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Paula Fudge (née Yeoman; born 30 March 1952) is an English former middle and long-distance runner. She won a gold medal in the 3000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, and on 13 September 1981 she set the world record for the 5000 metres with 15.14.51, the first recognised women's 5000m world record by the IAAF.[1] This record remained the British record until 1985 when it was broken by Zola Budd.[2] She also won a bronze medal in the 3000 metres at the 1982 European Indoor Championships.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's athletics | ||
Representing  Great Britain | ||
| World 15km Road Race Championships | ||
 | 1985 Gateshead | Team |
 | 1987 Monte Carlo | Team |
| European Indoor Championships | ||
| 1982 Milan | 3000 m |
Representing  England | ||
| World Cross Country Championships | ||
| 1979 Limerick | Team |
| 1982 Rome | Team |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
| 1978 Edmonton | 3000 m |
Fudge made her marathon debut at the 1985 Columbus Marathon, winning in a time of 2:35:10. She then won a team gold medal at the 1985 World 15km Road Race Championships, and finished fifth individually. She improved her marathon personal best to 2:32:25 at the 1986 London Marathon. After the withdrawals of her twin sister Ann Ford and Priscilla Welch due to injury, and Veronique Marot declining selection, Fudge was selected to compete in the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but she too turned the offer down.[3] A month after the Olympics, she ran her best-ever marathon time, when finishing third at the Chicago Marathon in 2:29:47.[4]
In 2003, Fudge broke the UK W50 record by running 79:39 at the Fleet Half Marathon. A record that stood until 2011. She became an athletics coach at her running club Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow Athletic Club[5][6]
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