Olympic silver 1500m medallist Timothy Cheruiyot faces a stern test at the season-opening Doha Diamond League meeting on Friday.
Cheruiyot, who finished a disappointing sixth at last year's World Championships in Oregon, has been entered in the 3000m race, which has a competitive field.
The lanky athlete will be hoping to start his season with a win as he eyes redemption at this year's World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August.
He, however, faces a tough field that has reigning Olympic and world 3000m steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco.
El Bakkali, the reigning Wanda Diamond League champion (3000m SC), remained unbeaten throughout 2022 having opened his season with victory in Doha.
Prior to winning the world title in Eugene, he clocked a world 7:58.28 lead at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat, just marginally outside his lifetime best of 7:58.15 from 2018.
He closed the year with a national record of 5:14.06 in the 2000m SC, a mark which moved him to third on the world all-time list.
Others to watch are Ethiopia's Olympic 10,000m champion and world indoor 3000m champion Selemon Barega, Uganda's world 5000m bronze medallist Oscar Chelimo and Kenya's Ishmael Kipkurui, the world cross country U20 champion.
Two-time Commonwealth Games 800 m champion Wycliff Kinyamal has been entered for the two-lap race alongside Noah Kibet, in a two-pronged Kenyan attack.
They face stiff competition from USA's Clayton Murphy, Zahafi Moad of Morocco and Andreas Kramer of Sweden.
World 3000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech will be hoping to return to form after a poor 2022 season.
Chepkoech will have Jackline Chepkoech and Faith Cherotich for company.
2017 world champion Emma Coburn will pose a threat alongside Abebe Mekides of Ethiopia, Bouyzani Marawa of Tunisia and Perith Chemutai of Uganda.
Two-time Olympic and world 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon (KEN) headlines the women’s 1500m, aiming to lay a marker in her specialty.
Joining Kipyegon in Doha will be exciting young talent Birke Haylom of Ethiopia, the world under-20 1500m champion, in addition to a host of global medallists including Lemlem Hailu (Ethiopia), the world indoor 3000m champion; Konstanze Klosterhalfen (Germany), the European 5000m champion and 2019 world 5000m bronze medallist.
The Ethiopian duo of Axumawit Embaye and Hirut Meshesha, who finished second and third respectively over 1500m at the 2022 World Indoor Championships, are also enlisted.
