Perennial May 24 runner-up Jay Donawa will be trying desperately to avoid any last-minute injuries today on his final training run as he gears up for what many believe will be the most exciting Bermuda Day Derby in years.

A year ago today the amiable seven-time Princess to Princess Race champion was coming to the end of a light jog near his home when he turned his ankle in a roadside pot-hole and was forced to pull out of the most prestigious race on the local calendar.

And while his friend and rival Terrance Armstrong was storming to his third straight Derby title, a disconsolate Donawa was left sitting at home with his ankle packed in ice, reflecting on what might have been.

This year, however, the fireman is fit and healthy and was philosophical yesterday about the nightmare of 12 months ago.

“Obviously I was upset at the time because it was the first May 24 I had ever missed when I was actually in Bermuda and available to race,” he said.

“But from a positive perspective I’ve emerged from that disappointment a stronger and better person and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there this year.

“I’ve got a lot more responsibility at work these days which has made going overseas to compete in races a little bit more difficult. But I’d say my training has been very consistent so far this year and I’ve managed to stay clear of injuries and illness.

“I feel pretty good to be honest, but what I’ve learnt about running over the years it’s not how you feel the day before or the day after but how you feel on the day that counts, so I won’t be able to say quite how I feel until I’m standing on the start line ready to go.”

Donawa is well aware that the bragging rights that come with being May 24 champion will be more fiercely contested than ever tomorrow given the presence of defending champion Armstrong, Kavin Smith and the talented Marshall brothers Larry and Lamont.

The Marshalls stayed pretty much shoulder to shoulder with Armstrong until mile seven in 2006 when the former track star made his electric break — though a year on, the stronger, fitter and more mature brothers are expected to push the 35-year-old even harder.

For his part, Donawa is excited about the challenge and looking forward to the thrill of racing against an unusually competitive male field.

But while he would love to add the Half-Marathon Derby title to his impressive list of career accomplishments, Donawa insisted he would not be putting too much pressure on himself.

“I’d love to win it and break the trend of coming second, but it’s definitely not the be all and end all for me,” he said.

“Running is just one part of my personality and though I Iove to compete and I’ll try to win, there’s a lot more to Jay Donawa than just running.

“But in a small place like Bermuda it’s not often you get a situation where as many as five different runners have a realistic chance of winning the race and it’s a privilege for me to be considered one of those and to be involved in it.

“It’s going to be a tremendous challenge. The race is a challenge in itself because the course is pretty unique in terms of the heat and the hills and the humidity, so when you add in the quality of the leading runners it should make for a great race.”

Asked why he believed he had come up just short of first place so consistently, Donawa pointed to the difficulty he had had adjusting to longer distances after his early career first as a track specialist and then a five to ten kilometre runner.

“It’s certainly taken me a little longer than I would have liked to adjust to the longer distances,” he said.

“When I was younger I was very much a middle-distance runner and in May 24 I would be alright until around the seven or eight-mile mark before starting to struggle.

“But as is pretty common, as I’ve got older and lost a bit of speed, I’ve been competing in the longer distances and it’s taken me some time to get used to it.

“But I’ve been doing it for a while now and I honestly think I’m improving over the longer distances with age.”

While the tight nature of the men’s race is certain to draw by far the most interest from the thousands of race fans sure to be lining the route tomorrow morning, the women’s race is almost certain to be a one-horse race.

Englishwoman Dawn Richardson was a virtual unknown when she stormed to victory last year after a dramatic tussle with Karen Bordage in the latter stages.

Over the course of the last 12 months, however, she has established her reputation as easily the Island’s strongest female runner.

With Bordage away in Brazil competing in an Iron Man, Richardson’s closest rivals this year are likely to be Swede Victoria Fiddick and Rosa Peicheto — though even they might admit that they’re going to have to produce the runs of their lives in order to challenge Richardson if she’s on form.

The latter’s last half-marathon was at the BTFA Fall race last November when she ran a time of one hour 29 minutes and 28 seconds — nine seconds faster than her May 24 effort.

Another to watch tomorrow will be 68-year-old Sid Howard, a former masters track world champion, who has only missed one May 24 race since 1981 but has never been able to cross the finish line as he was considered an unofficial entrant.

The race is traditionally open to only Bermuda residents.

However, this year, wearing the number 68 to signify his age, the affable Howard has been made an honoray official participant.