Records all round in best marathon

A world record was broken, there were a record number of runners, the weather was fair and there was even a British winner. The 22nd London Marathon is being called the best ever.

Briton Paula Radcliffe cruised to win the women's race in a stunning two hours, 18 minutes and 56 seconds.

The 28-year-old was cheered by the crowd as she ran across the line in her debut marathon into the waiting arms of her husband, Gary, after smashing the best ever time run by a woman on the course and missing out on the world record by a mere nine seconds.

She said: "My legs are very tired but the rest of me is really pleased. I was close to the world record but I didn't realise how close until the end.

"The crowd were amazing and they helped me through the race. Whenever I was feeling really bad their support took my mind off it."

In the men's event, American Khalid Khannouchi, 30, broke his own world record with a time of two hours, five minutes and 39 seconds.

But one celebrity competitor will be waking up with a sore ego, as well as sore legs. TV chef Gordon Ramsay, 35, a former professional footballer, ran his second marathon yesterday in a respectable four hours, 26 minutes. However, television gardener Charlie Dimmock, 36, crossed the finishing line after her first marathon seven minutes earlier than him.

Mr Ramsay was as hard on himself today as he is on his famously browbeaten staff. "I'm in trouble," said the Scot. "I'm going to have to go into work with 45 cooks looking at me and they are all going to be thinking about how Charlie beat me."

Worse for Mr Ramsay, he was also beaten by his father-in-law and business partner Chris Hutcheson, aged

53. "There are no excuses, I should have done better," said Mr Ramsay.

Miss Dimmock meanwhile, was gracious in victory. "I was there to complete not compete," she said. "It has got to be one of the greatest personal challenges. A year ago, I never thought I could run 26 miles."

A spokesman for the organisers said: "It was a fabulous day. The feeling among the charity runners was electric and there was a festival atmosphere among the spectators."

An unprecedented 32,874 runners managed to finish - raising an estimated £24 million for charity.

Among the most courageous entrants were Jamie Andrew and Paula Craig. Mr Andrew, 32, from Edinburgh, made race history as the first quadruple amputee to complete the course. He lost his arms and legs to severe frostbite climbing the French Alps in 1999, but crossed the line in five hours, 56 minutes and 46 seconds, running on artificial legs made of titanium and carbon fibre.

Met Detective Constable Craig, 38, broke her back last year when she was out bicycling in St Albans and was hit from behind by a car. But yesterday she finished third in the women's wheelchair race on her debut, in a time of two hours, 48 minutes and 53 seconds.

Paula's £350,000 just the beginning