Close to 650 runners will take to the roads this Thursday as a re-measured, re-marketed and re-named Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby gets underway.

Traditionally called the Marathon Derby, the race has been measured at 13.1 miles this year and will now be recognised as an official half-marathon.

US-based Terrance Armstrong will be gunning for his fourth-straight Bermuda Day title, but is expected to be receive a strong challenge from the talented Marshall brothers, Lamont and Larry, as well as perennial runner-up Jay Donawa — in what organisers believe could be the most exciting race in years.

Armstrong held off the Marshalls last year to charge home in a time of one hour, 12 minutes and 27 seconds — though after displaying some impressive form in the last few months and with plenty of hard training behind them, the brothers are certainly going to take some beating this year.

In the elite women's race, defending champion Dawn Richardson is once again the overwhelming favourite — particularly with the girl she passed inside the final mile last year — Karen Bordage — off the Island competing in an Ironman triathlon in Brazil.

Race president Gina Tucker said yesterday organisers had decided to change the name because the tendency to refer to the race as the Marathon Derby had become "inappropriate".

"It just didn't make any sense to keep calling what was essentially a half-marathon a marathon so we thought it was about time we changed that," she said.

"The decision to make the race an exact half-marathon was prompted by the runners themselves. We received a large number of requests for this to happen because when runners go abroad to compete they want something official to put on their resume if you like and they couldn't really do that before with the race being an unusual distance.

"We've got just over 600 people registered at the moment, with a few more scheduled to sign up before the race.

"Any time we get over 600 we're happy, but in future years we're going to be looking at ways to make the number even bigger.

"We're not looking to market the race overseas or anything like that, but there's certainly room for attracting a few more locals."

The course this year starts at the Sandys Community Centre and finishes on Dutton Avenue itself rather than inside Bernard Park.