International Race Weekend is high on Tourism?s list of events to promote, promised Minister Dr. Ewart Brown.

In the face of criticism from a Boston-based travel agent that the January athletics spectacular was becoming the ?forgotten marathon?, Brown was quick to leap to its defence.

?International Race Weekend is high on our list of priorities,? said Brown, a strong proponent of sports? tourism. ?It is event for January and we want try and promote it vigorously. Our sales representatives are very much aware of the need to push the event.

?It is an event of a very high calibre and we support its promotion throughout the year.?

When asked to rate Race Weekend on his department?s list of priorities, Brown replied: ?I don?t have a number for you but you can be assured it is a priority for us.

?We treat all of our events with the utmost seriousness and do whatever we can to promote them and bring visitors to the Island.?

But when asked if he was happy with the numbers set to attend the event, Brown gave one of his typically enigmatic answers.

?I?m happy but I don?t want to be happy,? he continued in his ebullient manner.

?I want to be thrilled, I want to be delighted. I want hundreds more to come ? that is how we work. I won?t be truly happy until International Race Weekend is a much bigger, better event. We set ourselves high standards here.?

Brown has been heavily involved in saving Race Weekend following its much publicised cancellation last year.

Such is his support for the event that even on the day the Bermuda Track and Field Association said the event was cancelled, Brown claimed it was a ?miscommunication? before adding ?there is no cancellation, no postponement?.

Just a few days later he was the Minister present at the Press conference to announce an $80,000 injection of taxpayers? money to save the event ? with avuncular philanthropist David Barber stumping up an extra $50,000.

International Race Weekend takes place January 13-15 next year.