Sean Trott is not likely to be out tomorrow to defend his title in the Ed Sherlock Five Mile road race, but Kimiko Scotland, the 2013 women’s winner, is among those who had signed up online by late yesterday.

Trott has been missing from the road running scene this season and his continued absence will leave the door open for a new men’s champion. Last year, he came off a two-month injury layoff to win by more than a minute over Juma Mouchette, finishing the course around Southampton — starting and finishing at Southampton Oval — in 27min 45sec, with Mouchette second in 29:20 and Omari Hart third in 30:51. Mouchette is at school abroad but Hart is among the entries for the race.

Scotland had a winning time of 38:16 for the women, ahead of Zina Jones and Carol Griffith, the senior masters runners.

Last year’s 20th edition of the race, which honours the 82-year-old six-times May 24 Half-Marathon Derby winner, was marred by controversy over a scheduling clash with the second annual Running of the Bulls 5K in Hamilton that led to a reduced field. There will be no repeat of that this time around, with the Running of the Bulls to be held at the end of next month.

By yesterday, 82 runners had signed up for tomorrow’s race. Late entries will be accepted up to today at noon when number pick-up is held at Southampton Oval, from 10am. The event will start at 8.30am with the walkers and juniors, and the seniors will follow at at 9am.

The course will have the runners heading east from Southampton Oval, turning left on to Camp Road and going down to Middle Road and heading west to Barnes Corner before returning to Southampton Oval on South Road.