Naoko Takahashi, who was left off the national team for this summer's Athens' Olympics, will take part in a city marathon in April, sources close to the runner said Wednesday.
Takahashi, who brought home gold from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, is an invited guest to run in a marathon sponsored by the city of Yoshikawa in Saitama Prefecture on April 4.
It will be the first time Takahashi has shown her face in an official setting since appearing at a news conference earlier this month, where she said she will not retire even though the Japan Association of Athletics Federations did not choose her for the Summer Games.