired and motivated before, you really came back here and you were because the city and everybody is talking about the marathon; all the New Yorkers and all the marathoners. It's sort of a special atmosphere in the city that really makes all the runners inspired.  Especially the elite runners. When I crossed the finish line once in this race, you want to do it again.”