Paula Radcliffe has revealed she is to run her first marathon since giving birth to her second child in September last year.
World record holder to make marathon return
Paula Radcliffe has revealed she is to run her first marathon since giving birth to her second child in September last year.
The world record holder announced on Saturday that she would compete in the Berlin Marathon on September 25.
Radcliffe is aiming to use the race to qualify for the London Olympics next summer where she hopes to make a third bid for that elusive Olympic gold - her two previous attempts, in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008 both ended in disaster.
But the 37-year-old, who has won the London Marathon three times, setting the world record there in 2003, said that Berlin had been on her list for some time.
"Yes I am aware Berlin is fast and a lovely course, and this was a factor," said Radcliffe, whose last trip over the distance came in New York in 2009.
Threat
"But it has been on my wish list a long time. I was thinking of running Berlin since I was pregnant with Raphael, because I did not want to wait too long before returning to the marathon."
Radcliffe's career has been plagued by injuries and she only returned to racing in the Bupa London 10,000 in May following an 18-month absence.
She managed to finish third in the capital despite racing with a torn disc in her back.
Her biggest threat in Berlin will come from home favourite Irina Mikitenko, who won there in 2008 and has also twice won the London Marathon.
Organisers in Berlin also confirmed that men's world record holder Haile Gebrselassie would also be taking part in the event.
