The nine elite milers who go under starter?s orders in the KPMG Invitational Mile this evening know that no-one has ever broken the magic four-minute mile in the Island?s showpiece race along Front Street.

But there?s plenty of incentive to change that.

The first runner to do so will pick up a cool $10,000 ? a cash bounty that has been on offer for many years.

Despite the big names who have come and gone, Kenya?s Leonard Mucheru came closest in 2002 when he was only 2.61 seconds away from collecting the bonus.

All nine elite runners have either run sub-four-minute miles or shown a capability to do so judging by performances in shorter events. Indeed two-times former winner Jamie Thie ran 4:00.3 for an indoor mile in New York a week after last year?s Front Street showdown.

He has run season bests for a mile of 3:57 in 2003 and 2004. The Welshman returns this year.

Russian Alexander Skvortsov also has a best time of 3:57 and would appear to be the favourite.

The other runners are Kenyan Jackson Langet who boasts a 3:58 best, American Joel Williams who is capable of 3:39 for the metric mile (1500 metres), Kenya?s Geoffrey Rono who was third last year, England?s Neil Speaight, the 2006 runner-up who also ran an indoor mile of 3:58 in Boston last January, and Puerto Rico?s David Freeman.

Also on the start line will Colombia?s Edgar Bermudez, who is a 1:50 800 metres runner and has been asked to act as the pace-setting ?rabbit? to pull the runners along during the early stages of the race.

As always the challenge will be the slight uphill sections of the course and the tight turns at the Birdcage and at the ?Longtails.?

And the race has traditionally been troubled by stormy conditions, although last year the weather was pretty much perfect as Mexican Juan Luis Barrios Nieves ran 4:05.63.

The mile races start at 7 p.m. with six junior events for girls and boys, followed by the local women?s and men?s race before the dramatic finale, the elite men?s race.

Mile numbers can be collected today from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. at the No. 1 Passenger Terminal car park area.

Runners in Saturday?s 10K and Sunday?s Half-Marathon and Marathon can register and pick up race numbers today between 3 p.m. and 6.30 p.m at the Fairmont Hamilton, and tomorrow at the same venue between noon and 2 p.m.