One decade on from her final London Marathon, Olympian Paula Radcliffe will be cheering on eldest daughter Isla, with the 18-year-old set to run for a cause very close to the family’s hearts
It’s a very proud day for Paula Radcliffe. Her daughter, Isla Lough, is set to run her first ever London Marathon, a feat made all the more remarkable given the fact that the 18-year-old was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer five years ago.
Long-distance runner Paula ran the famous 26.2-mile race on multiple occasions. The 51-year-old still holds the British marathon record, and competed in the event at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, in addition to her London Marathon involvement.
Now, a decade on from her final London Marathon, she’ll be cheering her eldest child on as she sets off from the start line.
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Paula will be commentating as part of the BBC team during the marathon, and she told Radio Times: “It’s an extremely emotional place to be anyway, when you see people turn that corner on the Mall and they realise they’ve done it. But when it’s your little girl doing it, that’s going to be a bit more emotional.”
Isla has taken part in shorter races in the past, but this is her first attempt at the marathon distance. She is raising money for the charity Children with Cancer UK – a cause close to the family’s hearts following Isla’s diagnosis with a rare form of ovarian cancer.
Paula said her daughter is running to prove she is healthy enough to finish a marathon, rather than set any records.
Isla’s health battle began during lockdown when she started to experience symptoms, including stomach aches and loss of breath. Her mum took her to a paediatrician, and from there things started to move very quickly.
Paula recalled that just one day after their appointment, Isla went for a scan and a week later she was in hospital starting her first round of chemotherapy.
Speaking about Isla’s gruelling treatment, she added: “It’s the hardest thing a parent can go through. You can support them and be with them the whole way through, but you can’t do that chemo for them. It’s horrible to watch your child suffering through that, but at the same time, we believed that if it felt bad, it was killing the cancer. There are things you’re not ready for – either going through it or as a parent.”
Olympian athlete Paula is mum to Isla and Raphael, 14, who she shares in husband Gary Lough. In powerful photographs taken following her 2007 New York City Marathon victory – one of three on the spin – proud Paula can be seen cradling the then-baby Isla in her arms.
Isla is among more than 56,000 people running in the 2025 London Marathon on the morning of Sunday, April 27. The streets of London will be packed with people running for causes close to their hearts, with some pursuing their own personal records. Huge crowds will cheer them throughout the 26.2 miles.
The course begins at Greenwich Park and ends on The Mall, where runners will cross the finishing line after passing Buckingham Palace. The mostly flat route includes several other London landmarks, including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and Big Ben.
Other 2025 London Marathon runners will include Lindsey Burrow, the widow of rugby league legend Rob, who is participating in support of Leeds Hospitals Charity and the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.
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