Three-time reigning Chicago Marathon champion Liliya Shobukhova of Russia will open her 2012 season and preparations for the London Olympic marathon with a pair of US events, she announced on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old will compete in the New York Half-Marathon on March 18 and the 8K Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago on March 25.
"This Olympic year will be the most important of my career, so I am choosing all of my competitions carefully," she said.
"The New York Half will allow me to test my fitness and compete against some of the same runners I will face in the Olympic Marathon while going to Chicago will allow me to connect with all of the great fans and runners there on a course that feels like home to me in the city where I've had so much success."
Americans Kara Goucher and Desiree Davila will also compete in the New York event while US Olympic marathoner Abdi Abdirahman is among those entered in the Chicago event.
Romania's Constantina Dita won 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon gold after wins in the 2004 Chicago Marathon and 2006 Shamrock Shuffle.
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