John Wassenaar is one of the top contenders for next Monday's Marathon Derby -- but he thinks he'll be in a race for second place.

The Canadian, who moved to the Island 10 months ago, is looking forward to his first May 24 experience and has the credentials to mount a serious challenge for the title.

Having been forced to quit running for 18 months because of a shin injury which required corrective surgery, Wassenaar has spent the past five months gradually working his way back up to his best.

And his best is pretty impressive. In fact, if he repeated his personal best time for the half-marathon of one hour, eight minutes and eight seconds, Wassenaar would almost certainly win the race and in the process smash the record and win a $5,000 prize from Sports R Us for breaking 1:08:30.

But the 26-year-old accountant believes that even if the heat doesn't beat him, four-time winner Kavin Smith will.

"I assume that Kavin will walk away with it -- he is so much fitter than anyone else,'' said Wassenaar.

"They say it's always hot on race day and I think the heat is my Achilles heel, because I'm just not used to it. I've been monitoring the weather and the forecast says it will be 83 degrees and sunny.'' Frequently during the road-running season, Wassenaar has been the only man to seriously challenge Smith.

Last Sunday's Bermuda Regiment Five Miles was typical, ending with Smith victorious in 26:12 -- 20 seconds ahead of Wassenaar.

But that marked a significant improvement for Wassenaar, who said: "The first time I ran a five-mile race on the Island, my time was 28:20, but last week it was 26:52.

"I've not got as far along as I would have liked. I just have not managed to put in the mileage to get back into top shape.

"I got up to 40 miles a week and I wanted to push it up to 60, but my times did not get faster -- in fact, I got tired and my running deteriorated. Next year, I will have the time to get back into top form.'' On the race to come second, Wassenaar tipped 1994 winner Brett Forgesson to be Smith's closest rival.

"As for myself, I could be in the running for second, or I could end up eighth or ninth, it depends on how much the heat affects me,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Lynn Patchett has confirmed she will run the women's race on Monday just two months after fracturing an ankle in a training accident, which cost her a place in last month's Boston Marathon.

Patchett, who finished fourth last year, said the cast she'd been forced to wear had been removed a fortnight ago.

Since then, she has been in light training and last weekend came back to run the Regiment Five Miles, her first race back since the injury, clocking 33:03.

"I felt surprisingly comfortable and got closer to my previous race pace than I anticipated,'' said Patchett.

The fracture left the physiotherapist unable to run for eight weeks, but she managed to maintain fitness by cycling.

The lack of training has left her with limited expectations for May 24.

"Realistically, it would just be nice to get round comfortably and finish -- I'm just looking to enjoy the day.'' Patchett had no hesitation in naming Anna Eatherley as the likely winner of the women's title.

"Anna will be the girl to beat. She is far fitter than any of the others at the moment, she's been racing all year long and has been winning easily.

"But I think there will be a great race for second between Karen Adams and Maria Conroy-Haydon, it should be close. And you can never count out Jane Christie, she's a very strong runner.'' Race entries -- see Pages 22, 23