Xiamen, Fujian Province: Kenya's Paul Kiprop Kirui, former world half marathon championships winner, will lead a 65,000 runners in the 9th Xiamen Marathon to be held on Sunday morning and is expected to break the course record.

Kirui, who won the world half marathon championships in 2004, has a personal best of 2:06:44, set in 2006 Rotterdam Marathon, when he finished second behind compatriot Sammy Korir.

The 30-year-old has maintained a goof form in the past two years, winning the 2008 Amsterdam Marathon and finishing second in 2009 Rome Marathon. He clocked a fabulous time of 2:07:35 when taking second in this year's Seoul International Marathon, which was his fatest time in three years.

Morocco's Rachid Kisri, who took third here in 2009 and has a personal best of 2:06:50, is also expected to break the course record of 2:08:47, set in 2009 by Ethiopian Feyisa Lilesa.

Another Kenyan Elias Kemboi Chelimo, just set a new personal best of 2:07:04 inOctober in Frankfurt, also looks to improve on his second-place finish here in 2008.

Other world-class runners are Ethiopians Negari Terfa Getachew with a personal best of 2:07:41 and Gudisa Shentema with a 2:07:34 career best fromParisin 2008.

Another Ethiopian Siraj Gena Amda, who won the Beijing Marathon last October by braving rain, will try to win his third marathon in less than one year, after his victories in Beijing and Rome in March.

Yan Longfei, who finished seventh with a time of 2:17:52 in October's Beijing Marathon, is the host country's only hope to finish top 10 here.

In the women's race, 37-year-old Asha Gigi ofEthiopia, who has a personal best of 2:26:05 will be the only world-famed runner. Few expects her to record good time at such an age since her personal best was record back in 2004 and her last win was in 2007 Toronto Marathon.

But Xiamen Marathon has a history to produce fine local women runners. Zhou Chunxiu won the race three times from 2003 to 2005. She went on to win the prestigious London Marathon in 2007. Chinese women won the Xiamen Marathon seven times in eight editions.Ethiopia's Atsede Baysa broke their dominance last year.

But Zhou, who just won the Guangzhou Asian Games marathon event last November, will miss the event, so will reigning world marathon champion Bai Xue, citing training fatigue.

The 2008 Olympian, Chen Rong, returns to the course she won in 2009 with a time of 2:29:52 though her personal best still stands at 2:27:05 from 2007 in Beijing. Chen finished second in Beijing in October clocking 2:29:46.

The oldest of the top women runners is Zimbabwe's 2008 Olympian Tabitha Tsatsa. The 38-year-old will make her Xiamen debut after running in Dublin last year and ended about a minute over her 2008 personal best of 2:29:20 in Seoul.

Organizers have increased the prize money for this year's winner to US$40,000. US$1 million of bonus will be awarded to runners who break the world record. And US$10,000 is on offer for a course record.

A record of 64,000 runners from about 40 countries and regions are expected on the start line at this Chinese coastal city in the 5km,10km races, half marathon, and marathon.