The first gamble of what Paula Radcliffe hopes will be her golden year was taken yesterday, when British athletics’ leading Olympic medal prospect confirmed that she will run in the Flora London Marathon on April 13.

In the wake of her consummate return to marathon running in New York in November after a two-year sabbatical, Radcliffe said that she might not run the distance again before the Olympic Games in Beijing. She was weighing up whether to run at the World Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh instead, but clearly believes that another exacting workout is not a risk only four months before her date with destiny.

“I love running in front of my home crowd and I know winning a fourth time will give me just the boost I need before the Olympic Games,” she said.

However, it will be a tough task to add to her wins of 2002, 2003 and 2005. The biggest threat will come from Gete Wami, the World Marathon Majors champion from Ethiopia, who was second to Radcliffe in New York. Wami was overhauled in the final stages, having sat behind Radcliffe for most of the race, but she was running only 35 days after winning the Berlin Marathon. “The London field is always competitive, but it’s what I need to be at my best in Beijing,” Radcliffe said.

Many of her Olympic rivals will not be in London, including Catherine Ndereba, Mizuki Noguchi and Zhou Chunxiu, but it is a high-class field, with Constantina Tomescu-Dita and Benita Johnson also confirmed.

While a coup for Dave Bedford and his London team, who will be making sure that Radcliffe’s appearance is a lucrative one, her decision will be a blow to World Cross-Country organisers. Radcliffe will not compete in both as they are only a fortnight apart.