London, UK – Japan’s 2004 Olympic Marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi heads a prestigious women's elite race entry list for the next Flora London Marathon which takes place on Sunday 22 April 2007.

Noguchi who has “decided to go to London because I want the opportunity to test myself against the best athletes in the world”, is the third fastest female marathon runner of all-time thanks to her victory in Berlin in September 2005 (2:19:12) which set the Asian record. The then 27-year-old also set World records at the intermediate distances of 25k (1:22:13) and 30k (1:38:48) during her run in the German capital.

Race Director, David Bedford commented “We are extremely pleased to have such a strong field in London including the Olympic Champion. I feel this is the most competitive women’s field that has ever been assembled in London, and we are looking forward to witnessing a very exciting race. The women’s race will be run under Championship conditions with no male pacemakers”.

Other major signings include Asian Games Champion, Chunxiu Zhou (CHN), and first and second respectively placed women in Chicago in October, Berhane Adere (ETH) and Galina Bogomolova (RUS).  Also lining up is the current Berlin champion Geta Wami (ETH), and Lorna Kiplagat (NED) and Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROM), respectively the winner and runner-up at the recent inaugural World Road Running Championships in Hungary.

They will be joined by Lyudmila Petrova (RUS), second in London this year,  Benita Johnson (AUS), third in Chicago, Salina Kosgei (KEN) and Inga Abitova (RUS), European 10,000m champion, while making her marathon debut will be Isabella Ochichi (KEN), Olympic 5000m silver medallist.

Alice Frith for the IAAF