Background
Wallace was born in Northallerton, Yorkshire, England and was a member of Torbay Athletics Club.
Wallace was born in Northallerton, Yorkshire, England and was a member of Torbay Athletics Club.
Having missed the 1990 World Cross Country Championships through injury and then declined selection for the 1990 European Championships, Wallace"s first major championships was the 1990 IAAF 15 km World Road Race Championships in Dublin, where she finished a fine fourth, just one second away from a medal. The following year she placed 27th at the 1991 World Cross Country Championships. In the spring of 1992, Wallace finished third at the London Marathon in 2:31:33.
At the Barcelona Olympics however, she struggled, managing to run only 34:29 in her heat, failing to reach the final.
In 1994, she finished second at the Great North Run Half-Marathon behind Rosanna Munerotto of Italy, having previously finished second in 1991, behind Ingrid Kristiansen. At her best on the roads, as of 2014, Wallace still ranks in the United Kingdom all-time top ten lists for the 10 km, 15 km and half-marathon.
Her 10 km road best of 31:56 (Stoke 1991) ranks her ninth, her 15 km best of 48:43 (Nieuwegein 1991) ranks her sixth and her half-marathon best of 69:39 (Bath 1993) also ranks her sixth.