Desisa, Jeptoo Lead International Elite Team In 2014 Boston Marathon

BOSTON (CBS) - Defending Boston Marathon champions Lelisa Desisa and Rita Jeptoo will return to defend their titles this April, but they'll be challenged by the fastest field ever assembled for this race.

The elite international field was announced by race sponsor John Hancock International Tuesday, with seven men in the field who have run a marathon under 2:05:30, including Desisa, who is ranked number one in the world by Track and Field News.

Dennis Kimetto, who is ranked second may be Desisa's strongest challenger. He holds the world record in the 25K and has a personal best 2:03:45 in winning the 2013 Chicago Marathon.

On the women's side, nine women have personal best times under 2:23.

The top four women from the 2013 Boston Marathon return with Jeptoo, Meseret Hailu, Sharon Cherop and Shalane Flanagan of Marblehead.

Read: Deep American Elite Team In 2014 Boston Marathon

After winning Boston for the second time, Jeptoo went on to win Chicago in 2:19:57 and was the only woman in the world to break 2:20 last year.

Here is the complete list of elite runners in the 2014 Boston Marathon released Tuesday with their personal best time and country.

MEN

Moses Mosop 2:03:06 (Boston, 2011) Kenya

Dennis Kimetto 2:03:45 (Chicago 2013) CR Kenya

Lelisa Desisa 2:04:45 (Dubai, 2013) Ethiopia

Gebregziabher Gebremariam 2:04:53 (Boston, 2011) Ethiopia

Markos Geneti 2:04:54 (Dubai, 2012) Ethiopia

Wilson Chebet 2:05:27 (Rotterdam, 2011) Kenya

Tilahun Regassa 2:05:27 (Chicago, 2012) Ethiopia

Shami Dawud 2:05:42 (Dubai, 2012) Ethiopia

Eric Ndiema 2:06:07 (Amsterdam, 2011) Kenya

Frankline Chepkwony 2:06:11 (Eindhoven, 2012) Kenya

Micah Kogo 2:06:56 (Chicago, 2013) Kenya

Adil Annani 2:07:43 (London, 2012) Morocco

Paul Lonyangata 2:07:44 (Xiamen, 2013) Kenya

Dathan Ritzenhein 2:07:47 (Chicago, 2012) USA

Joel Kimurer 2:07:48 (Gongju, 2013) Kenya

Lusapho April 2:08:32 (Hannover, 2013) CR South Africa

Mebrahtom Keflezighi 2:09:08 (Houston, 2012) USA

Brett Gotcher 2:10:36 (Houston, 2010) USA

Jeffrey Hunt 2:11:00 (Beppu, 2010) Australia

Jason Hartmann 2:11:06 (Chicago 2010) USA

Nicholas Arciniaga 2:11:30 (Houston, 2011) USA

Vitaliy Shafar 2:11:52 (Frankfurt, 2013) Ukraine

Jeffrey Eggleston 2:12:03 (Chicago, 2012) USA

WOMEN 

Mare Dibaba 2:19:52 (Dubai, 2012) Ethiopia

Rita Jeptoo 2:19:57 (Chicago, 2013) Kenya

Jemima Jelagat Sumgong 2:20:48 (Chicago, 2013) Kenya

Meseret Hailu Debele 2:21:09 (Amsterdam, 2012) CR Ethiopia

Eunice Kirwa 2:21:41 (Amsterdam, 2012) Kenya

Sharon Cherop 2:22:28 (Berlin, 2013) Kenya

Caroline Kilel 2:22:34 (Frankfurt, 2013) Kenya

Desiree Davila Linden 2:22:38 (Boston, 2011) USA

Flomena Chepchichir Chumba 2:23:00 (Frankfurt, 2013) Kenya

Buzunesh Deba 2:23:19 (New York, 2011) Ethiopia

Tatiana Petrova Arkhipova 2:23:29 (London, 2012) Russia

Aleksandra Duliba 2:23:44 (Chicago, 2013) NR Belarus

Yeshi Esayias 2:24:06 (Frankfurt, 2013) Ethiopia

Philes Ongori 2:24:20 (Rotterdam, 2011) Kenya

Belaynesh Oljira 2:25:01 (Dubai, 2013) Ethiopia

Shalane Flanagan 2:25:38 (Houston, 2012) USA

Yolanda Caballero 2:26:17 (Boston, 2011) Colombia

Amy Hastings 2:27:03 (Los Angeles, 2011) USA

Lanni Marchant 2:28:00 (Toronto, 2013) Canada

Serena Burla 2:28:01 (Amsterdam, 2013) USA

Noriko Higuchi 2:28:49 (Tokyo, 2011) Japan

Adriana Nelson 2:28:52 (London, 2008) USA

Adriana Aparecida da Silva 2:29:17 (Tokyo, 2012) Brazil

Tune in to the 118th Boston Marathon on April 21 on WBZ-TV, the only station with start-to-finish coverage of the race!