A record number of competitors - including defending champions Kent Richardson and Karen Smith - will participate in Sunday's individual race in the Bank of Bermuda Triathlon Series.

Entries for the individual event (the team event takes place next Sunday) have already exceeded last year's high of 80.

"At present we have 84 individual entries and knowing how people are very last minute we expect to get up to around the 100 mark," said Bank of Bermuda's Events and Promotions Officer and race organiser Karen Madeiros.

The presence of some new faces on Bermuda's adult triathlon circuit plus increased interest among juniors has heightened anticipation in the build-up to the annual showpiece. The fact that some triathletes are using it as part of their preparation for the November World Championships adds to the expectation.

"The competition will be tough this year. We have some new triathletes on the Island that should be taking top finishes. Ashley Couper, the Front Street Mile champion has registered and newcomers Deanna McMullen and Cora Starzomski are expected to take honours in the women's field.

"Geoffrey Smith (14) will challenge the top men again this year and will be chased by Tridhedz coach Neil De Ste Croix and newcomer Garth Thomson.

"Quite a few of the athletes are preparing for the World Championships to be held in Cancun in November, so they are fit and fast right now," noted Madeiros, herself a leading contender having placed third among the women last year.

Individual entries close at 5 p.m. today while teams have until next Wednesday to submit their forms.

Keen tussles are expected not only among the adults but in the junior categories too where there will also be particular names to watch in duathlon action.

"For the Junior Duathlon race, Tim Fox , Alexandra Easton and Caitlin Conyers will be defending their champion titles," said Madeiros.

"Our young top athletes are very competitive, but we also want to encourage athletes of all abilities to come out and join in. Providing a race venue such as this can only encourage our young athletes to aspire to perform at higher levels of competition.

"The youth events were really successful last year, and the number of entrants have been increasing every year. There were 38 (youth) teams in the team event last year, and over 50 children competing in the individual event. But we're convinced there are more young people out there who can take part - it's a great way to get active and a lot of fun to take part in. If there are two friends out there, one who can run and one with a bike, they should fill in the application form and join in," said Madeiros.

The triathlon series, she explained, caters to various categories of competitors, from the serious individual to juniors exploring sporting options. This is why duathlons have been created specifically for young people (ages seven to 14) to compete in running and cycling. Swimming has been eliminated in the duathlons as Hamilton Harbour is deep and not suitable for young children to swim in.

"The race course in Hamilton is a nice change for Bermuda's triathletes as all other triathlons are held at Clearwater Beach," added Madeiros. "The course is fast and fairly flat and offers excellent action for spectators as the cycling and running involve several laps of the course. We should see some exciting racing."

In last year's individual race Kent Richardson led the pack in one hour and three minutes followed by Andrew Davis in 1:05 and Jamie Pedro in 1:07.

Karen Smith topped the women's field in 1:06, followed by Flora Duffy 1:12 and Madeiros herself in 1:16.

Full list of events is as follows:Adult individual triathlon, Sunday, September 29: Men's and women's races split into age categories 13-15, 16-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-plus. Race details: half mile swim, 12 mile cycle, three mile run. Entry fee: $26.

Adult team triathlon, Sunday, October 6 (one swimmer, one cyclist, one runner): Open (mixed) team, female team, family team, company team, junior male team, junior female team. Race details: one mile swim, 15 mile cycle, six mile run. Entry fee per team: $36.

Junior individual ultra sprint duathlon, Sunday, September 29: Boys' and girls' races split into age categories 7-10 years and 11-14 years. Race details: 7-10 years: half mile run, two and a half mile cycle, half mile run; 11-14 years: one mile run, five mile cycle, one mile run; Entry fee per competitor: $5.

Junior team ultra sprint triathlon (one runner, one cyclist), Sunday, October 6: Boys' and girls' races split into age categories 7-10 years and 11-14 years. Race details: 7-10 years, half mile run, two and a half mile cycle, half mile run; 11-14 years, one mile run, five mile cycle, one mile run. Entry fee per team: $5

l Entry closing date for all events is today for the individual events and October 2 for the team events. No late entries will be accepted. Application forms can be picked up at all Bank of Bermuda branches, Sportseller and Winners Edge. For more information, contact: Karen Madeiros (Bank of Bermuda) at 299 6709.