Some of the world’s biggest names could be battling it out at the Brighton Marathon in a few years’ time.

There are no stars in Sunday’s field for the inaugural race but race director Tim Hutchings is confident that will change in the future.

Hutchings believes the combination of a fast course and attractive venue will lure the likes of Paula Radcliffe to run Brighton in preference to London.

He said: “We haven’t been able to afford a strong elite field with the likes of Paula Radcliffe this year. I know what it costs to get Paula and we are talking telephone numbers but I think that is only three years away.

“The route is very fast. From 12 miles it is flat or downhill and when we can afford to get the likes of Paula and Haile Gebrselassie we will get some very fast times.

“But you can get a very strong field together for modest amounts as there are so many good runners around so we will still have a good race on Sunday.”

Despite the lack of star names the race is expected to produce one of the fastest times ever seen in Sussex.

Two-time Olympian Ser-Od Bat-Ochir is among the favourites to capture the crown but will face stiff opposition from Kenya’s Joseph Mbithi.

The Mongolian national record holder has a personal best of 2hr.14min.15sec and has competed at the last two Olympic Games as well as the past four World Championships over the distance.

The 28-year-old was 29th at the World Championships in Berlin last year in 2hr.17min.22sec and has already run a marathon this year having come sixth in Zheng Kai in China last month in a time of 2hr.17min01sec.

Mutunga is looking for his third marathon title having won in Istanbul in 2005 and Edinburgh in 2006 where his time of 2hr.15min.46sec was just 20 seconds outside the course record.

The 34-year-old’s personal best of 2hr.11min.53sec was set in Dubai in 2004.

The winner will pocket £500 if he breaks 2hr.20min and £1,000 if the winning time is inside 2hr.17min, The fastest Briton on paper is Medway’s Michael Coleman who clocked 2hr.19min.42sec in London five years ago. The 31-year-old’s likeliest British rival will be Newham & Essex Beagle, Ian Grime who succeeded Mutunga as Edinburgh champion in 2007.

American veteran Kelly Dworak looks like the one to beat in the women’s race.

The 47-year-old clocked 2hr.55min.04sec as recently as 2008 and will battle it out with Gravesend’s Annabelle Stearns who ran her swiftest marathon for five years in 2009, clocking 2hr.58min.32sec in Florence.

There could be quite a battle to be the first Sussex runner home.

Daniel Anderson, of Hastings, is probably the pick of the bunch having finished second in the Hastings Marathon in 2008 in 2hr.32min.02sec but he will face stiff opposition from a host of other runners.

Chris Thomson celebrates his 26th birthday on race day and will be hoping to finish ahead of dad David who clocked 2hr.45min.45sec three years ago while former Albion physio Louis Jones is targeting a time under 2hr.30min in his very first marathon.

Mats Gedin, of Burgess Hill, cannot be discounted even at the age of 46 while Chichester’s James Baker will also be in contention.