The Rock ’n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon, site of five world records and five American records, will host a star-studded women’s cast Sunday with U.S. Masters record-holder Deena Kastor and the long-awaited return of Kara Goucher. The men’s race will feature the debut of four-time Carlsbad 5K champion Dejen Gebremeskel and a pack of sub-60 half-marathoners. 

Kastor is making her return to the historic course for the first time since 2005 when she shattered Joan Benoit Samuelson’s 21-year-old American record by 41 seconds with a time of 1:07.34. The 25-time U.S. champion and U.S. record-holder in the marathon and half marathon, opened her 2014 season by breaking the U.S. Masters half-marathon record in 1:11:38 in New York earlier this year. She also set two U.S. Masters records for the 10-mile (55:13) and 20K (1:08.18) at Rock ’n’ Roll Dallas in March. 

"With a great summer of training….I am excited to return to Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia,” she told race organizers. "This race is home to my fastest half marathon on American soil so I look forward to using the great field assembled so that I can post a fast time."

2014 was a year of changes for Goucher who left Jerry Schumacher’s Bowerman Track Club to train at her alma mater with Colorado coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs. She also left a shoe deal with Nike for sponsors Oiselle and Skechers Performance.

Goucher is lacing up for the first time since suffering a sacral stress fracture that sidelined her during the spring track season. 

“When I look back at everything I've done leading up to this, I know things are coming along really well.” she told Oiselle.com. “I'm not ready to PR but I'm ready for a good solid race and I want to just get back out there.”

Kastor and Goucher will have their work cut out for them against a stacked international field that includes Ethiopia’s Worknesh Kidane and Aberu Kebede, Japan’s Tomomi Tanaka and Yuko Shimizu, and Kenya’s Caroline Rotich. 

Kidane ran her personal best (1:07:36) at Philly in 2011 and boasts two fourth-place finishes at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics in the 10K. Kebede has a half-marathon best of 1:07:39, which she ran to win bronze at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships.  

After winning a record four consecutive titles at the Carlsbad 5K, Ethiopian Gebremeskel is moving up in distance by running his first half marathon against a field that includes sub-60 half-marathoners Cyprian Kotut, Bedan Karoki, Geoffrey Bundi and Eritrea’s Samson Gebreohannes.

“I’m looking forward to making my debut half marathon in Philadelphia,” Gebremeskel told Competitor.com. “As a Carlsbad 5000 winner, a Rock ‘n ‘Roll half marathon is a great choice for me as I know [the organizers] will bring [strong] opposition and put on a great race. I hope to run fast and look forward to testing myself against the world’s best.”

A series of last minute injuries and training complications have forced both Geoffrey Mutai and Dathan Ritzenhein out of the men’s race on Sunday. 

Mutai, the two-time New York City Marathon champ, dropped from the race due to poor training conditions at his training base in Europe. He returned to Kenya in order to resume a more consistent training schedule, and is looking to defend his title at the New York City Marathon come November.

Three-time Olympian Ritzenhein announced earlier this week that he would not be competing due to an ankle injury from a workout last week. He was anticipated to return after an injury forced him to withdraw from April’s Boston Marathon. It would have been Ritzenhein’s first race since leaving the Nike Oregon Project in Portland and moving back to his hometown in Michigan.

Top Americans that will toe the line Sunday include ASICS Mammoth Track Club teammates Shadrack Biwott, Gabe Proctor and Scott Bauhs. Biwott and Proctor just recorded two of the five fastest half marathons of the year by Americans. 

For more information on the Rock ’n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon visit RunRocknRoll.com/Philadelphia.