By Steve Cram BBC Sport commentator

Paula Radcliffe runs her first marathon for over two years in New York on Sunday and she couldn't have picked a tougher race.

But I think her decision to race across the Atlantic is a very wise one.

Paula Radcliffe won the New York Marathon in 2004

I think she was satisfied rather than pleased with her performance in her comeback at the Great North Run where she finished second to American Kara Goucher.

You are never quite sure how your body will react after such a long lay-off and she maybe ran a little bit slower than she expected.

But it was a good preparation for her foray back into marathon running.

First and foremost she needs to achieve the Olympic qualifying time for Beijing next year.

She could have left it until the spring to do it but that would have been putting all her eggs in one basket so it is best to get it out of the way.

606: DEBATE Have your say on the New York Marathon

Also, if she is going to run 26 miles she might as well make it a hard race as it will give her a real gauge of where she is at.

It is best to be competitive rather than plod along and Sunday's race will tell her a lot about herself. She is up against a top-class field who will really stretch her.

Her biggest threat is likely to come from Catherine Ndereba, she is the most consistent of performers and always seems to finish in the top three.

The Kenyan is not coming into the race at the very top of her game.

She had a really hard race in winning the World Championships recently and the tough conditions in Japan would have taken a lot out of her.

The likes of Gete Wami and Jelena Prokopcuka makes predicting the race impossible and I'm not going to stick my neck out.

In an ideal world she would run one more marathon before the Olympics which could possibly be London - who knows?

Paula will be nervous, but I am very confident that she will do well.

I'm not sure what she will do next with Beijing looming large on the horizon. I think she will sit down and evaluate matters after Sunday and take it from there.

In an ideal world she would run one more marathon before the Olympics which could possibly be London - who knows?

There is also the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh in March as she loves running in the UK, so that could be an option.

The men's race, meanwhile, will also be a very intriguing one.

Marilson Gomes dos Santos was a surprise winner last year, but I fancy Martin Lel to win.

The New York course's slowness is perfect for him and I think he will do his usual trick of hanging around the pack before killing them with his pace.

I ran it last year and it was one of the best things I have ever done. Mind you I was hobbling round it because of a calf injury and nearly pulled out half-way through.

But the crowd helped me round and there is such an unbelievable sense of camaraderie. It is as if the five boroughs of New York try and out do each other with the size of their crowds.

I will be a jealous onlooker on Sunday as wish I was out there doing it!

Watch the New York Marathon from 1415-1730 on BBC TWO and the BBC Sport website

Steve Cram was talking to Paul Birch