Prague, Czech Republic - Samuel Kiplimo Kosgei's debut over the Marathon distance will be among the highlights of the Volkswagen Prague Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday, 8 May.

The 25-year-old Kenyan broke the World record for 25Km in Berlin in May 2010, clocking 1:11:50. He has a 59:39 career best over the Half Marathon, set in 2009.

Lydia Cheromei of Kenya, a World Champion at age 13 and still running at 34, is the new record holder from the Hervis Prague Half Marathon this year and is hoping to break the record in the Marathon as well (2:25:29, Helen Kirop, 2010), given good weather conditions on race day. Her competition will include Olga Glok of Russia, who was the winner in Prague in 2009 when she ran her PB of 2:28:27.

Also in the women's field, Serena Burla of the US has an amazing story, as she overcame cancer just one year ago, having undergone surgery to remove a Synovial Sarcoma in her right leg in February of 2010. She has very quickly and successfully returned to competition with strong performances, most recently running 1:11 in the Half Marathon in January, 2011.

Other notable debutantes include Sérgio Silva of Portugal in the men's race, and Filomena Costa, also of Portugal in the women's race.

Organisers announced that three men with sub-2:08:00 PBs - and 12 sub-2:10:00 - will be in the field, while three who have clocked under 2:30 will lead the women's field.

Unfortunately for the men’s race, a pair of favourites, Kenyans Nicholas Kiprutto Koech and Duncan Kibet, have withdrawn due to health reasons.

Organisers for the IAAF