British long-distance runner
Paula Fudge (née Yeoman ; born 30 March 1952) is an English former middle and long-distance runner . She won a gold medal in the 3000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games , and on 13 September 1981 she set the world record for the 5000 metres with 15.14.51, the first recognised women's 5000m world record by the IAAF .[ 1] This record remained the British record until 1985 when it was broken by Zola Budd .[ 2] She also won a bronze medal in the 3000 metres at the 1982 European Indoor Championships .
Fudge made her marathon debut at the 1985 Columbus Marathon , winning in a time of 2:35:10. She then won a team gold medal at the 1985 World 15km Road Race Championships , and finished fifth individually. She improved her marathon personal best to 2:32:25 at the 1986 London Marathon . After the withdrawals of her twin sister Ann Ford and Priscilla Welch due to injury, and Veronique Marot declining selection, Fudge was selected to compete in the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics , but she too turned the offer down.[ 3] A month after the Olympics, she ran her best-ever marathon time, when finishing third at the Chicago Marathon in 2:29:47.[ 4]
In 2003, Fudge broke the UK W50 record by running 79:39 at the Fleet Half Marathon . A record that stood until 2011. She became an athletics coach at her running club Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow Athletic Club [ 5] [ 6]
International competitions
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Event
Notes
Representing Great Britain / England
1978
Commonwealth Games
Edmonton , Canada
1st
3000 m
9:12.95
European Championships
Prague , Czechoslovakia
8th
3000 m
8:48.74
1979
World Cross Country Championships
Limerick , Ireland
17th
5.0 km
17:58
1981
World Cross Country Championships
Madrid , Spain
28th
4.4 km
15:02
1982
European Indoor Championships
Milan , Italy
3rd
3000 m
8:56.96
World Cross Country Championships
Rome , Italy
14th
4.7 km
15:03
1985
World Cross Country Championships
Lisbon , Portugal
56th
5.0 km
16:22
Columbus Marathon
Columbus, Ohio , United States
1st
Marathon
2:35:10
World Road Race Championships
Gateshead , United Kingdom
5th
15 km
50:36
1986
London Marathon
London , England
5th
Marathon
2.32.25
World Road Race Championships
Lisbon , Portugal
20th
15 km
50:51
1987
Reading Half Marathon
Reading, England
1st
Half marathon
1:12:45[ 7]
London Marathon
London , England
4th
Marathon
2:32:28
Greifenseelauf
Canton of Zürich , Switzerland
1st
19.5 km
1:09:35
World Championships
Rome , Italy
17th
Marathon
2:42:42
World Road Race Championships
Monte Carlo , Monaco
8th
15 km
49:43
1988
Chicago Marathon
Chicago , United States
3rd
Marathon
2:29:47
References
External links
3000 metres (1978–1994) 5000 metres (1998–present)