The 250,000 USD prize money event will see 150 elite foreign athletes, including 52 women, taking part in the full marathon that has attracted 2500 entrants.

A quality field, led by two-time men's champion John Kelei of Kenya, has assembled here to vie for the top honours in the race starting at the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus and ending at the same venue after the athletes touch another site of the terror strike - the Trident Hotel - on their way.

The route for the race is more or less the same as last year's with the runners negotiating the Kemp's Corner flyover twice - the toughest part of the otherwise flat course.

Kelei, whose winning efforts in 2007 and '08 were 2 hours, 12 minutes, 27 seconds and 2:12.22 respectively, is expected to face stiff competition from his countryman Usisivu Boniface whose personal best time is 2:07.50.

David Tarus (Kenya) and Adrerahime Bouramdane (Morocco), besides Kenya-born French runner Simon Munyutu and Jote Demissue of Ethiopia, are some other strong men contenders.

Kelei said he is prepared for running in the humid conditions in Mumbai which poses a big challenge to all runners.

"The heat and humidity are the biggest challenges. I have prepared well for these conditions. They deplete you so much," he said.

China's Liu Liujan is a strong contender for the women's crown apart from Haile Kebebush (Ethiopia), Irina Permitina (Russia), Olena Biloschchuk (Ukraine), Anne Kosgei and Lena Cheruyiot (both Kenya).

The hosts' challenge in the men's section would be spearheaded by two-time top finisher (among the host country runners) Ram Singh Yadav while Pasholitima Devi is again there to try and repeat her feat of last year by finishing on top of the Indian women finishers' heap.

Armyman Deep Chand Saharan is another leading runner and India's entrant for the third leg of the four-phased Greatest Race on Earth. He's aiming for a top-ten finish despite the fact that he will be running his second gruelling 42.195-km race in two months.

"I want to finish in the top ten. I won the Allahabad Indira Gandhi Marathon in November after setting my personal best time of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 21 seconds. I was overall fourth, and the first among Indian runners, in the Pune International Marathon", he said on Friday.

The winner of the men's and women's full marathon would be richer by USD 31,500 while the second-placed runner would pick up USD 20,500. The tenth finisher would take home USD 3000.

The men's and women's half marathons, which are to start 50 minutes before the full marathon, have attracted 10,000 athletes which include 280 from abroad.

The prize money for half marathoners ranges from USD 1150 (winners) to USD 400 (fifth-placers). Besides, there are also cash incentives for veteran runners in various categories. The top Indian finisher in both men and women would be richer by USD 2500 and prizes have been earmarked for the top five home country participants.

The race organisers expect the men's course record of 2 hours, 12 minutes and three seconds set in 2006 by Kenyan Daniel Rono to be lowered could be broken if the weather is cool.

Expectations are that at least seven in the men's marathon and five or six in the women's race would clock in the range of 2:10 and 2:30 respectively.

They are also keen that at least four runners from the home country should finish in the top-20 among men. According to Race director Hugh Jones, the top three finishers in both men's and women's races would be dope-tested.

Three private hospitals situated along the route - Jaslok, Hinduja and Leelavati - would provide medical assistance to the runners in case of emergencies.

Besides, there would be celebrities gracing the occasion and the list includes three-time Olympic gold medallist sprinter Gail Devers, former India hockey skipper Dhanraj Pillay and Bollywood actors John Abraham and Rahul Bose and model Milind Soman, among others.

Millions of rupees would be raised for various charitable purposes through the Dream Runs and Corporate Challenges and there would be events for those on wheel chairs too.