Radcliffe to Take on Olympic Champion in 2009 London Marathon

Paula Radcliffe will face Olympic champion Constantina Dita in next year's London marathon. The marathon officials announced this morning one of the strongest women's fields in their history as Radcliffe, who has not run in the race since 2005, bids to win the event for the fourth time.

Radcliffe hobbled across the line in 23rd place in Beijing in August on the back of two weeks of road work as Romanian Dita, 38, stunned the Games by storming to victory. The Olympic champion will run in London for the eighth time in a field that includes the defending champion, Irina Mikitenko of Germany, and five of the first six finishers in Beijing.

Radcliffe, 34, the world-record holder, returned to the top of the podium in style when she won in New York last month and if she succeeds in London on April 26, she will match the triumphs of one of her heroines, Ingrid Kristiansen, the Norwegian who won in London four times between 1984 and 1988.

"It's fantastic to be back," Radcliffe said. "I have missed the last three years through injuries and it was frustrating not to be fully fit for the Olympic Games this summer. But after my victory in New York last month I am hungry to win back my London marathon title and join Ingrid in the record books."

Radcliffe won in 2002, 2003 - when she broke the world record with 2:15:25 - and 2005.