Chicago, USA - The Windy City has clearly spoiled marathon fans. It is quite likely that this Sunday's 26th edition of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon (12 October) may produce a finish in which for only the second time in five years a winner won't break the tape with a new world best. 

After Paul Tergat's record-shattering exploits in Berlin last month, former world's fastest Khalid Khannouchi is sidelined with injury. On the women's side, Paula Radcliffe is on autumn leave from the distance, and the woman she deposed as the world's quickest Catherine Ndereba opting for next month's ING New York Marathon.

Yet with three sub-2:07 performers in the men's race, and six sub-2:25s in the women's, and no clear favourites, a competitive, compelling and wholly unpredictable race is in store.

Men's Race

Chicago, like most marathons, delivers surprises. Last year it was Toshinari Takaoki of Japan and Kenyan Daniel Njenga, running the races of their lives, who pushed Khannouchi to a 2:05:56 win, then the fourth fastest ever. The year before, Kenyan Ben Kimondiu turned in an equally stunning performance when he decided to run for the win after completing his pacing duties. Who will pull off this year's surprise is anyone's guess.

On paper, Abdelkader El Mouaziz has to be included among the favorites. The 34 year-old Moroccan has a personal best of 2:06:46 set in Chicago last year, where he finished fifth. The 2000 New York City Marathon champion, El Mouaziz hasn't raced since his sixth place finish (2:08:03) in London this year.

With two of it's finest-ever distance runners in the field, South Africa will be well represented in Chicago. Hendrik Ramaala, one of the best racers ever over half the distance, clocked a 2:08:58 PB in London in April, and most recently, was ninth (2:10:37) at the World Championships.  The 1998 and 1999 World Half Marathon silver medallist, Ramaala warmed up for his Chicago bid with back-to-back half-marathon wins in late September -a 1:02:10 performance in Lisbon's Oni Meia-Maratona on the 28nd and a 1:00:01 at the Great North Run on the 22nd. Gert Thys, who was third here in 1998, has a 2:06:33 best from 1999, and won this year's Dong-A Marathon in Seoul in March in 2:08:42, where he was entered as a rabbit.

The 27 year-old Njenga, who began his international career as an 8:19 steeplechaser as a teen, returns with the aim to improve on last year's runner-up 2:06:16 finish. But the Kenyan has raced only once this year, a lackluster 1:04:46 in July's Sapporo Half-Marathon, finishing 26th.

Another question mark is Japhet Kosgei. The 1999 Rotterdam winner (PB - 2:07:09) and two-time runner-up in New York, the 34 year-old returned blazing from a quiet 2002 season with a win at Japan's Lake Biwa Marathon in March, running 2:07:39 to become, rather remarkably, the first Kenyan to win Japan's oldest marathon. Most recently, he was third in August's Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in 1:02:06.

Others to watch include:

- Josephat Kiprono, who finished second to Kiplagat in Rotterdam (2:07:53), won the Rome Marathon in 2000, and Berlin the year before, where he posted his 2:06:44 PB.

- Kenyan Jimmy Muindi, the 1992 World Junior steeplechase champion, was third in this year's Dong-A Marathon in 2:08:53, and most recently finished fourth in the Glascow's Great Scottish Run Half-Marathon in 61:58.

 - 34 year-old Paul Koech, the 1998 World Half Marathon champion, makes his marathon debut on the heels of his runner-up finish at the Rock 'n' Roll Half (1:01:57).  The Kenyan also finished second in August's Falmouth Road Race, and was fifth in the long course race at this year's World Cross Country Championships.

- Evans Rutto, a regular fixture on the road race circuit, makes his debut over the distance as well.  Sixth at the 2001 World Half Marathon Championships (1:00:43), the 25 year-old has run 1:02:08 in the half this year, and has turned in several top-five finishes on the road.

- Also looking for a big breakthrough will be 28 year-old British hope Mark Steinle. Showing gradual improvement over his three consecutive appearances in London -2:11:18 debut in 2000, 2:10:46 for sixth in 2001, and a PB 2:09:17 for eighth in 2002-Steinle was seventh at the Great North Run in 1:02:55, 28 seconds shy of his half-marathon best from 1999.

- A favourite among the city's large Latino community will be German Silva, the 1994 and 1995 winner in New York.  The popular Mexican has a 2:08:56 PB from his sixth place finish in the 1998 Boston Marathon.

Women's race

Heading the women's field is Russian record holder Svetlana Zakharova. Fourth last year in a PB 2:21:31, the 33 year-old has been near the top of the heap in women's marathoning since her runner-up finish in London in 2001.

Later that year, she struck bronze at the World Championships, and followed up with a third place finish in New York, another second place showing in London in 2002, and won this year's Boston Marathon. Her worst finish since 2000 came in August's World Championships, where she finished ninth.

2001 World Champion Lidia Simon could pose a threat as well.  A big race competitor, the 30 year-old Romanian is looking to regain her 2000 form when she won in Osaka (PB 2:22:54), finished second in London, struck silver in Sydney, and claimed bronze in the World Half Marathon Championships.  She hasn't raced over the distance this year, but prepped with a fourth place finish at August's Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon, clocking 1:11:58.

Compatriot Constantina Tomescu-Dita lowered her PB to 2:23:43 in London last Spring, but didn't finish the World Championship race in August. She bounced back with a fifth place showing at last weekend's World Half Marathon Championships in Vilamoura.

Jelena Prokopchuka of Latvia lowered her PB to 2:24:01 in London this year, finishing seventh, and  clocked a national record  31:06.14 in the 10,000 meters in Paris in August.  The bronze medallist at the 2002 World Half-Marathon Championships, her most recent effort was a solid 1:09:19 race for sixth at the Great North Run.

Adriana Fernandez, this year's 5,000/10,000 metres Pan-American Games champion, was twelfth in London this year, but has 2:24:06 credentials from 1999's London race, the same year she won the New York Marathon.

39 year-old Russian Madina Biktagirova has shown little sign of slowing down. The former national record holder, Biktagirova won this year's Nagano Marathon in 2:28:23, her only race of the year, and was fifth in Chicago last year in 2:25:20.

Another Chicago returnee is Kayoko Obata, who was fifth seventh last year. Her 2:25:14 PB dates back to 2000, but most recently took third in the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon in September, clocking 1:12:05.

Prize Money

In it's 25 editions, Chicago has paid out $7,243,550 in total prize money, and that figure will grow considerably this year.  A US $550,000 prize purse is on offer, with the winners each earning $100,000, runners-up $55,000. Time incentives -- including a $200,000 world best bonus -- are also part of the pot, with all sub-2:12/sub-2:28 performers cashing in. In addition to separate prizes for the top three US finishers, bonuses are also on offer to American runners who post US Olympic Trials standards: $3500 to anyone who meets the "A" standards (sub 2:20:00 for men and sub-2:40:00 for women) and $2500 for the "B" standard (2:22:00 and and 2:48:00).

A record 40,000 participants --an increase of 2,500 from the previous registration cap-- will line up on Sunday Morning (12 October).