Olympic marathon champion Naoko Takahashi is to run in this fall's Berlin Marathon, the runner's employer Sekisui Chemical Co. said Monday.
Takahashi, who last year gave Japan its first Olympic gold in athletics in 64 years in Sydney, opted for the Sept. 30 race instead of taking part in the Chicago Marathon the following month in her bid to set a new women's marathon world record.
Takahashi will enter her first marathon since her Olympic triumph with the aim of eclipsing the world record held by Kenyan star Tegla Loroupe, who clocked 2 hours, 20 minutes, 43 seconds at the 1999 Berlin Marathon.
Takahashi, who recently turned professional, is currently training in Colorado.