The best American wheelchair athletes are set to compete in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this year in the hopes of qualifying for the U.S. Paralympics team.

"This is probably our most competitive field," said Carey Pinkowski, director of the Chicago Marathon. "All of the top American wheelchair athletes will be here in addition to our great international field. It is going to make for great competition and a great day racing in the wheelchair division."

The Oct. 11 race will be host to the Paralympic trials for the marathon, which means the top two American finishers in both the women's and the men's divisions will go on to compete in Rio de Janeiro in the 2016 Paralympics.

Defending wheelchair champions in the Chicago Marathon are Tatyana McFadden and Josh George, both graduates of the University of Illinois' wheelchair track program. Both athletes still train in Champaign.

Adam Bleakney, the coach for the university's wheelchair track team, has led many athletes to qualify for the Paralympic games over the years.

"To see how these athletes train every day and to know the success they have had on a global level, there is nothing better than to see it in action every day and to understand what it takes to reach those levels," Bleakney said.

McFadden, 26, of Clarkesville, Maryland, has appeared in three summer Paralympic Games and has taken home three gold medals, four silver medals and three bronze medals.

George, 31, who is also from Champaign, has taken home four Olympic medals in his career. He received a bronze medal in Athens in 2004, gold and silver medals in Beijing in 2008 and a bronze medal in London in 2012.

In addition to competing for a spot on Team USA in this year's Chicago Marathon, wheelchair athletes will race against an international field vying for the championship of the first-ever Chicago-New York Challenge. A winner-take-all prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the man and woman with the most points earned in both the Chicago Marathon and the New York City Marathon.

For a complete roster of athletes competing in the trials click here.