Senior National Duathlon Championships on Sunday morning -- the first major event of the Island triathlon season.

Butterfield, who turned 16 in February, had an outstanding year in 1998, while 15-year-old Herring has announced his intention to focus fully on triathlon after several years as a member of the Bermuda national swimming squad.

Butterfield's success culminated in convincing wins in the US Junior National Championships, the Guelph Canada Senior Sprint Triathlon and the Bank of Bermuda Triathlon.

Herring, while turning in some excellent performances, largely had to play second fiddle to Butterfield last year, but in his absence he took apart the field to record a comfortable win in the Senior National Triathlon Championships for his first senior title.

And Herring's early season form suggests that Bermuda could this year have the luxury of two young triathletes capable of competing at the highest international level. Herring has turned in some great showings in bike races this season and indicated in the Butterfield and Vallis 5K that his running, traditionally his weakest event, has moved up a few notches.

The young pretenders' nearest challenger over the 5K run-30K bike-5K run course at Southside in St David's, will probably be Granville Gibbons, whose legendary training mileage in the saddle will put him right up with the leaders.

Gibbons will be a strong favourite for the men's over-40 title as he looks for a time to qualify to represent Bermuda at the World Duathlon Championships in North Carolina later in the year.

The women's event is less predictable with last year's winner Melanie Claude unlikely to be in the starting line-up. In any case, she would probably have had her work cut out to hold off Julia Hawley, who is returning to the form that captured her a number of national titles.

Hawley took time out due to injury and family and work commitments but she is focused again and with Lynn Patchett, who lost in a sprint finish to Claude last year, concentrating on training for the Boston Marathon and not competing, must be a hot tip for another triumph.

Double trouble: Jonathan Herring (left) and Tyler Butterfield will be the favourites in this Sunday's Duathlon Championships.