Radcliffe to Run London Marathon

Radcliffe has won the London race three times.

World women's record holder Paula Radcliffe will seek a fourth win in the London marathon on April 13 in a dress rehearsal for the Beijing Olympics.

Radcliffe, 34, who won the 2002, 2003 and 2005 races, will run against Gete Wami, the Ethiopian she beat to the line in last November's New York marathon.

Norwegian Ingrid Kristiansen won the London race four times between 1984 and 1988.

"It's great to be running the London marathon again," Radcliffe said in a statement on Tuesday.

"I love running in front of my home crowd and I know that winning a fourth time will give me just the boost I need before the Olympic Games in August. The London field is always competitive but that's what I need to be at my best in Beijing."

Radcliffe, whose daughter Isla celebrates her first birthday on Thursday, has been training at altitude in South Africa in preparation for London and Beijing.

She pulled out of her only previous Olympic marathon in Athens 3-1/2 years ago with a stomach complaint before bouncing back to win the New York marathon in the same year.

In 2005 she recorded her third win in the London marathon and went on to claim her only global title with victory at the Helsinki world championships.

After taking 2006 off through a combination of injuries and pregnancy, Radcliffe returned to marathon running last year with victory ahead of Wami in New York.

Wami, 33, won the Berlin marathon last year to become the first women's world majors champion. She finished second behind China's Zhou Chunxiu in her marathon debut in London last year.

"We are delighted to have Paula back in London and pleased that she has decided to race here again against such a strong field," said race director David Bedford.

"No doubt all eyes will be on Paula as she goes for her fourth victory, but the women's race will be as tough as ever and Gete will have something to prove after losing to Paula in New York."