Only male champions will defend their Bermuda International Race Weekend titles.

None of their female counterparts in the International 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon will be back for a shot at double glory.

In revealing the list of elite athletes competing this year, Race Weekend official Judy Simmons yesterday that, while invitations had been sent to all 2004 top performers, no replies were received from female Marathon winner Anna Pichrtova from the Czech Republic or from Russia's Galina Alexandrova who conquered the 10K.

Meanwhile Elfenesh Alemu, who smashed the women's Half Marathon record with a new mark of one hour, 10.57 minutes, was slated to return for an assault on the International Marathon record. However, her coaches pulled her from coming to Bermuda because they want her to have a crack at winning this year's Boston Marathon in which she placed second last year. The Ethiopian, now ranked eighth in the world, also barely missed out on an Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the marathon in Athens.

One male winner, Patrick Nthiwa of Kenya, has also opted out and his 10K title will be up for grabs, with Dmitry Maximov of Russia - who will defend his Half Marathon crown - probably fancying another double victory as he savoured in 2003.

However, Maximov will be hard pressed in next Saturday's 10K with newcomers Eric Chirchir of Kenya, American Joe Driscoll, Kuwait's Bashar Ibrahim and Phillip Sly of Australia (third last year) all in the line-up. Previous contender Nicholas Conway is another name to watch.

The top women in the 10K are Americans Katie McGregor and Debbie Thornhill and Mexico's Paula Apolonio Juarez.

Apart from Maximov, five half-marathon specialists will be vying to break the tape in that event: Simon Sawe and Joseph Maina (Kenya), Phillip Sly (Australia), El Arbi Khattabi (Morocco) and Pamenos Ballantyne (St. Vincent & the Grenadines). American citizen Mary Akor (formerly Nigerian) and Alemtsehay Misganaw of Ethiopia will be among those seeking the women's title.

El Afoui Boubker will be after a hat-trick when the Moroccan marathon man lines up for that race once again but he must fight off the challenge of Lydek Hudak from the Czech Republic who has a best of two hours, 20.21 minutes.

Vera Ilina and Marina Bychkova of Russia - with times of 2:41.15 hours and 2:42.40 respectively - will be eyeing Belarussian Elena Makolova's marathon record of 2:40.32 hours. American Stephanie Hodge, who was second among women in last year's marathon, could also be a factor.

Meanwhile, two-time Invitational Front Street Mile champion James Thie of Wales will have his hands full if he is to wrest a third triumph on Hamilton's main street.

He will again have Elkanah Angwenyi of Kenya and Christian Hesch of the USA - second and third respectively last year - to contend with as well as Bashar Ibrahim of Kuwait, Juan Luis Barrios Nieves of Mexico, Aleksander Skvortsov of Russia, Kenya's Eric Chirchic, Americans Nicholas Conway and Ian Connor and Bermuda's Michael Donawa.