"Go Paula!" Er...actually that's the American, Kara Goucher....

Kara, I apologise on behalf of British runners everywhere.

Unfortunately, most of the crowds lining the route of the biggest half-marathon in the world are a) not runners and b) in the grip of the wild enthusiasm for the only British runner they've heard of -- ie "our Paula".

So, I'm sorry you had to run most of the race out in front, enduring "Go Paula!" over and over again.

For the record: Kara Goucher won the Great North Run, held between Newcastle and South Shields in the north of England, in a year's fastest 1:06:57. Interviewed after the race, the world 10,000m bronze medallist was surprised -- and seemed delighted -- to find out she had set an American record. And it was so cool to hear her talk of running alongside Paula in the first six miles, astonished that she was keeping pace with the world marathon record-holder and hoping that someone had got a picture of it!

Radcliffe was in her first race back after giving birth, but was in no mood for second place. "The racing instinct and mentality comes back straight away but it takes the body time to catch up, especially because I've been training at altitude", she told BBC Sport.

"I don't want to be flying now because it's a long time to hold on but at the same time I want to be winning races.

"My pride's taken a little bit of a bashing. I came out here wanting to win the race but it is good to be back."

* Report and video interviews with Goucher and Radcliffe on BBC Sport here.

* Full coverage of the near 50,000-strong Great North Run is at BBC Tyne here.