Elite Athletes are ready and waiting to break records in this Sunday's L.A. Marathon, set this year on a flatter and therefore presumably faster course.  The elite athletes are competing for a total prize purse valued at $125,500.  The first place men's and women's finishers will each get $25,000.  Top competitors include a number of Kenyans: 2001 winner Stephen Ndungu, 2000 winner Benson Mbithi, Joseph Kariuki, the designated pacesetter for this year's race, Elias Kipkosgei Chebet, Jonathan Ndambuki and Raymond Kipkoech Chemwela, Ronald Mogaka and Noah Bor.  Mbithi and Ndungu are hoping to beat Simon Bor's sub 2:10:00 course record set back in 1999, the only sub-2:10 finish time since the race's inception in 1986.