Ethiopians Abay Girma and Argachew Tadesse will be among a horde of foreign runners expected to compete at this year's Kass International Marathon in Eldoret on Nov. 19.

The two will be in contention for the 5,000 US dollars prize money for the first foreigner to finish alongside the overall purse of 18,000 dollars for the first runner across the tape.

Rwanda, Uganda, Sweden and American athletes are also expected to grace the event, which is marking its sixth year.

The event, which is staged at the heart of Kenya's long distance running in Eldoret, has stood out as one of the most unique races in the country with new champions emerging every year.

Apart from Berlin Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai (2009) all the winners have been unknown, but used the race as a stepping stone to further their careers in the road races.

Kass Media CEO Julius Lamaon said on Thursday they intend to build a peace monument in Eldoret to help foster reconciliation and harmony among the cosmopolitan population, which saw one of the worst riots in 2008 over the disputed general elections.

"We will build a monument for peaceful elections after the race. We will get the necessary certification from the city council to do this. However, we want to make Kass marathon one of the best in the country and internationally," Lamaon said in Eldoret.

Nondescript runners are expected to rule the roost when the race is held next Sunday and Lamaon said it is the best sign to show the magnitude of latent in the country.

"There are other European athletes expected to race and we want as many to register," he said. Over 10,000 athletes will compete.