Paula Radcliffe admitted that she just could not achieve the impossible when she finished 23rd in the Olympic marathon. The world record-holder hobbled her way to the line having spent the last three months battling a stress fracture injury as Constantina Tomescu Dita, of Romania, won in 2hr 26min 44sec.

Radcliffe recorded 2hr 32min 38sec, at one time stopping to stretch out the pain in her leg. "I was trying to achieve the impossible I guess," she said. "The amount of running I've done coming in wasn't enough.

"Cardiovascularly I felt comfortable but my legs had gone. My calf went first then it went up the entire leg and it felt like I was running on one leg.

"But I didn't do all that work for nothing. It's just really frustrating.

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"I was going to the finish line no matter what. I did all the hard work and it feels frustrating because cardiovascularly I don't feel like I've run.

"I tried to the right things in the race, tried to go after Constantina but my legs weren't there.

"I didn't feel sick or in distress, but there was nothing else I could do.

"I knew I was pushing it coming in with three-and-a-half weeks of running. You can't take shortcuts in the marathon and I guess I learned that today."

Tomescu, 38, who was third behind Radcliffe at the World Championships in Helsinki in 2005, broke away at 20km and was unstoppable. Catherine Ndereba, of Kenya, was second with Chunxiu Zhou, of China, third.

Britain's Mara Yamauchi produced the best performance of her career to finish sixth in 2hr 27min 29sec.

Radcliffe always knew it would be a risk and it was a courageous attempt. She had stopped three miles from the finish in Athens four years ago with illness and whatever happened, wanted to make it home today.

She did that, she can hold her head up high and she has no plans to quit. "It's not the end," the 34-year-old said. "Fingers crossed for 2012. Look at Constantina - maybe I can do that in 2012 if my body holds up. I know in London I'll have all that support.

"I don't think this is redemption for Athens but it would have been for nothing if I hadn't finished."