The 2021 Vienna City Marathon champion Leonard Langat and 2021 N Kolay Istanbul Marathon champion Sheila Jerotich are among the elite athletes expected to battle for top honours at Sunday's Ljubljana Marathon in Slovenia.
Langat is the fifth fastest in the men's field with a personal best time of 2:09:25.
He is expected to face tough competition from Ethiopian runners, including Kelkile Woldaregay, the fastest in the field with a personal best time of 2:05:56.
Woldaregay, 26, is the 2018 Frankfurt Marathon and 2020 Houston Marathon champion.
Also in contention are 2022 Madrid Marathon champion Abdela Gemeda (2:08:08) and 2017 Praha Marathon champion Gebretsadik Abraha.
Eritrea’s Merhawi Kesete (2:06:36) and Henok Tesfay (2:08:39) are also in the mix.
Others are Moroccan Mohcin Outalha and Rok Puhar, who will be competing on home soil. Outalha and Puhar have personal best times of 2:09:55 and 2:17:49 respectively.
In the women’s field, Jerotich is the second fastest with a personal best time of 2:23:01, behind Ethiopia’s Sentayehu Lewetegn (2:22:45).
Jerotich will be joined by compatriot Janet Ruguru, who has a personal best time of 2:25:57 clocked at the 2022 Paris Marathon.
Siranesh Yirga of Ethiopia is also one to watch. She has a personal best time of 2:24:37 attained during the 2022 Madrid Marathon.
Yirga is also the winner of this year’s Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. Other Ethiopians enlisted are Maeregu Hayelom and Bekelu Geletu, who have respective lifetime bests of 2:24:42 and 2:27:50.
