The event, which takes place on a public holiday to celebrate Epiphany, will also mark the third stop on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Cross Country Permit series.

In the 10 kilometres men's race, Kenya will be led by Rio 2016 3,000 metres steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto.

He will seek to emulate the superb track form which saw him clock an Olympic record time of 8min 03.28sec.

Ethiopia's 2011 world cross country champion Imane Merga, meanwhile, will be hoping to replicate his victory at last year's Campaccio event.

Merga also finished third in the Italian race behind Bahrain's Albert Rop in 2014.

Kenyan-born Rop is also due to compete again this year.

Another returning former winner is Ethiopian Muktar Edris, winner at the Campaccio and Cinque Mulini races in 2013 as a teenager.

Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon will lead a similarly strong Kenyan team in the 6km women's race, 

The World Championship silver medalist is making her Campaccio debut, but won two world junior cross-country titles and has twice won at the Cinque Mulini race in the neighbouring town of San Vittore Olona.

Her main rival is expected to be team-mate Agnes Tirop, the youngest ever senior women’s winner at the World Cross Country Championships in 30 years when she won aged 19 at Guiyang in China in 2015.

Rio 2016 5,000m silver medallist Hellen Obiri will complete the East African nation's team.

Ethiopia's squad will be led by 2006 world cross country short course champion Gelete Burka.

"We are proud to present an outstanding line-up with a lot of world-class runners," said the event’s technical director Marcello Magnani. 

"We have never seen so many stars together in the same race in San Giorgio su Legnano and we are also happy to offer the best Italian stars of the moment."