Keitany, 37, triumphed in a time of 2 hours 22min 48sec last year, finishing 17 seconds off the course record set by compatriot Margaret Okayo in 2003.

Even if she does prevail again this time round, she will still be well short of Norwegian Grete Waitz's record of nine titles at the event.

Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa, the 2019 Boston Marathon champion, was set to race but has withdrawn due to metatarsalgia in her left foot.

In her absence, the only runner likely to seriously challenge Keitany is another Ethiopian, Ruti Aga, who won the Tokyo Marathon in March.

Her personal best is 2:18:34, set at the Berlin Marathon in 2018.

Keitany's best time was a then-world record 2:17:01, set at the London Marathon in 2017.

No other athlete in the women's field has bettered the 2:22 mark.

On the men’s side, newly-crowned world champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia will be aiming to defend his title.

Last year’s second, third and fourth-place finishers - Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, the 2017 winner, and Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola - will also be vying for victory.

A number of home athletes, meanwhile, will be attempting to run Olympic standard in order to secure a spot in the United States Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta on February 29.

The Americans in the field must have run the B-standard, which is 2:19 for men and 2:45 for women, between September 1, 2017 and January 19, 2020.

Among the male contenders for the US Olympic Marathon Trials are Jared Ward, Abdi Abdirahman and Tyler McCandless.

Desiree Linden, a two-time Olympian and the 2018 Boston Marathon champion, features among the female challengers along with Sara Hall and Kellyn Taylor.

Last year, the New York City Marathon had 52,813 finishing participants from more than 129 countries. 

Even more runners are expected this year.