Lamont Marshall has again set himself a goal of getting under the 31-minute mark in the HSBC Bermuda 10K ... and is hoping a change in strategy will do the trick.

Last year, fresh off a third-place finish in the Fairmont to Fairmont two weeks before the Bermuda Marathon Weekend, Marshall ran a steady race in windy and rainy conditions to record a time of 32min 27sec as he finished seventh overall and the first local finisher.

This time the 30-year-old missed last weekend’s Fairmont race in order to concentrate more on his preparation for Saturday’s race, still aiming for a time in the region of 31 minutes and maybe a top-three finish.

It is a race that Marshall is taking seriously as he sets his sights on overseas competition, starting with next month’s Pan Am Cross Country Championships in Colombia.

“Timewise, I would say, ballpark, 31 minutes and that’s all to do with the weather,” Marshall said.

“Last year it was horrible weather, wind and rain, and I did 32 minutes.

“I skipped the Fairmont to Fairmont just so that I can be more prepared and better rested coming into this race.

“Hopefully I can stick with the lead pack as long as possible and just attempt a top-three finish.

“I don’t typically do the double or the triangle challenge, just focus on one event and give it my all.”

Jordan Chipangama, the Arizona-based Zambian, led the 10K field last year, finishing in 30:47 while Diriba Yigezu of Kenya, who is also returning, finished second last year.

“I’m definitely fit and in shape for this part of the year and this will be my first real test.

“It’s not every weekend that you’re going to have international competition so to be fit on the day and be able to hang with those guys as long as possible, that’s all you can ask,” Marshall said.

“Next month will give me a good measure of what shape I’m in for the Pan Am Cross Country, which is an 8K. Everything is focused on the Pan Am Games in Toronto in July, the 1,500 and 5,000 metres. I’ll be focusing on distance to try to get the strength, so over the next two to three months I’ll be doing 5K and 10K races between January and March, and then in April to May I’ll look to shorten the duration and really try to sharpen up.”

Marshall got in some intense training over the Christmas holiday with the focus on 2015.

“I had a good base period over the holiday, training with the foreign-based athletes Aaron Evans and Dage Minors,” he said.

“Christmas and summer is pretty much the only time I would see them. Aaron and I were doing strength training and Dage, myself and Shaquille Dill were doing track work.”

Marshall has not ruled out running in the May 24 race which starts in St George’s this year.

“We had some consideration, my father [coach] and I, being it is such a historic change,” he said.

“Not coming out of the east in over 35 years [1976], you always want to pencil it in and ideally I would want to qualify for Pan Am as early as possible and then be able to prepare for May 24 and to digest it before the Pan Am Games.

“It’s unfortunate to see that Tyler [Butterfield] won’t be able to retain his title, but sometimes your overseas goals and schedules clash.

“It is by far the biggest race on the Island. For me this will be a jam-packed season, next month the Pan Am Cross Country, then in May it is the World Relays, then the Island Games, Pan Am Games and Nacac Senior Championships and you definitely have the obligation to put your country first.

“If you qualify for Pan Am, the most difficult standard, you pretty much qualify for everything and if you do that nice and early you can dictate your season from there.”