The 2011 Seoul International Marathon will bring together world-class athletes in the heart of the South Korean capital this Sunday.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has recognized the Seoul race with its "Gold Label Road Race" designation, based on race organization, course timing and quality of runners, among other criteria.
This year's marathon will start at 8 a.m. at Gwanghwamun Plaza in downtown Seoul and finish at the Seoul Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, in the southeastern part of the capital. Male runners will vie for $80,000 in the winner's purse and female athletes will compete for 50,000.
The world record in the men's marathon is 2 hours, 3 minutes and 59 seconds, held by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. He is not entered in the Seoul race, but fans here will see four runners whose best times are in the 2:05 range. Eight other runners have clocked in at between 2:07 and 2:08.
Korea's best hope for a title this weekend is Ji Young-jun, the reigning Asian Games marathon champion. His personal best is 2:08.30, and he will look to break the national record of 2:07.20, set by the retired runner Lee Bong-ju in 2000.
The Korea Association of Athletic Federations (KAAF) will award 100 million won ($88,200) to anyone who breaks the national record.
Based on runners' records this weekend, the KAAF will finalize the marathon roster for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, a southeastern city. Korea will select eight male and seven female distance runners for the world championships.
Sylvester Teimet of Kenya won last year's race at 2:06.49, which was his personal best and also the fastest time in the competition's history. He will have to fend off challenges from Abderrahim Goumri, a Moroccan runner who once ran 2:05.30. Goumri was a runner-up at the 2009 Chicago Marathon.
Two other Kenyan runners who are familiar with Seoul will also contend for the title. David Kemboi Kiyeng was the winner of the JoongAng Seoul Marathon last year and Paul Kiprop Kirui finished third at last year's Seoul International Marathon.
Wei Yanan of China, the 2007 Seoul International champ, is considered a strong favorite this year. (Yonhap)