This year?s Marathon Derby is barely over but Kavin Smith is ready for next year?s edition ? and he hopes Jay Donawa will be right there beside him.

Far from slinking into oblivion, the nine-time May 24 winner spoke with the heart of a true champion yesterday, a day after crashing out of the annual race with a hamstring injury.

?I?m pumped. I?m motivated. I can?t wait to get healed because I have a desire to get back out there. I will be back and I?m looking to be even more competitive,? he declared, stressing his quest was not necessarily about claiming a tenth victory but rather about recapturing his best form.

?I can?t dictate what will happen in a race but I can dictate what I want for myself as long as I do my homework. It?s simple ? if you want an ?A? in a test you have to study for an ?A?.

?Now if someone else is better I can?t control that but I can make sure they are going to have to run hard to beat me.?

The 38-year-old ? who was forced to stop running at Jew?s Bay ? surmised that his drive probably stemmed from the fact that it was the first time he had ever withdrawn from a race.

?This is the first race I have ever had to quit ? period!,? said the May 24 recordholder.

?I never considered not being able to finish the race. It was devastating. That wasn?t part of my plan.

?I knew I wasn?t a sure winner but I expected to compete for a place in the top three. Then my left hamstring just seized up and it couldn?t carry me any further.?

Smith initially strained his hamstring last Wednesday while doing speed work at the National Sports Centre but figured it wouldn?t be a hindrance.

The seasoned campaigner?s first indication that his left leg would not stand up to the test came at White Hill.

?I said ?Lord, help me? and I tried to shorten my stride and keep running but then it started twitching and when I got down by the dock it just went. I couldn?t run. I took a deep breath and that was it.?

Later on, as he listened to radio commentary of his rivals? progress and rode in an ambulance, reality hit home and Smith admitted freely that he cried; his disappointment deepening as he learnt of Terrance Armstrong?s winning time: one hour, 14 minutes, 38 seconds.

?With that time, I would have been right up there.?

Despite his own plight, Smith was extremely sympathetic to fellow athlete Donawa who endured public taunts and criticism for placing second for the seventh consecutive occasion, prompting him to announce his retirement from local athletics.

?I told Jay that I?m not going to let him quit. I agree Bermuda is a harsh society when it comes to spectating at sports and fans can be very derogatory at times. I was winning for years and I still received a lot of derogatory comments.

?It?s uncalled for ? those negative terms ? but the reality is this is where we live and this is how people are. But I told him I won?t let him quit for that reason.?

Smith called on Bermudians to applaud Donawa?s consistency and not chase him from the sport he loves.

?I?m urging the public to ease up and give the guy a break. He is not coming second to any slouches but he has let people affect him by telling him that he is second fiddle. He must rise above it.?

The ace runner suggested Donawa should return next year with renewed zest and determination to wrest the title.

?He has to keep putting the package together because, if he gets it together, he will do something phenomenal,? he said, noting the Marathon Derby provides entertainment for thousands and that fans should appreciate how much dedication and training runners invest for that single day.

Smith also saluted Larry Marshall?s third-place result.

?I love his spirit and his confidence that he could win it. He can?t go wrong with that attitude and yesterday?s (Tuesday?s) experience is only going to benefit him.

?The way he ran was gutsy, the way he came out of Somerset hammering,? he said of the 22-year-old.

Meanwhile, members of the Senate yesterday decried the criticism of Donawa and applauded his contribution to the event.

Government Senator Raymond Tannock termed it ?a pity? that the top athlete had decided to quit the local circuit because of public ridicule.

?We need to be more positive and tolerant and encourage Bermudians,? he said as his Senate colleagues lauded his remarks.

The senator added that he hoped Donawa would reconsider his stance.