BOSTON – For a change, the balance of power in the Boston Marathon appears to have swung toward the women, headed by defending champion Uta Pippig of Germany.

“I think the women’s field is better than the men’s for the first time,” four-time champion Bill Rodgers said.

Among those seeking to dethrone Pippig in Boston’s 99th running Monday will be the Nos. 2-3-5 finishers from last year, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Valentina Yegorova of Russia, Elana Meyer of South Africa and Carmen de Oliveira of Brazil, plus 1994 New York City Marathon winner Tegla Loroupe of Kenya, 1992 Boston runner-up Yashiko Yamamato of Japan, Madina Biktagirova of Belarus, Franziska Moser of Switzerland and Mari Tanigawa of Japan.

All have broken the 2-hour, 30-minute barrier, led by Pippig, whose 2:21:45 last year smashed Joan Benoit Samuelson’s course record by 58 seconds and was the third-fastest marathon ever.

The men’s course record also fell in 1994, with Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya covering the 26 miles, 385 yards, in 2:07:15, the fifth-fastest ever, for his second straight Boston victory.

Ndeti will be seeking to become the first foreigner and only the third man to win Boston three consecutive years, joining Clarence DeMar and Rodgers. His strongest challengers appear to be countrymen Moses Tanui, Benson Masya and Sammy Nyangincha, South Koreans Kim Jae-Ryong and Kim Wan-Ki, Mexicans Alejandro Cruz and Isidro Rico, and Namibia’s Lucketz Swartbooi.

While the men’s field is strong, the women’s competition is expected to be intriguing and curious.

Off her past performances, especially her sizzling 1994 showing, the 29-year-old Pippig has to be regarded as the favorite.

She is more familiar with the tricky and difficult course than the others. She has run it four times and never finished worse than third. In addition to her victory last year, she was second in 1990 and third in 1991 and 1992.

Pippig appears to be approaching Monday’s race in even better condition than a year ago. In her lead-up last year, she won the Kyoto Half Marathon at 67:59, the fastest in the world for 1994. This year, she won at 67:58.

Furthermore, Pippig is more relaxed this time. Last year, she was completing her medical studies while also concentrating on running.

“The last few years, it’s been 50-50 – she had exams and she ran,” said Dieter Hogan, Pippig’s coach and companion for the past eight years. “That’s why I think she will improve her time, because of more concentration.

“That makes her happy. When she’s happy, that’s a big plus. Even with the many miles she runs and the hard work, she has fun with her training.”

The happy-go-lucky Pippig agrees.

“After my exams last year, I decided I can’t do both,” she said. “I’m not relaxed that way. I said I have to study big or concentrate on sports. It’s not possible to do both at the same time. It makes a big difference in being in the top five or top four or three or two or being No. 1.”

Pippig’s remarkable run last year earned her the world’s No. 1 marathon ranking. She does not, however, plan to run the marathon at the 1996 Olympics.

Simply because she doesn’t think the weather will be conducive to running that distance at Atlanta. She recalls running the 10-kilometer Peachtree Classic at Atlanta on July 4, 1993, with the temperature and humidity both in the 90s for the race’s 7:30 a.m. start – the same starting time as the Olympic marathon.

“The heat is a big factor,” said Pippig, who won the Peachtree race at 32:15.

Instead, Pippig will run the 10,000 meters, the event in which she finished ninth at the 1993 World Championships.

“Maybe if I’m not too sure I can win a medal (in the 10,000), I will run the marathon,” she said.

Pippig will test her 10,000 speed at the World Championships at Goteborg, Sweden, in August.

“I want to make sure I go for the right event in the Olympics,” she said. “I will make my decision in November.”

As for Monday’s marathon, Pippig sees “a very fast race.”

“I hope we (the women) stay in a pack with high speed,” she said. “Then, maybe in the last 8 or 10K, I can break away.”

With good weather – similar to last year’s 50 degrees, no humidity and a 19 mph tail wind – Pippig thinks it will be possible to better Ingrid Kristiansen’s world best of 2:21:06.

“I don’t want to put so much pressure on me for the time,” she said, “because then I’m not so relaxed.

“We’ll see what the tactics are. We’ll see if the other runners push me. After Heartbreak Hill (at 21 miles), we’ll know. That’s when I get goose bumps.”