Lamont Marshall appears favourite to win the season-opening Labour Day Five Mile Road Race judging by his stunning string of victories earlier in the year over 5km and 10km distances and his runner-up placing in the May 24 Marathon Derby.

He had to play second fiddle to ?King of the Roads? Kavin Smith in last year?s Labour Day race but the improvement in performances by the 22-year-old seems to point to a different outcome this time around.

Newly-married Smith intends to run but as he comes back from a work-related injury he is not expecting to be in good enough shape to retain his title.

Monday?s event marks the start of a new road race season after the summer recess. Smith finished on a high note when he won the final event of the old season in a head-to-head duel with young Canadian Blair Paul in the Swans? Flat Five Miles along North Shore when he ducked under 27 minutes in July.

His primary goal for the coming season remains a marathon in Miami on January 28 ? the same day he turns 40 and enters the Masters? category as an athlete.

?I was all geared up for Labour Day and then I got a work-related injury and could not run for a while. I can run now but not to race, I?ve only been running for two or three days so I?ll probably just be going through the motions on race day, but then again someone might not show up on the day,? said Smith.

So the stage appears set for Marshall to kick off the season with a win as he feels he is getting back into good form following a mid-summer break from training after his powerful showing on May 24 when he was only 19 seconds adrift of three-times champion Terrence Armstrong.

Marshall said: ?This will be my first race since May 24. I took a break and I?ve been doing ten weeks of base training. I?m taking each race as they come and feel good with an excellent season under my belt. I want to build on that.?

Highlights of last season included being first local in the Front Street Mile, a sub 32-minute time in the RMS 10km in April and almost breaking 15 minutes in the Sir Stanley Burgess 5km race in early May.

His strongest distances remain 800m and one mile but he is happy to race longer distances and he hasn?t ruled out making a few appearances in upcoming cross country events.

Looking around at possible contenders for Monday?s race he would be wary of Albert (Jay) Donawa if he runs. Donawa ran Marshall close in the Sir Stanley Burgess 5km.

Lamont?s talented brother Larry is also back in training but will not be lining up for the Labour Day race.

The women?s race appears to be there for the taking for May 24 champion Dawn Richardson, if she competes because her most obvious main rivals Karen Bordage and Victoria Fiddick have both suffered training setbacks.

Bordage is under doctor?s orders not to exercise until a bout of pneumonia clears up, while Fiddick ? who has yet to face Richardson in a race ? badly bruised her toe after accidentally hitting it against a wall and has been unable to even pull on a pair of training shoes because of the swelling.

She was runner-up in last year?s race and has not yet ruled herself out of Monday?s event, but even if she competes does not foresee herself being able to challenge for the title.

After the year started well for her it went off the rails in February when she picked up an injury which ruled her out of the spring events, including May 24. A recent trip to her native Sweden saw her win a low-key race over 4.5km and finish second in her age group and eighth woman overall in a major 5km event.

She said: ?I did some base training in Sweden but I?m not in tip-top shape and hurting my toe I?m not sure if I will take part in Labour Day. I?ll have to see.?

Looking to the coming season she has her sights set on January?s International Race Weekend, although which race distance she will go for remains undecided at the moment.

Monday?s Labour Day five miler, organised by Swan?s Running Club, is the traditional start to the new running season and gets underway at 8.30 a.m. from outside the People?s Pharmacy in Victoria Street, looping down to East Broadway, along Front Street and Pitts Bay Road and then along North Shore Road before coming back through Blackwatch Pass to Cedar Avenue and finishing in Union Square.

It will be followed by the traditional cross country races through September to November, with the PartnerRe and Crimestoppers 5km races expected to be the next road race events being staged in October.