Defending Go Guyana Run Marathon champion, Pamenos Ballantyne, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, will defend his title on Sunday when the organisers of the Banks DIH/GEB sponsored event is staged.

So far, two athletes from Suriname have submitted their names, while five - Franklyn Hoyte, Leslie Phillips, Andrew Braithwaithe, Keith Cumberbatch and Adrian Brown are expected from Barbados.

To date, 42 local runners have been registered, but the organisers are expecting that number to increase significantly today and tomorrow.

Of the 42 locals, 30 are males including Kerwin and Kelvin Johnson, Felix Benn, Anton Rosenfeld (VSO), Lennox Jacobs, Clifton Thom and Anthony Douglas.

Among the females are defending champion Anarika February, Carla Benjamin, Rosemond Beckles, Simone Baburam and Jane Lonsdown (VSO).

Forty PWD's have also registered for the half marathon.

The event will get underway at 5.30 a.m. from the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary and will proceed to the East Coast public road at Enmore, where the athletes would turn from the railway embankment road, proceed along the East Coast road and finish at the place of origin.

The race previously began at Mahaicony and ended at Eve Leary in a one way run. But last year the course was deemed longer than the 26.2 miles stipulation by some of the foreign runners including world rated Ballantyne.

More than US$4000 in prize money will be at stake this year with the winner of the male open category to take home US$1200, while the second and third place finishers will receive US$800 and US$500 respectively.

The first female will receive US$800, while the second and third place finishers will pocket US$500 and US$300 respectively.

A $10,000 cash award will also be on offer for the athlete that breaks the national record of two hours, 35 minutes 28 seconds.

The first male Guyanese finisher will take home $30,000 and the first female Guyanese $20,000, while the team to cross the finish line first will receive $25,000.

A team must comprise six competitors, but the times of the first five will be used to determine the winners and each team must be registered with the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana for the 2002 season under the same club/school.

The fourth place finisher in the male open category will receive $25,000 while the fifth and sixth place finishers will receive $20,000 and $18,000 respectively.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the first 15 male open finishers and the first five female open finishers.

The winners of the boys and girls Under-20 categories will receive $15,000 each while the second and third place finishers in the two categories will take home $10,000 and $5000 respectively in each of the two categories.

The winner of the male 40-49 years, 50-60 and 60 plus age groups will pocket $10,000 each while second and third place finishers in the three age groups will receive $7000 and $5000 respectively.

In the P.W.D's segment which is a half marathon consisting of three categories - blind and visually impaired, wheelchair and below and above knee amputees - the first male and female finishers in the blind and visually impaired category will receive a trophy and $10,000 while the second and third place finishers will each collect $6000 and $4000 respectively along with a trophy.

The winners for the amputees and wheelchair categories will receive a trophy and $15,000 and $20,000 respectively.

The P.W.D's categories are being sponsored by PAHO, Courts and A.H. & L. Kissoon.

Athletes will be monitored by scrutineers and camera as a back up, at the turn around point at Enmore.