Mizuki Noguchi, the gold medalist in women's marathon at the Athens Olympics, said Thursday she is planning on competing at the Berlin Marathon this fall.
Noguchi, who left Japan for high-altitude training in Switzerland, will be making her first competitive race appearance since the Athens Olympics last summer when she takes part in the Sept. 25 international road race.
"I'm going to aim for the national record. I hope to run an aggressive race," said Noguchi, who is scheduled to return to Japan on Aug. 21. Naoko Takahashi won the Berlin Marathon in 2001 in 2 hours, 19 minutes, 46 seconds, then the world's fastest time, and Yoko Shibui won it last year in a Japan record 2:19.41.
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