Naoko Takahashi wins 2002 real-Berlin Marathon (© Victah Sailer)
Tokyo, JapanOlympic champion Naoko Takahashi is scheduled to run her first marathon in over a year at the Tokyo International Women’s Marathon on 16 November 2003.
The 31-year-old, who has been unbeaten since 1998, will take part in the 25th running of the Tokyo race which serves as a qualifier for Japanese runners for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Among her opposition will be the Ethiopian duo of Fatuma Roba who took the 1996 Olympic title, and Elfenesh Alemu who was sixth in the recent World Championships in Paris.
Takahashi, who is aiming to add to the Athens Olympic gold to the Sydney title she won in 2000, pulled out of the Tokyo event last year with a rib injury sustained at her Colorado training camp in the USA.
Takahashi, who was the first woman to run under two hours 20 minutes at the 2001 Berlin marathon (PB 2:19:46), has not raced since successfully defending her Berlin title in September 2002 (2:21:49).
It will be her first race in Japan since the Nagoya marathon in March 2000.
Agencies
