ATHLETE Paula Radcliffe will compete for the first time in 21 months at the BUPA Great North Run on September 30, it was announced today.

Radcliffe a two-times GNR champion has chosen for her comeback a testing contest at the world's biggest half marathon from Newcastle to South Shields.

Radcliffe's last competition saw her win over 10 kilometres in a course record time of 31minutes 16seconds in Madrid on December 31, 2005.

The world marathon record holder's ambitions in the New Year that followed were to chase another Commonwealth Games gold medal and bid for a third Flora London Marathon title.

But those hopes were curtailed by injury and then Radcliffe found out she was pregnant with daughter Isla.

A stress fracture of the sacrum related to childbirth wrecked her hopes of chasing the World 10,000m title last month in Osaka.

She and Gary Lough, her husband and manager, reached the decision she is now ready to race over the Great North Run weekend.

The 33-year-old former world champion at the distance, stressed: "I chose a half because I wanted a good quality fast race to come back and blow away the cobwebs.

"It is that time of the year and I have many happy memories of good races at the BUPA Great North Run, so it seemed a natural place to start back."

"The setbacks getting back since the birth have been very, very frustrating.

"I stayed positive and did huge amounts of cross training while I was injured, but it was still very hard.

"I had so missed racing and was really looking forward to racing again.

"On the positive side now that I have no injury, at least the cross training is paying off in that I can get back racing faster."

Radcliffe, a great favourite at the Tyneside venue, said: "I love the Great North, have many happy memories and always get such great support there.

"I love mass races where the atmosphere is so good at the start and all along the route.

"I also know I will get a big test on my comeback but look forward to getting back to having fun racing."