Athletes who benefited from the disqualification of two drug cheats in last January's Bermuda International Race Weekend have not received their upgraded prize money yet.

President of the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) Judy Simmons explained this is because the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) - athletics' world-governing body - has still not approved the BTFA altering the original results.

"We haven't had anything official from the IAAF despite what you may have heard from Nick Davies (the IAAF's spokesman)," she told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

The BTFA initially withheld prize money for the International Marathon and Half-Marathon after Marathon winner Luiz Carlos Ramos of Brazil and Dutchman Neals Strik, who was third in the Half-Marathon, returned positive dope tests for nandrolone and cocaine respectively.

However, when the IAAF took too long to get back to the BTFA with a definitive response, a decision was made to pay athletes based on their original placings.

"We paid everybody in the positions that they originally finished. There wasn't anything we could do. If we had kept them waiting, they would still be waiting to be paid now.

"So we paid them in August with the proviso that if everything came back as it looked like it was going to be, then we would upgrade them with the additional cash," said Simmons, adding that adjusting positions and monetary awards can only be done after "official notification" from the IAAF.

While unable to contact Davies for this story, previous Royal Gazette correspondence with the IAAF indicated that the case versus Ramos had been concluded and that the South American is serving a two-year ban from international competition. Strik's situation was complicated by his arrest in February on criminal charges related to cocaine trafficking which prevented the Dutch athletics federation from holding his hearing as he was on remand.

Last month, he received an eight-year prison sentence and, the latest information on his doping case, was that a final outcome was still pending before his ban could be ratified.

As for this year's Race Weekend, Simmons disclosed that El Afoui Boubker of Morocco - who was second to Ramos in the Marathon - had been invited back though not officially upgraded to first place; a courtesy usually extended to winners.

Also returning to defend their titles are Dmitry Maximov of Russia - who struck double gold in the International 10K and the Half-Marathon - and Welshman James Thie who won the Front Street Mile.

So far, 1,008 entries have been received for next weekend's athletics showpiece: 470 for the International Marathon; 382, the International Half-Marathon; 136, the International 10K; and 20, the Charity Walk.

Overseas entries total 773 with the American Stroke Association (274), the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society (215), the Arthritis Society of Canada (103), Why Me Inc. (40) contributing the bulk of foreign participants. In 2003, there was a total of 1,153 entries; 547 from overseas.

There will be some very familiar faces among the competitors including R.Ramsey Merris Jr of Westport, Connecticut, who will make his 25th Race Weekend appearance, while New Jersey's Dudley Healy will be the oldest participant at 89 years old. He will compete in his 18th 10K. Bermuda's own Ludwig Cann (77) has signed up for the 10K and Half-Marathon.

Entries will be accepted up to the day before each race. The late fee is $50 per race until today and increases to $60 afterwards. Entry forms can be left in the BTFA box at the Sportseller up to this afternoon. After today, entries will only be accepted at race headquarters during the number pick-up times.

The BTFA would like to advise all competitors that numbers should be collected at race headquarters, Harbour Room, No. 1 Passenger Terminal, Front Street on Thursday, January 15, and Friday, January 16, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, January 17, from noon to 2 p.m.

Entries for the 10K Charity Walk and late entries will also be accepted during these times.