South Africa's leading distance runner, Hendrick Ramaala, expects the toughest challenge to come from Martin Lel when the 37-year-old lines up for his eighth New York City Marathon on Sunday.
Despite the withdrawal of injured former world record holder Paul Tergat, New York race director Mary Wittenberg has again put together a world-class field.
Lel hasn't run a marathon since winning the London race in April 2008, but the 31-year-old is a class act and Ramaala was unsure whether the rest would be good oe bad for the Kenyan who won New York in 2003 and 2007, and has three London Marathon titles to his credit.
"Hopefully the rest will be bad for him," Ramaala joked, adding that he expected the Kenyan to control the race from the gun.
"I think he's the man to watch. If he starts fast, we're going to have a tough race."
But Lel won't be the South African's only opposition. The impressive line-up includes Kenyan Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, a four times Boston marathon champion and former Chicago Marathon winner, Olympic silver medallist and twice world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, who also won New York in 2006, and Kenyan Patrick Makau, the second fastest half-marathon runner in history.
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