Kenya's world-best-result holder Paul Tergat is bracing up for a comeback in one of the world's grandest marathon in London.

Italy's Olympic gold medalist Stefano Baldini, Morocco's double world champion Jaouad Gharib, and last year's London winner Felix Limo of Kenya are also due to compete in a high quality field.

Tergat said late Wednesday before leaving for London that he would not be intimidated by the big names that will feature in the marathon.

Gebrselassie and Tergat, who was runner up to the Ethiopian over 10,000m at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as well as two world championship finals, have never met in a marathon.

The pair were due to run against each other in London last year but Tergat withdrew with a calf injury. Gebrselassie, 33, faded to ninth after suffering from hamstring and calf strains.

Tergat set his world best result of two hours four minutes and 55 seconds in Berlin in 2003.

The 37-year-old Kenyan said he expects his four-year-old mark to survive despite a high-quality field.

He admitted the race has attracted the best field to any global marathon, but he believes this factor will lead to his mark of two hours four minutes 55 seconds surviving.

"I'm again looking forward to London - it is one of the courses that I love," said Tergat. "I have run 2:5 there - but I'm happy I finished second to a world record," he said in referring to the occasion Khannouchi headed off his challenge by 10 seconds in a nail-biting final two miles.

"It was incredible running so fast and not winning the race, because I had worked so hard. But the consolation was running so fast which gave me great hope for the future."

After opting out of last year's event due to injury, Targat said he was right in his best shape.

Targat, the former world 10,000 meters record holder and joint record five-time winner of the World Cross Country Championships, admits such achievements are unforgettable memories in an illustrious career.

The London Marathon is on April 22 and competitors will also be running for points towards the World Marathon Majors (WMM) series.

As the world's biggest marathon event, the London Marathon will feature 15 of the world's greatest runners including former champion Martin Lel, New York marathon champion Gomes Dos Santos from Brazil, South Africa Henrik Ramaala among others.