A Friendship Built for Long Distance

By SARAH BOWEN SHEA

Published: May 7, 2010

In January, when the elite marathoner Kara Goucher found out she was pregnant, she knew exactly whom to ask for advice. Paula Radcliffe, the women’s world-record holder and mother of a 3-year-old daughter, had just arrived in Portland, Ore., to train with her.

The topic of pregnancy became more personal for Radcliffe a few days later when she, too, learned she was expecting. She and Goucher are due to give birth on the same date in late September.