Athens Olympic gold medal winner Mizuki Noguchi will run in next month's Osaka International Women's Marathon, organizers said Tuesday when the list of invitees was announced.
In addition to Noguchi, popular distance runner Kayoko Fukushi and 2009 champion and former Japan record holder Yoko Shibui were also invited to run. The Jan. 27 race will serve as one of the qualifying events for next year's world athletics championships.
The 34-year-old Noguchi, who won here in 2003, was unable to run this year due to injury.
"I've been putting in 30- and 40-kg runs in training," she told a press conference. "I've caught a cold, but if I've recovered I should be in good form."
Yurika Nakamura, who competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Ukraine's Tetyana Gamera-Shmyrko, who was fifth at this summer's London Olympics, were also among the entrants announced Tuesday.