That was 18 seconds outside the time she ran in London but it represents a considerable step-up in performance because the steep undulations of the New York course make it a far more challenging test.
"I found it tough but I was so pleased to be close to my PB personal best because it's a tougher course,” said Pavey.
“I loved the atmosphere and it really kept me going.”
The 38 year-old is chasing one of three available GB spots in the Olympic Marathon, one of which looks certain to go to world record-holder Paula Radcliffe following her encouraging return to marathon action in Berlin in September.
Mara Yamauchi, who was sixth at the Beijing Olympics, will also be aiming to stake her claim to a place when she competes in the Yokohama Marathon on Nov 20. Radcliffe was a spectator in New York and will have taken heart from the sight of Mary Keitany, likely to be one of her key rivals next summer, suffering a spectacular meltdown in the closing stages of the race.
The Kenyan has been touted as the favourite for Olympic gold following her brilliant, runaway triumph in London this year but yesterday she showed her inexperience by setting off at a suicidal place before being overhauled by her rivals in a thrilling, hare-and-tortoise race.
Having led by a massive 2min 23sec by the 15-mile mark, Keitany then hit the wall and was eventually caught by Ethiopian runners Firehiwot Dado and Buzunesh Deba with one just mile remaining.
Dado eventually prevailed in 2-23.19, with Deba four seconds behind and an exhausted Keitany a further 19 seconds back in third place.
The men’s race was equally eventful as Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai obliterated the course record with a victory in 2-05.06 - more than 2½ minutes inside the old mark set by Ethiopia's Tesfaye Jifar a decade ago.
It was the second big-city marathon victory of the year for the 29-year-old, who ran the fastest marathon time ever recorded to win in Boston in April, though he was denied the official world record because the Boston race is not ratified for record purposes due to elevation issues.
At a reception at the Consulate General of Monaco in New York Friday night, Kipketer said he had trained for the New York race by running an hour or two daily. He said his participation in the marathon would help promote Peace and Sport, which he said tells young people that “sports is not about being the champion of running. You can be the champion of your community, you can be the champion of your life, it’s something you can do to make you feel good.”
Loroupe said on the New York City marathon Web site that she “went through a lot of hardship growing up in Kenya, and running was my way out. At first, I competed just to beat my brothers and prove that girls can run, but soon I realized that running could open doors.”
The mother of two young children, Radcliffe said at the reception that she had become involved in Peace and Sport because “through sport, I’ve been lucky enough to see the difference that it can make, appreciate the difference it can make, moreso as a mother, when you see how kids see the joy in sport, you see the way it brings everybody together. And you really believe that this is kind of a strong medium and it’s something that can make a difference.”
Peace and Sport “tries to use sport as a platform to bring peace and bring a better life for a lot of people who are suffering,” Radcliffe said, adding, “especially when you see children suffering, not getting the education that they need, the food that they need, you want to do something to make a difference.”
Radcliffe, who had minor foot surgery after the Berlin marathon and is currently training for the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, called the U.K. race a “once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to compete in the Olympics on home soil.”
She predicted it would be a “really strong race. From the showings this year, the Russian team, the Kenyan team is going to be extremely strong. The Olympic marathon is a very hard race to predict, you always have to be in 2’20” shape or better to win the race. I just think it’s going to be a very strong race, in good conditions, and I think we can see some very fast times.”
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