Zoltan Holba is the favorite to win another marathon title

For three straight years, Zoltan Holba finished the Las Vegas International Marathon with his closest competitors still specks on the horizon.

In looking at the list of this year's runners, Holba looks just as strong. There is no doubt he is favored to make it four in a row on Sunday.

But LVIM director Al Boka claims there are some dark horses who could end Holba's streak.

"It's a toss-up," Boka said Thursday at a press conference at the MGM.

The 33rd edition of the LVIM, expected to draw close to 7,000 entrants, starts at 7:30 a.m. near the Gold Strike Hotel on State Route 604 in Jean. The race ends 26.2 miles later at Sunset Park.

When asked who Holba's top challengers will be, Boka points to David Mungai of Kenya and Guennadi Vorontsov of Belarus.

"Those Kenyan guys," Boka said, "they're dominating the world. They train together in the high altitude and they just run, run, run. They're highly disciplined."

Holba, however, beat a bevy of heralded Kenyans last year.

Vorontsov is one of three Belarus runners who have been staying at the Gold Strike and running the course since Jan. 18. The trio was dispatched, along with their own trainer, to the LVIM. All expenses were paid by their national federation, giving a glimpse as to how well thought of they are in their homeland.

"I don't know of anyone ever doing that," Boka said of the Belarus approach. "That tells me they're dead serious about it.

"I have a gut feeling about this Belarus guy."

But the potential star of the Belarus crew is Elena Vinitskaia, the front-runner to win the women's marathon despite the return of last year's winner, Joanna Gront. Vinitskaia won the San Diego Marathon three weeks ago and took the California State Marathon in Sacramento in December.

Victory for Vinitskaia will not be enough to satisfy her. In determining if the LVIM was worthwhile for her, the federation made sure to factor in the bonuses if she were to break the record of 2:32:22 set by Marzena Helbik in 1997.

Vinitskaia will earn $9,600 if she wins and breaks the record. The men's winner will take home the same if he can surpass Las Vegan Frank Plasso's mark of 2:12:37 established in 1986.

The men's record certainly would have been in danger if one particular runner hadn't withdrawn with a hamstring injury. Russian Willie Mtolo, the 1993 New York City Marathon champion, had guaranteed Boka he would finish the LVIM inside 2:10.

The prospect of such a swift pace excited Boka enough to nearly make an exception he had never made before. Boka was ready to advance almost $1,500 to Mtolo and his trainer for airfare between Capetown, South Africa, and Las Vegas.

"I was ready to break my golden rule," Boka said. "I ended up saving $1,500, but now we won't have a sub-2:10."

The LVIM also consists of a five-runner marathon relay, a wheelchair marathon, a half-marathon and a 5-kilometer race.

The wheelchair race starts Sunday at 7:30 a.m., while the relay begins at the same time as the marathon.

The half-marathon, also run on Sunday, begins at 6:45 a.m. in Sloan, about a mile south of Wheeler's RV Center.

The 5K takes place Saturday at 6:30 a.m. The starting line is at Battista's Hole in the Wall restaurant located at Flamingo Road and Audrie Street near Bally's.

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