Following a successful three-month training period on the USA, the 31-year-old will chase a third Flora London Marathon title on Sunday after her debut victory in 2002 and again 12 months later.

She is unperturbed by criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who feels Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her Olympic nightmare in Athens.

Instead Radcliffe bounced back to win the ING New York City marathon just 11 weeks after dropping out of the Games marathon and then the 10,000metres.

Radcliffe said: “Liz is someone I look up to and I don’t want to get into a slagging match. In New York I wasn’t in top form but I did know I was good enough to win the race.

“She hasn’t spoken to me since last year and if she was genuinely concerned, I’m sure she would have contacted me.”

Today Radcliffe insisted her only ambition in this weekend’s race will be winning a third title and not chasing world records.

Radcliffe is unconcerned race organisers are providing pacemakers geared to help the world-class field beat the “women-only” world record she achieved on her marathon debut.

Radcliffe clocked a time of 2hrs 18mins and 56secs on her first attempt over the gruelling 26miles 382yards distance three years ago.

Subsequently she set a “mixed course” mark of 2hrs 17mins 18secs five months later in Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2hrs 15mins 25secs in the 2003 London event.

Radcliffe said: “I don’t need the money, I’m running to win the race.”

Kenya’s Leah Malot and Restituta Joseph from Tanzania have been contracted as pacemakers to cover the first half of the race in 1hr 8mins 30secs.

Race director David Bedford said it was the organisation’s choice to make an attempt at smashing the “women-only” mark.

He said: “The decision of the kind of race it will be is one for the London Marathon. There were no discussions with Paula or Gary (Lough),” – her husband and manager. “It was entirely our call.”

However, Radcliffe has not ruled out in the future of chasing her “ultimate” world record time and questioned assertions that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times.

“I don’t think that – although I can’t put a number on it,” said Radcliffe. “That changes from person to person.”

Radcliffe is convinced she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future.

“I do – definitely. I know I could have done it last year,” she said before her ill-fated Greek Olympic tragedy and the stomach illness which followed.

“But you have to have everything come together, particularly the weather and the conditions on the course,” before adding: “This is the course to do it on.”

Radcliffe insists she has emerged a stronger person from her traumatic experiences in Athens, saying: “It toughened me up mentally and as a person and Athens made me a stronger person.

“It made me care less about criticism. In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me.”