RUNNING couple Chris and Ashley Estwanik go into this year's May 24 Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby as respective favourites for the men's and women's titles

Since relocating to Bermuda last year, after many years in the US where they were part of the Nike Farm Team competing at a high level within the States, the Estwaniks have been at the front of every race where they have competed.

But despite being given the inevitable tags of Bermuda Day race favourites the pair have their feet on the ground and, displaying the wisdom of many years competing in the top flight, readily point out that anyone could cause an upset on the day and nothing ¿ not even a May 24 victory ¿ can be predetermined.

For both, the prospect of competing over 13.1 miles is a new experience. They made a name for themselves over shorter distances, mostly track racing ¿ Ashley famously in the 1,500 metres final at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, where she represented Bermuda.

This will be her first proper crack at the half-marathon distance, even though she has completed the May 24 race many years ago when she took part merely to experience the event, not to challenge for a win.

She also recalls running a time of around one hour 28 minutes about five years ago in the BTFA Fall Half-Marathon from St. George's to Hamilton.

Last year she and husband Chris took part in the Santa Cruz Half-Marathon and ran together in a time of 1:24, but as Ashley recalls "that was in perfect, misty conditions".

Running in Bermuda at the end of May means heat and humidity ¿ something the Estwaniks did not have to worry about when they were training as part of the Nike set-up in the mostly cooler climes of northern California.

Chris has experienced humidity before, when he ran on the US east coast. Since moving to the island last year he has shown no signs of humidity being a problem as he is yet to be beaten by a Bermuda-based runner. In his most recent outing, winning the RMS Construction 20K event last month, he posted an astonishingly quick 1:05 for a race distance that is little over a half mile short of the Bermuda Day event (held on Monday, May 26 this year because the 24th is a Saturday).

Asked who might figure amongst the leaders, he name-checks Lamont Marshall (third last year), three-times winner Terrence Armstrong (who ran a 1:08 half-marathon in the US last year) and eight-times runner-up Jay Donawa.

Reigning champion Larry Marshall Jr. is ruled out through injury.

Chris said: "It'll be a new experience for me. There is tremendous competition and I know that Jay, Lamont and Terrence have been training hard. Anything can happen on race day. Ashley and I have been preparing to the best of our abilities.

"If everyone is at their best on the day it is going to make it very exciting and, given what I know, everyone is going very well."

In the last few weeks both Chris and Ashley have been stepping down from their high mileage weeks of training in order to ensure their bodies are refreshed for the big day.

For Ashley that has meant coming off a 70-mile training week ¿ which she admits was the toughest of recent times ¿ down to 55 miles last week and a further reduction this week.

"I feel pretty good," she said, mentioning reigning champion and two-times winner Dawn Richardson, as well as 2007 Island Games Half-Marathon bronze medallist Victoria Fiddick as clear competition for this year's title.

"There could always be some dark horse out there, you never know. I know Victoria has had some setbacks this year, but she seems to be training well now," she said.

With very few hot and humid days so far this year it means runners have not been able to workout in the most likely of Bermuda Day race conditions, but as Ashley points out that means everyone will be in the same situation.

Although brushing off the pressure of being a race favourite, she adds: "If I don't win I will be disappointed as I have given it all in training."

For Chris the countdown to the race has also meant reducing his training miles and, in the final week, being careful to eat healthy and "get my legs back under me".

He said: "There is a school of thought that once you are within 20 to 25 days of a race there is not a lot you can do about improving yourself for the race, all the work should have been done by then.

"As for being favourite, every runner has gone through stages where they have been the favourite or the underdog. But you know that there is most always someone out there better than you.

"I have to take the approach that anything can happen on the day, and everyone at the head of the race has been a favourite at some time."

The Estwaniks are running this year as part of Team Hope, raising money for the children of the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy.

This year's Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby takes place on Monday, May 26, starting at 9.30 a.m. in Somerset and finishing at Bernard Park in Pembroke.