the world, Jay Donawa doesn't expect to win the International Race Weekend 10K.

But then, as the 25-year-old will tell you, winning and running well are two entirely different things.

"I'd rather finish last and set a personal best than win and run poorly,'' said Donawa, who has come into his own over the past year and figures to lead the local attack in ten days' time.

Even so, Donawa concedes he places little priority on the Bank of Butterfield-sponsored event, just as he does most road races. But unlike last year, Donawa has committed himself early to one of the Island's most popular races and even goes so far as to say he is "looking forward to it''.

When pressed, however, Donawa begs off any talk of what place or time he's aiming for.

"As long as I give 100 percent and run to the best of my ability, I'll be pleased, no matter what the time,'' he said.

"I'll mostly be running the race against myself.'' This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows him. Donawa, finally healthy after a series of injuries and health concerns, has long maintained his goal is to successfully -- and proudly -- represent Bermuda internationally.

Which is the main reason he avoids local road races. Donawa's rationale is that, apart from the marathon, every middle distance race in every major competition is run on track so why should he concentrate on any of the multitude of road races on the Island? "If you want to run your best internationally, you have to approach it from a track sense ... The road races will always be here,'' he said.

Focused on his own development, Donawa will even lay low during the cross-country season, although he made an exception during the national championships in December and recorded a huge win over the rest of the field.

Donawa's goal then was to qualify for the CAC cross-country championships, coming up in March.

He also scored a convincing win over the Island's long-time king, Kavin Smith, in November's half-marathon.

Similarly, Donawa is always glad to make an exception for Race Weekend, which he calls "a golden opportunity for local runners to run against opposition far superior to what we usually see.'' He also calls the race a "good marker to see just where I am at at this stage of the season''.

But he tempers that by noting that the season is still young and that he's only three and a half months into training for what figures to be a hectic 1998 campaign.

"My time is not an extreme concern at this point,'' he said.

Understandable, since Donawa and personal coach Gerry Swan have both this summer's CAC Games in Venezuela and Commonwealth Games in Malaysia to worry about. That the events take place only a month apart makes for considerably "tricky'' planning in terms of peaking, Donawa said.

Averaging between 60 and 80 miles per week in training, Donawa added that his current concern was staying healthy, something easier said than done for a guy who has spent an inordinate amount of time recovering from one ailment or another.

Just this past weekend, he was sidelined with a cold and skipped the annual Princess to Princess Race.

Now that he seems to have beaten the injury bug, Donawa sees himself entering the "second go-round'' of his career, the first being an injury-riddled collegiate campaign.

"1996 and 1997 were like stepping stones (for 1998),'' he said.

As for Smith, he is making his Race Weekend intentions unclear and Donawa said he also doesn't know if Smith will run the 10K, half-marathon or marathon.

He's hoping it's the 10K because "we can help to push each other to new levels'' but acknowledges Smith's strength lies in the longer distances.

Jay Donawa