Abderrahime Bouramdane,Age: 31
Bouramdane finished fifth in his ING New York City Marathon debut last year after finishing second in the 2008 Boston Marathon. He has won marathons in Ottawa, Marrakesh, and Tunis. He began his career in 1993, drawing inspiration from Abdessalem Rhadi, a fellow Moroccan who won the silver medal (behind the barefoot Abebe Bikila) in the 1960 Rome Olympic Marathon.
Jaouad Gharib, Age: 37
The defending Olympic marathon silver medalist and a two-time IAAF World Champion at that distance, Gharib holds the Moroccan records for the half-marathon and marathon. He withstood the repeated surges made by eventual Beijing Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru in a tough battle for the gold, yielding only in the final two kilometers. Now 37, Gharib shows no signs of slowing down; his 2:05:27 at this year's London Marathon was a personal best.