Name: Martin Lel
Age: 29
Nationality: Kenyan
London best: Winner 2005 and 2007
PB: 2:06.41
Colours: Blue vest, red shorts

Lel, coached by Dr Gabriele Rosa, starts as slight favourite this year as he goes for his third win in four years.

He failed to finish his first marathon (Prague, 2002) but made his breakthrough the following year when he won the world half-marathon championship with a trademark sprint finish and followed it up with victory in the New York marathon.

In 2007 he triumphed in both London and New York, becoming the first man to with both events in the same year.

Name: Sammy Wanjiru
Age: 21
Nationality: Kenyan
London best: Debut this year
PB: 2:06.39
Colours: Red and blue vest, blue and red shorts

The brightest young talent in men's distance running, Wanjiru set a new world record for the half-marathon at the tender age of 18.

He says he is aiming to run a 2.05 marathon this weekend in order to make the Kenyan team for the Beijing Olympics.

Wanjiru moved to Japan when he was 15 and now lives in Fukuoka. He is coached by Japan's 1992 Olympic marathon silver medallist Koichi Morishita and is fluent in both Japanese and English.

Name: Felix Limo
Age: 27
Nationality: Kenyan
London best: Winner 2006, third 2007
PB: 2:06.14
Colours: White vest, black shorts

The Kenyan made a sensational marathon debut in Amsterdam five years ago, where he clocked a phenomenal 2:06:42.

His first big win came in Berlin in 2004, and he followed it up with another first place in Chicago the following year.

He managed to out-sprint Martin Lel in the final few strides on The Mall two years ago to take his first London title, but he could only manage third a year ago after a spell out with an injured back.

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