World record holder Paula Radcliffe will run the Berlin marathon in September as she looks to book a spot in next year’s London Olympics, the Briton said on Saturday.
This will be the Briton’s first marathon since putting her career on hold to have a second child after competing in New York in 2009.
Radcliffe will join’s men’s world record holder Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie as the headline names in the race, considered among the fastest due to its flat course.
“Yes I am aware Berlin is fast and a lovely course and this was a factor, but it has been on my wish list a long time,” Radcliffe, who set her world record of 2:15.25 at the 2003 London Marathon, said in a statement.
“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, who has never won an Olympic medal over the distance, said.
Her biggest rival will be local favourite Irina Mikitenko, who twice won the London marathon and was also a winner in Berlin in 2008.
The 37-year-old Radcliffe said she had overcome the back injury which saw her struggle and finish third in last month’s London 10 kilometre road race and she was now eager to make a return to marathon racing.
