Radcliffe returns with a win

Radcliffe, who gave birth to daughter Isla in January, clocked two hours 23 minutes and nine seconds, holding off Wami by 23 seconds.

Radcliffe, 33, had led the entire race with Wami in her shadow, just 35 days after the Ethiopian had won the Berlin Marathon.

The Briton headed straight to the front on the mile-long climb to the crest of the Verrazano Bridge that took the race from Staten Island to Brooklyn.

Wami immediately shadowed her as did defending champion Prokopcuka, although the Latvian soon dropped off the pace as Radcliffe appeared to be on pace for a 2:20 time and joined Lidiya Grigoryeva and Catherine Ndereba in a three-woman chasing pack four seconds back.

Radcliffe started to show strain in her face as she led Wami through Harlem towards Central Park, though the Ethiopian was unable to see it as she continued to sit in the Briton's pocket.

The world record holder then made her move in the 24th mile, 2:05 into the race, pulling away from Wami as they reached an incline along Central Park East. It looked as if the Briton had opened up a lead of around 15 yards but Wami dug deep and bridged the gap five minutes down the road as the course turned into the park itself.

Radcliffe put in another burst only to see Wami overtake her for the first time in the race but Radcliffe fought back and went past the Ethiopian to kick on and claim victory.

In the men's race Martin Lel regained the title he won in 2003 after outsprinting Abderrahim Goumri.

Lel clocked two hours, nine minutes and four seconds to beat Goumri by 12 seconds with 2004 winner Hendrick Ramaala from South Africa coming third.