Rahul Pal of the Indian Army, who has a personal best of 2:21.52 and has won the Allahabad Marathon, will face a big challenge from Harendra Chauhan, who finished runner-up at the Allahabad event, when the 9th Indiabulls Home Loans Vasai-Virar Mayor's Marathon will be flagged off on Sunday.

Pal's Armymate Mohit Rathore, Army Sports Institute, Pune's Brahmprakash, who clocked 2:24.50 and Air Force's Sukhdev Singh, who clocked 2:27.51 in Allahabad, could spring in a surprise in the full marathon category of the only national-level running event in the country which is organised by a municipal corporation and offers the highest prize money of R4 lakh for Indian athletes.