One says his "focus has switched" and that this year he is running for fun but the other's mission is entirely serious - he's in it to win it!

The annual May 24 Marathon Derby - to be held on May 26 this year - is expected to produce another tug-of-war between perennial champion Kavin Smith and Jay Donawa; the man who has been in Smith's shadow for so many of those races.

However, if the latter's intense preparation pays off, there could well be a reverse in the finishing order this time as Donawa, who has tuned up with a number of convincing victories in lesser events this season, seeks the one title to elude him thus far.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's a race I haven't won yet. I've won just about every other local race but I know that to most Bermudians - if you don't win May 24 - it's like you haven't won anything.

"You could win CARIFTA and CAC (Central American & Caribbean) medals but if you don't win May 24 they don't consider that you have reached the pinnacle. So until I win it I think I'll be perceived as the guy who came close but hasn't really done anything.

"Whether this is the year or not we'll have to see on the day. I don't like making predictions . . . but, without being boastful, I think I have the ability and tools to win. It's just a matter of bringing it all together on the day. To have the total package on the day," reasoned Donawa, now tapering off his training.

"I have done some high-level training. It's been a mixture of hill work, tempo runs (25 to 30 minutes of sustained pace work) and weekly interval sessions where I go up to the stadium track and do mile repeats. Then I do some long runs - between 12 to 20 miles.

"I feel pretty confident. I've worked on my hill running. I've never considered hills to be a weakness but it's never been a real strong point either - I think if a surge occurs on the hills then I could go with it.

"I feel I can run a hill equally as hard going up as coming down and I know I have speed on the flat."

By contrast, eight-time Derby winner Smith said he is not working flat out and is not entertaining thoughts of a ninth trip to the top of the podium.

"I'm not doing too much. Just some light workouts when I feel like it, to stay in shape but I'll still be out there to have fun," said the 36-year-old.

"I'm training like maybe two or three days a week but I don't have any set routine. I don't have anything else to prove so I don't have any particular goal this year, just to compete."

Smith, who has previously decried the lack of incentive in the prestigious event, disclosed that he has switched focus in life and competitive running is now on the backburner.

However, few opponents are likely to be sold on all this, especially knowing that Smith likes to keep the real extent of his training under wraps.

Donawa is keenly aware of such gamesmanship and refuses to be duped.

"As long as he's in the race he is the guy that everyone has to look to beat as the defending champion. My main focus is Jay though. I'm not really looking at the next person.

"I can't be thinking that other persons may not be training as hard because guys always play down things, always say they are not doing much but then they're out there banging out two-a-day runs.

"I'm going in there to do my best. I'm going to give all of me that it's going to take and I hope that my 100 percent on the day stands up to the test," noted the athlete who has placed second to Smith for the past four years.

Declaring that he is "definitely hungry" for victory", the 30-year-old revealed he has been concentrating on the mental aspect of racing almost as much as the physical.

"I've been doing a lot of visualisations; like what we did when I was in college. Seeing myself within the race at various stages and trying to imagine how I am doing and feeling at those points.

"It's really important and it's helping me a lot in my preparation. This (May 24) is the one void in my career and the passion is there to win it."