The 127th running of the Boston Marathon is also the 10-year anniversary of the double bombings near the finish line that killed three people and injured at least 264.
Lelisa Desisa, who won the men's race in 2013 and donated his medal to the city, returns to Boston along with two other previous champions - Kenyans Evans Chebet and Benson Kipruto.
The Boston Marathon is a point-to-point course, which is not eligible for a world record due to its hills and windy conditions.
Kipchoge's world record of 2:01:09, set at last year's Berlin Marathon, is unlikely to be broken at Boston, but Geoffrey Mutai's course record of 2:03:02 from 2011 is a target for him.
Kipchoge has been training on a hilly course near his training base in the Kenyan village of Kaptagat, specifically designed to replicate the undulations of the challenging Boston course.
The women's elite race will be headlined by three former Boston winners: Des Linden, Edna Kiplagat, and Atsede Bayisa.
Close to 30,000 athletes from more than 100 countries will take part in this year Boston Marathon, including Sara Hall who owns the fastest time of 2:20:32 among the American women in the elite field
The course is net downhill but includes four notable climbs in the second half culminating with the notorious Heartbreak Hill at the 20 mile mark make it a technical course compared to other marathons
The weather could play a crucial role at the Boston Marathon, with rain and wind forecast during the day, which could make it more challenging for the runners.