The 28-year-old Ndereba, who won the Chicago Marathon last year, left no doubt that she has become the world's top female marathoner.

I'm not any more talented than other top marathoners I line up against.

They are scouring the Marine Corps for top marathoners.

From there, Kastor took on the promotional role of being her country's top marathoner with ease.

Alan Culpepper, a top American marathoner who will compete in New York, feels the same way.

Another poor finish would very likely cause him to slide from the rarefied level of the world's top marathoners.

The top marathoner, Fatuma Roba, finished 19th at the 1995 world championships.

As well, Canada's top female marathoner and one of Canada's top female triathletes also were raised in the village.

The top American marathoners are absent for the same reason.

Several top American marathoners interviewed yesterday seemed more concerned with compromising the competitive aspect of the race than with health risks.