COULD the course record for this Sunday's Ed Sherlock Five Mile Road Race be lowered for a second consecutive year?

It is a possibility with Lamont Marshall, who ran a blinding race last year to take almost three minutes from the old record, intending to defend his title.

In 2007 it was a solo effort, but Marshall may find himself with company this time if one of a number of highly talented new faces to Bermuda's road racing scene show up.

This weekend is the 15th annual running of the event, which starts and finishes at Southampton Rangers clubhouse on South Road near the entrance to Horseshoe Bay.

It was Marshall who last year dominated the five miler, as he did most of the shorter road races on the island during the year.

He beat the previous course record by almost three minutes to stop the clock at 25 minutes, 57 seconds.

But that mark looks achievable by the likes of former US international runner Chris Estwanik, who is now a resident on the island and has yet to be beaten in a domestic race by a fellow Bermuda runner.

He ran the second fastest time for the Fairmont-to-Fairmont 7.2 mile race course when he won in January and went on to clock a 4.09 in the KPMG Invitational Front Street Mile.

Likewise his spouse, Bermuda's own Ashley Estwanik, has shown dominant form since returning to Bermuda, including setting the local Front Street Mile record last month when she easily went under five minutes.

Last year's women's race winner was double May 24 winner Dawn Richardson, who ran 32.51.

If either or both the Estwaniks run it will make the sharp end of the race highly competitive. The couple set what is thought to be a unique result when they finished first and second overall in this month's Butterfield and Vallis 5K.

Marshall confirmed this week that he will be on the starting line, for only his second domestic race of the year ¿ his first was the Front Street Mile local men's race, which he comfortably won in just over four-and-a-half minutes.

He took off to New York soon after for an indoor 3,000m race and ran a highly competitive 8.43 to finish fifth.

Conditions last year were favourable for fast times in the Ed Sherlock race. The toughest thing for Marshall was having to run the entire race alone once he had shaken off the early company of runner-up Otis Robinson.

He said: "Last year was a great day and a good run for me. It was a little difficult having to run the whole way on my own."

Considering the prospect of finding tougher rivals this year, he added: "On the day you never know who will show up. If Chris (Estwanik) is there it would be a real race from start to finish."

Looking ahead Marshall is considering entering the Eye Institute 5k and Lindo's to Lindo's 10K as well as this year's May 24 Half Marathon after he finished third in last year's big race, which was won by his older brother Larry Jr.

Swan's Running Club, in conjunction with Southampton Rangers Sports Club, organises the Ed Sherlock Five miler, which also has a walkers' race and a shorter juniors' race for those aged eight to 15.

The first race to start on Sunday will be the walkers at 8.30 a.m., followed by the juniors at 8.45 a.m. and then the main five mile race at 9 a.m.

The main race starts from the Southampton Rangers clubhouse and turns down Camp Road and Camp Hill to Middle Road, proceeds to Barnes Corner and then turns back onto South Road to finish at the sports club.