There will be a clash of titans with a number of former champions taking part in the marathon's 19th year. Among the elite will be Daniel Shungea, Michael Mukoma, Josphen Chewon Lingaa, Lilian Chelimo, all from Kenya, Poland's Violetta Uryga, Poland-based Belarussian Vladimir Kotov and Belgian Rik Ceulemans.

Mukoma is a three-time winner and the course record-holder with a time of 2:18.59 in the men's category, Kotov won in 2000 and 2001 and also landed the 2002 Pattaya Marathon title, Ceulemans won in 2003 and Shungea from 1995 to 1998.

On the women's side, Uryga has won the Bangkok Marathon twice and in 1999 set a course record of 2:46.40. This year the Polish star won the Khon Kaen International Marathon and will be a strong contender again in Bangkok tomorrow.

The local challenge will be led by Sunisa Sailomyen, former champion who has also won in Pattaya, Songkhla, Phuket and Khon Kaen. Other local hopes include Saifon Piawong and Ketmanee Sinaphan, who were second and third in Khon Kaen.

The centre of attention, however, will be Henry Wanyoike. The Kenyan runner, who won the 5,000m gold for the visually-impaired at the Sydney Paral-ympics, missed the world record of 15 minutes, 16 seconds by only three seconds to win the 10,000m gold at the Athens Paralympics. He also won gold in the 5,000m.

He will be a globe-trotting Goodwill Ambassador for the Bangkok Marathon, which will be title-sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank.

Preechachan  Wiriyanupappong

The Nation