It is not unusual these days for 52,000 people to attend a sporting event in Newcastle and end up tired, emotional and depressed about the future. It was perhaps no surprise then that there was no home win in the BUPA Great North Run, but Jo Pavey did sound a positive note as she became embroiled in a three-way power struggle.

Pavey led in the last kilometre but ended up third behind Gete Wami, the Ethiopian winner, and Magdelane Mukunzi, from Kenya. It was a thrilling finish and a confident starting point for Pavey's plan to step up to the marathon. The Commonwealth 5,000 metres silver medal-winner was only twelfth in the 10,000 metres in the Olympics in August and feels her best prospects may lie in the toughest race of all.

The 35-year-old from Devon has already done it the hard way. From soaking blood-stained socks off her feet as a young runner to qualifying for the Athens Olympics with a torn calf muscle, she has had to dig deep. Two years ago she made her Great North Run debut and almost blacked out because her blood sugar was off the scale. “I have a testing kit and took a reading at the end this time,” she said. “It's not meant to go over ten but it was 16.1. It was a lot worse two years ago and I've got it under control now. I eat carefully. I had a tuna roll at 6.15am, half a power bar 90 minutes before the start and the other half an hour before. I bring so much stuff with me. I carry a tin opener.”

Her time of 1hr 8min 53sec, two seconds behind Wami, means the only British women to have gone faster over a half marathon are Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi. Yet Pavey said: “I am frustrated because I gave it everything and wish I could have held on for the win. I felt good at the end because two years ago it went pear-shaped. There is still a lot to learn in these long road races. The surges were interesting and it's about knowing whether to go with them or not.”

Pavey is debating whether to take a marathon early next year with a view to running the distance at the World Championships in Berlin in August, or to compete in London in April. Certainly, she should be encouraged by running Wami so close. The Ethiopian is the defending World Marathon Majors champion, a feat that netted her $500,000 (about £280,000), and has Olympic silver and bronze medals from the track.

She dropped out of the Olympic marathon in August with a stomach problem, but the clever money was on her to outpace her rivals yesterday. The three were together from before halfway and each took a turn at the helm on the coast road, but it was Wami who came through.

Tsegay Kebede made it an Ethiopian double by running from the front in the men's race to record 59min 45sec, with the favourites, Luke Kibet and Felix Limo, only fourth and seventh respectively. Dan Robinson was the best home finisher, in thirteenth, but the long-distance malaise among the British men meant the women again took centre stage.

Attention will switch back to Radcliffe as she makes her latest comeback from injury in the New York City Marathon next month. Waiting for her there will be Wami. Last year she lost out in another close finish, but amid Radcliffe's celebrations, Wami pointed out that she was tired after winning the Berlin Marathon 35 days earlier. “It's not about revenge but I am surprised she is running because she had a lot of problems in Beijing,” Wami said.

It was a significant day for the Great North Run, with Leanne Symonds becoming the millionth entrant and 52,000 representing a record entry. It may also prove telling in Pavey's career. As with Radcliffe, she hopes to have a child before 2012, by which time both will be 38.

Pavey's plans are unclear but, on this showing, it is safe to say she is in it for the long haul.