Kenya's twice London marathon champion Mary Keitany eyes to be third time lucky when she returns from motherhood to compete at the English capital road race next year.

The 32-year-old, expects to return to full training in January 2014 after sitting out over one and half years to deliver her second child, which came five months ago.

"I have given my body enough rest. I have been away for long and my family have enjoyed the stay we have had together. "My focus is a return to training. I want to resume my training in 2014 with the aim of competing in the London marathon in April," Keitany said Thursday.

Keitany, who was fourth at the London Olympics marathon race, had won the London Marathon in 2011 and 2012. However, she did not defend the title last year because of motherhood. In her absence compatriot Priscah Jeptoo clinched the gold.

Now she is keen to return and take her previous position on the marathon leader board as she targets another shot at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

"I will be back to my earlier level. I have no doubt about that. I want to gain the form that pushed me to the top of the world and put up a fight against the best in marathon and hopefully win the titles," she added.

Keitany's last race was a disappointing fourth-place finish in the London Olympics, despite her pedigree as the favourite to bring Kenya's first Olympic women's gold over the distance.

Keitany, who won the 2012/1013 World Marathon Majors, a circuit of the globe's most lucrative and prestigious marathons that comes with 500,000 U.S. dollars prize tag was a hot favourite for last year's London Olympics marathon gold medal but finished only fourth. Endi