ATHENS, Aug 22: Japan's diminutive Mizuki Noguchi produced a courageous run from the front to win the Olympic women's marathon title on Sunday as Paula Radcliffe's challenge ended in tears.

Noguchi, the world silver medallist, produced a killer surge up a series of inclines just after the halfway mark to break clear and win in two hours 26 minutes 20 seconds before collapsing.

Silver went to world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, in 2:26:32 with bronze for Deena Kastor of the United States. Big pre-race favourite Radcliffe failed to finish, breaking down in tears as she slipped back to fourth after just over two hours' running.

The Briton, world record holder and never beaten in three previous marathons, tried to re-start but then slumped down by the side of the road, sobbing. The event was staged between Marathon, the village which gave the event its name, and the Panathinaiko marble amphitheatre in the centre of Athens where the modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896.

Ethiopia's Elfenesh Alemu came fourth after being passed by Kastor late in the race. The marathon had begun at 1800 local time but the heat was still intense. By five km, the lead group had already been whittled down to around a dozen, with Radcliffe, desperate for a first title at a major championships, surprisingly prominent.

Unable to fight her eagerness, Radcliffe broke to the front after 25 minutes, shadowed by a posse of Kenyans, Ethiopians and Japanese. Already the event, on a steadily rising course, was taking casualties. Lydia Simon of Romania, the Sydney silver medallist, was dropped and Ethiopia and Kenya both lost runners, leaving 10 at the front.

Kenya's Margaret Okayo, the fastest performer of the year, also lost touch as the race proper began. After exactly one-and-a-half hours Noguchi made her move, blasting up yet another incline and exploding the leading pack of seven.

Only Alemu was able to keep in touch but Noguchi kept attacking up the climbs to forge 15 seconds clear, then 30, with a third of the race to run. Ndereba cut the gap to 12 seconds with two kilometres to go but Noguchi held on.

LEADING RESULTS: 1. Mizuki Noguchi (Japan) 2:26:20; 2. Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) 2:26:32; 3.Deena Kastor (US) 2:27:20; 4. Elfenesh Alemu (Ethiopia) 2:28:15; 5. Reiko Tosa (Japan) 2:28:44; 6. Olivera Jevtic (Serbia & Montenegro) 2:31:15; 7. Naoko Sakamoto (Japan) 2:31:43; 8. Lyudmila Petrova (Russia) 2:31:56; 9. Svetlana Zakharova (Russia) 2:32:04; 10. Bruna Genovese (Italy) 2:32:50; 11. Alice Chelangat (Kenya) 2:33:52; 12. Zhang Shujing (China) 2:34:34; 13. Nuta Olaru (Romania) 2:34:45; 14. Zivile Balciunaite (Lithuania) 2:35:01; 15. Corinne Raux (France) 2:35:54; 16. Rosaria Console (Italy) 2:35:56; 17. Malgorzata Sobanska (Poland) 2:36:43; 18. Luminita Zaituc (Germany) 2:36:45; 19. Lee Eun-jung (South Korea) 2:37:23; 20. Constantina Tomescu (Romania) 2:37:31; 21. Jong Yong-Ok (North Korea) 2:37:52; 22. Li Helan (China) 2:37:53; 23. Chung Yun-hee (South Korea) 2:38:57; 24. Stine Larsen (Norway) 2:39:55; 25. Liz Yelling (Britain) 2:40:13; 26. Maria Abel (Spain) 2:40:13; 27. Hafida Izem (Morocco)2:40:46. -Reuters