$10,000 next week.

And Marcus O'Sullivan might be just the man to take it.

His best days are probably behind him but the 35-year-old Irishman remains the best hope to do something no one has done in the history of the Front Street Mile: Break the magical four-minute mark.

O'Sullivan, who now lives in Philadelphia, is the defending champion in the event -- set for 7.30 p.m. next Friday -- and has a personal best of 3:50.94.

He's broken four minutes nearly 90 times in his career and would like nothing more than to move a step closer to his stated goal of 100 before retiring.

If he does, the Bank of Butterfield -- sponsoring the event for the eighth time -- would gladly contribute their first $10,000 bonus to his account.

Standing in O'Sullivan's way figures to be Anthony Whiteman of England, who lost to O'Sullivan by less than a second last year. Whiteman, who has run a 3:53 mile, is coming off a busy and productive 1996, including an appearance in the Atlanta Olympics in which he just missed qualifying for the 1,500-metres final.

The return of 1995 champion Paul Freary and the addition of Moroccan Lhoussine Siba figures to make the mile one of the more competitive of the four big races next weekend.

Siba says he's in great shape and chairman of the International Race Weekend, Phil Guishard, says he has assurances that O'Sullivan is also fit. So does this mean that someone may actually claim the $10,000? Er, no.

For starters the tight corner at the east end of the Front Street course is a momentum buster. And Mother Nature has traditionally done her best to thwart efforts.

"The weather, not the course, will determine (if anyone breaks four minutes),'' said Guishard.

As usual, the mile is followed by the men's and women's 10-kilometre races the next morning.

Defending men's champion Charles Mulinga isn't back but American Jerry Lawson, eighth a year ago, is. Britain's Paul Evans, a 10,000-metre finalist in Atlanta, could be the one to watch, although an anticipated appearance by Kenya's John Kiposkei, who ran both the 10K and half-marathon in 1995, could also make things interesting.

But Kiposkei has reportedly gone down with the 'flu and may be the third runner to drop out from the original list of 34. Marathoner Mbarak Hussein of Kenya and miler Dominique Loser of Germany were the early casualties.

The women's 10K could be more interesting, if only for Elana Meyer. Not only is she the first South African to compete in the event, she's one of the world's best, posting a time of 32 minutes in a race last year.

American Carole Zarac ran a 34:18 to win last year and will return, but the second and third-place finishers will not.

Men's and women's marathons, plus a half-marathon along the same course, go next Sunday morning.

The men's marathon features four Bermuda veterans but not last year's winner, Alexander Gurin of Russia. Another Russian, Alexander Kuftyev, second in 1995 and 1996, will be looking to take his place but will have to beat Belgian Olympian Eddy Hellebuych, who won in 1994.

Anything close to his PB of 2:11.50 and Hellebuych would be a cinch to claim the $15,000 bonus on offer to anyone who breaks the race record -- 2:15.20, set by Brit Andy Holden back in 1980.

The women's marathon will be highlighted by the continued rivalry of two-time defending champion Roxi Erickson and fellow American Kim Goff. Another American, Ann Boyd, and Russians Valentina Santalova and Lyudmila Korchagina bear watching. The latter clocked a 2:34 last November in France.

No invited runners have been brought in for Sunday's half-marathon, which doesn't carry prize-money, although traditionally several of Saturday's 10K competitors submit last minute entries for the 13.1 mile race.

Parents and coaches of local athletes hoping to qualify for this year's Carifta Games in the Bahamas in March have been asked to attend a Bermuda Track and Field Association meeting at the Department of Youth and Sport this evening (7.30 p.m.).

INVITED RUNNERS 10 kilometres Salina Chirchir (Kenya), Tania Jones (Canada), Elana Meyer (South Africa); Katrina Price (US), Carole Zajac (US), Bouazzi Abidi (Morocco), Paul Evans (England) John Kipkoskei (Kenya), Jerry Lawson (US), Muchipiwa Muzano (Zimbabwe), Stephen Nyamu (Kenya).

Marathon Ann Boyd (US), Roxi Erickson (US), Kim Goff (US), Lyudmila Korchagina (Russia), Eva Patrikc Nagy (Hungary), Valentina Santalova (Russia), Steve Boyd (Canada), Rudolf Csikos (Hungary), Eddy Hellebuyck (Belgium), Alexander Kuftyrev (Russia), Vladimir Plykin (Russia), Nikolay Plykin (Russia).

Mile Pascal Bernier (Haiti), Paul Freary (England), Daniel Hill (Australia), Marcus O'Sullivan (Ireland), Lhoussine Siba (Morocco), Glen Stewart (Scotland), Simon Vroemen (Holland), Anthony Whiteman (England).

DEFENDING CHAMPION -- Ireland's Marcus O'Sullivan hits the finish line to win last year's Front Street Mile in four minutes, six seconds. He'll be back next Friday night to defend his title.

AND THE ENTRIES ARE ... Race Weekend director Phil Guishard announces names of the elite competition flying in for next weekend's annual road running extravaganza at a press conference yesterday.