Watch the New York Marathon LIVE on BBC ONE. Coverage starts at 2.25pm GMT on 7 November

The 7 November event will be the 30-year-old's first race since she dropped out of both the marathon and the 10,000m at the Olympic Games in Athens.

"I wouldn't be going if I didn't think I could do myself justice," Radcliffe told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek.

"But underneath it all racing is what I enjoy doing, and I want to concentrate on doing what makes me happy."

Earlier this week, Radcliffe denied that she needed the race to help her get over her Olympic nightmare.

"I am not going to pick any race for redemption other than in four years' time at the Olympics," she said.

"I think I have accepted what has happened. Obviously I am not happy about it but it does not affect my mindset going into another race.

"It does not affect my confidence for how I run in the future.

"In terms of disappointment and devastation it was the worst point of my career but I have learned what lessons I can from it and put it behind me and moved on."

PAULA'S ROLL OF HONOUR Honours: World Championships: 1999 silver in 10,000m London Marathon: 2002, 2003 champion Chicago Marathon: 2002 champion European Championships: 2002 gold in 10,000m Commonwealth Games: 2002 gold in 5,000m World Cross Country (8km): 2001, 2002 champion European Cross Country: 1998, 2003 champion World Half-marathon: 2000, 2001, 2003 champion

Radcliffe, who has been training in America, had planned to make a low-key return at the Run London 10k at the end of November but decided to change her plans after some encouraging training.

"Things started to come together quite well and in the middle of last week I came back from a run and said I'd quite like to run the race.

"It was that spontaneous. It had probably been forming in my mind for a couple of runs before that but I just came in from that run and it was a goer.

"Physically I'm fine - I can't compare the shape I'm in with previous marathons but I am in good enough shape to race."

Radcliffe will face a high-class field in New York, including American Olympic bronze medallist Deena Kastor.

Australia's world cross country champion Benita Johnson could also provide tough opposition at her debut over the distance.

But Radcliffe goes to New York in confident mood after a successful four-and-a-half week spell training in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The Loughborough-based athlete also insists she has put the physical and mental scars of the Athens Games behind her.

Radcliffe dropped out of the Athens marathon at the 23-mile mark as the humid conditions took their toll.

Five days later, the Briton failed to finish the 10,000m at the Olympic Stadium because of physical fatigue.

The Athens marathon was the first time Radcliffe had failed to win over the distance after victories in 2002 at London and Chicago and London again in 2003.

She set the world record over 26.2 miles at the 2003 London Marathon in a time of two hours, 15 minutes and 25 seconds.