Two-time defending champion James Moiben said Thursday to compete with his Kenyan compatriots will play out better results in the 2006 Beijing Marathon.

Most of the personal best results of his opponents are better than the two hours, 12 minutes and 42 seconds of Moiben, who won the 2004 and 2005 versions of the event.

"The personal bests are not the final results. We will push each other hard when we compete together, which might produce better results for us," said Moiben, who will run against compatriots like Kenei Kiprotich, James Kwambi Kipsang and David Kipkorir Mandago on Sunday's race.

Kipsang ran 2:10:20 to win the 2006 Brescia Marathon, while Kiprotich's 2:08:51 gave him the runner-up of the 2006 Paris Marathon.

Mandago won the 2006 Roma Marathon and the second place in the Mumbai race this year.

Other world bests also join the race as Ethiopia's Wolde Ambesse Tolossa, winner of 2006 Tokyo Internationals, and Girma

Assefa, who finished second in the SApporo half marathon, to make the event more competitive than ever.

"This is my first time to compete in Beijing, and I hope it will not be the last," Kiprotich said.

Kenya's Chepchumba Pamela, who had the fastest time in half marathon in 2005 and ran third in Paris Marathon this year, will compete in the women's counterpart.

The Beijing Marathon starts from the Tian'anmen Square on 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and ends at the Olympic Center, which is in the north part of the city.