Paula Radcliffe sealed a remarkable third successive victory in the ING New York Marathon yesterday.

Paula Radcliffe sealed a remarkable third successive victory in the ING New York Marathon yesterday, yet again redeeming her career on this course when it had become clouded by doubts.

The 34-year-old won her eighth marathon in 10 starts with a time of 2hr 23min 56sec, on a day when the 15-mile-per-hour wind at the start reduced the 4C temperature to below freezing.

Forty-year-old Russian Ludmilla Petrova was second in a world veteran's best of 2:25.43, with marathon debutant Kara Goucher third in a US record of 2:25.53. The first American woman on the podium in this race for 14 years, she was in tears at the finish, having run through Queens where she was born, and close to where her father was killed by a drunk driver a month before her fourth birthday.

Though this was more than eight minutes outside Radcliffe's world best, it was a formidable performance on a day when many illustrious reputations were shredded. Boston winners Rita Jeptoo and Dire Tune were fourth and seventh respectively; double world champion and Olympic silver medallist Wincatherine Ndereba was fifth; and World Marathon Majors champion Gete Wami blew her hopes of a successful defence when she finished sixth.

The majors title, for the best performances in the Flora London Marathon, Berlin, Boston. Chicago, and New York, went to Irina Mikitenko. She and Ethiopian Wami tied on the same number of points, but the German had a faster average time which secured her the $500,000 bonus.

Radcliffe collected $165,000, and at least at much again in appearance fees. She may be tempted to invest some of that with bookmakers who immediately offered odds of 10-1 for her to win the 2012 Olympic marathon in London. The Athens and Beijing Olympic marathons are the only ones Radcliffe has ever lost. "It does make it frustrating," she said, "because you think, why can I get it right all the time in New York, and I can't get it right there. But sometimes you have to take what life deals you."

I remain sceptical over her assertion that she can improve on her best, but this eloquently silenced critics who felt that after stress fractures to her sacrum and her left leg, and a 23rd palce in Beijing 11 weeks ago, yesterday might herald the end of her days as a major force.

Her first victory here was in the wake of her Athens drop-out; her second, 12 months ago, was just 10 months after the birth of her daughter, and her first marathon in two years.

Once more she has sent her stock sky-high. From the start on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the finish in Central Park she cast just a single backward glance, and the only time she was not in the lead was when she eased at the watering stations to ensure unhindered access to her drinks.

The opening mile, steepest climb of the race up the incline of the bridge leading from Staten Island, was into the wind, a slow 6min 31sec.

Goucher, who had beaten Radcliffe in her only half marathon last year, slipstreamed her yesterday. "Nobody else wanted to lead across the bridge - it was really windy. I looked back and everybody was in single file behind me, and I was like, Come on, we've got the whole road'."

The lead group of 10 was whittled down to six by 12 miles, and to five by 16. Wami was the first of these to go, but then Goucher dropped behind her. Her fight back to third was inspired by her father, and her coach, former world record holder and winner here, Alberto Salazar.

Petrov proved the most durable, but Radcliffe kept turning the screw, and miles of 5.18 and 5.12 to 22 miles broke the Russian, and she cruised home without a worry.

New York's "Marathon Mom" wrapped herself in the Union Jack, and scooped up daughter Isla at the finish, wiping her chin with the flag. Another mum, Mikitenko, who had been least likely of the three main contenders for the $500,000 cheque, promised her daughter, Vanessa, a trip to the city's Disney store.

Radcliffe has now won seven big city marathons and the 2005 world title, but was unsure yesterday whether she will contest next year's world event in Berlin.