There has always been something winning about Jo Pavey. Part of it is that lovely Devon accent. Most of it is to do with the fact that she is one of the most patently honest and genuine of athletes.

Despite her 5,000 metres silver medal from the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, two European Cup titles and the bronze she won at the 2004 European Cross Country Championships, this runner from Honiton might have had more tangible reward for a top-class career which has now spanned almost 20 years.

In 2004, she finished fifth in the Word Indoor Championships 3,000m and the Olympic Games 5,000m. In 2006 and 2007 she was just one place off the podium in the 10,000m at the European and World Championships respectively. There are pictures of her in the aftermath of both races in the same attitude – hands on hips, face set with disappointment and fatigue.

At the age of 38, Pavey – coached by her husband Gavin – is now the proud mother of Jacob, who was born in 2009. She is also a marathon runner with her mind set on racing at the London 2012 Olympics. Which is why, this weekend, she will run her second marathon over the tough and undulating course of the ING New York City marathon.

Pavey already has a UK Athletics qualifying time for marathon selection next year after finishing 19th in her debut at the distance in London this year in 2 hours 28min 23sec.

But as she readily acknowledges, that will not be sufficient to ensure she gets her wish to run through the streets of London during what she describes as a "once in a lifetime" event. "Even though I have the time, it doesn't guarantee selection on the British team," she says.

Paula Radcliffe, Britain's world record holder, has also re-stated her ambitions at the age of 37 after a lengthy maternity/injury leave, almost certainly securing one of the three British places in London with the time of 2:23:46 she ran to finish third in Berlin in September.

Claire Hallissey and Louise Damen have also got inside the UKA qualifying mark of 2:31 this year, while other strong contenders such as Liz Yelling, who has a best of 2.28:33, and Mara Yamauchi, who has run 2:23:12, yet to make their final challenges.

That is why Pavey is seeking to supplement her marathon experience with a championship style race – along with Boston (which is ruled out for record purposes as it is not a loop course), New York is the only major marathon which does not employ pacemakers, thus aligning itself with the World Championship and Olympic races.

She also needs to run another marathon after her experience in the capital this year, which was all going tickety-boo until she reached the 17-18 miles mark.

Pavey describes the experience with characteristic candour. Despite her years of experience as a world class athlete, she admits she succumbed to the two classic marathon dangers – starting off too fast, and then hitting the wall.


"It was my first marathon, and people had warned me to go out cautiously," she recalls. "But I didn't get my pacing right. With my history of running 5,000 and 10,000 metres I found it felt really, really slow so I speeded up and paid for it in the final stages."

Although Pavey was obviously well aware of The Wall – the image employed for the shattering experience which befalls many marathon runners with around eight miles of the 26 remaining, when many bodies switch from using glycogen to having to burn stored fat for energy- she basically didn't believe it would ever rear up in front of her.

"I thought it might be a psychological thing," she admits. "I didn't ever think it would happen to me. What really surprise me was how sudden it was. It was like flicking a switch. I felt really good after 17 miles, and then within five seconds it just suddenly came on.

"I was really shocked. I was wondering for a while how I was going to finish. Was I going to be reduced to a walk?

"It did catch me by surprise because I felt like I'd done everything in preparation. It did make me feel like a novice."

So Pavey is heading back towards that Wall in New York City with a little extra knowledge of a race which can sweep you away like a wave.

When asked if she plans to run a third marathon next spring, she is ambivalent. If this race goes really well, that should be the ideal combination for the selectors of time plus performance.

But she does not rule out having to re-state her case once more in April. She knows the marathon now.

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, has covered the past five Summer and four Winter Olympics for The Independent. Previously he has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. He is now chief feature writer for insidethegames. Rowbottom's Twitter feed can be accessed here.