KEY POINTS:
Top local and international runners have already registered for this month's Auckland Marathon.
Niklas Kroehn from Austria has run in over 70 half-marathons and marathons will run in the event that includes a run across the Harbour Bridge.
Kroehn has run in marathons around the world. This year he won the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon which took place in April.
He also won the Dallas Marathon in 2004 and came third in the San Francisco Marathon in 2005.
Australian Andrew Walters is also running in Auckland.
Walters ran in the Melbourne Marathon this year and was leading the race after 12km.
In his brief bio to the Auckland Marathon organisers, Walters said he had to pull out of the race after cramp.
Last year the Australian got a second place in the event.
But Auckland Marathon spokesman Scott Newman said the competitors from overseas will be tested by the Kiwis.
"Ben Ruthe is the character to beat," Newman said.
He said Newman's debut marathon last year on the Gold Coast was impressive and his wife Jess has a good chance of taking out the women's event.
"It would be the first time that has ever happened," Newman said.
He said Mrs Ruthe is aiming for the qualifying time to make it to the Beijing Olympics and if she does, will take home $10,000 prize money.
Newman said registrations for the marathon and half marathon closed last month with numbers last week estimated to be about 10,200.
He said unfortunately there is a limit to how many people can run over the Harbour Bridge but the quarter marathon is still open.
