Current title holder Ann-Marie McGlynn will face a major challenge defending her Moy Park Belfast Half Marathon title on Sunday.
Organisers are delighted with the 6,000 entries for the event, which gets under way at 9.00am at Ormeau Embankment.
A year ago, 44-year-old McGlynn enjoyed an easy victory over runner-up Gladys Ganiel.
She will be making strenuous efforts to retain her title following a fast Seville Marathon time of two hours, 33 minutes back in February.
However, this time she faces fierce competition from GB’s Natasha Cockram, who recorded a superb time for the half marathon of just outside 70 minutes earlier this year in Spain behind three Ethiopians.
The 31-year-old Cockram, who has paced the race in Belfast previously, is also an excellent marathon runner with a PB of two hours, 26 minutes.
And the addition of Monica Silva of Portugal, with a half marathon PB of 79 minutes, makes this year’s race the most competitive yet, with a course record possibly on the cards.
The local male field will struggle to compete with the foreign opposition.
Eskander Turki faces a tough test as he looks to keep his grip on his Belfast Half Marathon men’s title
Last year, Annadale’s Eskander Turki, who ran an impressive two hours, 22 minutes in May in his first Belfast Marathon, managed to hold off North Belfast’s Conan McCaughey in 69 minutes.
That time will be regarded as a mere training run for this year’s African favourite as Kenyan Barnabas Kipkoech finished third in the Malaga Half in March in 62 minutes, 32 seconds.
The 30-year-old also ran a sub-two hours, 11 minutes marathon time in Rotterdam a month later.
A further threat is Spain’s Abdenasser Oukhelfen, who ran under 65 minutes for the half marathon in the Czech Republic in June.
Other local entries include CDNR Track Club’s Conor Gallagher, who was runner-up in the 2022 event. Four-minute miler Brhane Gebrebrhan of Annadale is also racing.
A possible starter is Clonliffe’s Stephen Scullion. The 35-year-old Olympian won the inaugural Belfast Half in 2013 and recorded two hours, 16 minutes for 13th place in this year’s London Marathon.