Reigning national cross-country champion Jay Donawa expects the Marshall brothers, Larry and Lamont, to be his main challengers when the season starts at the end of next month.

Bermuda's cross-country season is to begin on September 29 at Chaplin Bay and Donawa will be looking to extend his winning streak after being crowned champion of the off-road running series for seven years in succession.

Last year around 80 people competed in the cross-country races and organisers are expecting those numbers to climb this year, especially with the addition of two cross-country races in the KPMG series.

West End Athletic Club will host the Chaplin Bay event. Asked who he believes will be his main rivals in this year's series Donawa said: "Here locally, you have Lamont and Larry Marshall and if Terrance Armstrong, based overseas, comes back to the Island, I think these will be my main contenders."

Donawa added that he would not start the season at maximum fitness.

"This summer I ran in the Island Games, which took place in Greece, and just prior to that I pulled a calf muscle, which required extensive treatment on it, five days prior to the event.

"However, I went there, competed in the 13-mile race, but eight miles into it, the injury re-occurred but I was able to finish and I placed third winning a bronze medal.

"Terrance Armstrong actually won the event. Myself, along with Terrance and Ricky Sousa, we ended up winning the team gold - it was pretty pleasing but I was walking around with this cast on that was the size of a grape fruit - it wasn't very pleasant."

Donnawa, 34, revealed that while he's still recovering from his leg injury - five weeks on, and after the recent birth of a baby boy - he will still compete in most of the series of races but doubts he'll be back to 100 percent.

"I would imagine that I probably wouldn't be in the shape that I'm in had I had not taken such a lengthy time off," he added.

"Obviously in the beginning of the season my main goal is just to be healthy and then as the season goes on, I will get fitter by competing.

"If I was experiencing this problem in November or December then I'd be very worried because that's when the championship race is usually held. My main focus is on long-term as opposed to running well in the next few weeks."

The remainder of the races are: October 13, at Astwood Park held by Flyers Track Club; October 20, at Spittal Pond held by MAAC; on November 3, at Botanical Gardens part of KPMG, held by Pacers; on November 17, at the Arboretum, held by Striders, followed by the National Cross-Country Championships on December 1, at Botanical Gardens held by the BTFA. All of the events begin at 8.30 a.m.

Chairperson of the Track and Field Committee of the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA), Donna Watson, explained: "We are intending on working with the schools and presenting them with the early cross country schedule.

"And, we're inviting them to send some of their outstanding athletes to participate in this year's cross country series, thus again increasing the numbers from last year.

"As per normal there will be points generated from each cross country and at the last event the eventual winners of the age groups will be announced as the winners of the Cross Country Onion Series.

"We are lining this up with the Track and Field Onion Series that we had for the first time last year and this will be called the Cross-Country Onion Series.

"There will be medals presented to the top three in each age group at each cross country event and a trophy presented to the winners of the Cross-Country Onion Series and the winners of the Cross-Country National Championships."

The 36th IAAF World Cross-Country championships are taking place next year on March 30 in Edinburgh, England and this year's top cross-country runners could be sent there to represent Bermuda, Watson predicted.

This will be announced at the beginning of the cross-country season with a view to pin-pointing athletes who could be eligible to represent Bermuda at this event early on.

Anyone interested in taking part in any of the events, or for more information, log onto www.bermudatracknfield.com.