Radcliffe, who won Commonwealth and European gold, and broke the marathon world record, capped a remarkable 2002 by picking up the BBC honour.

The 28-year-old runner polled more than 600,000 votes as she finished well clear of footballer David Beckham and jockey Tony McCoy.

Thanks for all your e-mails for Paula - a selection appear below.

Andy, England

What is the motivational force that drives you to attempt all the challenges you undertake?

Basically I always want to get the best I can out of myself. If I choose to do something, I want to be able to say I did my best.

Hopefully, that is good enough to achieve what I aim to achieve and what I am dreaming of achieving.

I want to be able to walk away at the end of my career and know that I have achieved everything I was capable of.

George Dobbie, England

Do you have anything left to achieve after what you achieved this year?

I still think I can run faster in all the events. The big aim is to win the world title on the track and an Olympic gold, in fact any Olympic medal.

Stephen Burgess, Germany

Can you describe the feeling of running the last lap at the Commonwealth Games?

I can actually remember nearly every lap, in particular the last lap.

I hadn't really thought about times up until then because the aim was to win the race. But at the last lap I realised I was on course for the world record.

I think the crowd realised that and I felt them trying to push me, but tiredness had set in by that stage.

I was trying to run as hard as I could and as fast as I could and take in the atmosphere, all at the same time. It was a great stage.

Simon King, Essex, England

What made you take up the sport?

I got involved with athletics at school. My dad used to run and I used to go and join him. I hooked up with the local athletics club when I was nine and running is always what I have enjoyed doing since.

Rob, UK

Who would you have voted for and why?

That's a difficult one. I would probably have to say either triple jumpers Ashia Hansen or Jonathan Edwards.

Ashia came back from surgery and everybody had written her off. She proved them all wrong at the Commonwealth Games. I can never forget her jumping out of that sand pit in Manchester.

And for Jonathan to hold Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European tiles all at the same time is an amazing achievement.

Howard Barnes, Wales

If you could have shared your winning moment with anybody who could not attend the awards ceremony, who would it be and why?

It would be my grandma. I share my birthday with her and she has always been so supportive of me.

She was the one who instilled in me that you get out of life what you put into it. And you have to be prepared to put the work in to get anything back.