Sydney Marathon organisers are hailing the men's field as the strongest assembled in Australia after confirming another raft of big-name signings.
Kenyan megastar Eliud Kipchoge, announced as the headline attraction last March, will be joined at the start line of the August 31 race by 14 other runners who hold personal-best times inside the current Sydney course record.
That batch includes emerging Kenyan Vincent Ngetich, Ethiopian duo Dawit Wolde and Birhanu Legese and Japanese great Yuki Kawauchi.
Kawauchi holds the world record for most marathons completed in less than two hours 20 minutes, a feat he has achieved more than 100 times.
Australian record holder Andrew Buchanan will prioritise the world championships marathon in Tokyo in September, but the local contingent is still strong.
Former national record holder Brett Robinson and fellow Olympian Liam Adams will feature alongside rising star Haftu Strintzos, who will make his marathon debut after an impressive US college career.
Race director Wayne Larden said the men's field was the most competitive assembled on Australian soil.
"When you look at the depth of this year's men's field, it's not just star-studded and fast, it's exceptionally deep," Larden said.
"We have multiple athletes capable of running under the course record, rising stars on the brink of global breakthrough, and, of course, Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathoner of all-time.
"We've also focused on Australian elites and it's exciting to see so many top Aussies lining up alongside world-class internationals in our first year as an World Marathon Major."
The Sydney Marathon is the seventh event on the marathon major calendar, a global points-based competition.
The Sydney race record is 2:06.18 set last year by Kenyan Brimin Kipkorir, who is currently provisionally suspended after recording a positive test for a prohibited substance two months after his win in Australia.
