Defending champion Neil Speaight is back in Bermuda and fired up for tomorrow evening's KPMG Front Street Mile only months after a major health scare.

Today he has reason to revel in the fact that he is competing at a high level again after a tumour was discovered on one of his lungs at the height of the UK athletics season last summer.

Speaight is the only British Isles elite athlete taking part in this year's Bermuda International Race Weekend after Guernsey's miler and 10K man Lee Merrien became a late withdrawal.

Close friend and popular race weekend former champion James Thie last week revealed he was side-lined with injury.

As a consequence of Thie missing the running festival, and no other Brits to relax and train with, Speaight is finding his 2008 visit lonelier than he had anticipated. But he isn't letting that distract him from his goal of keeping hold of the coveted mile title.

That ambition appeared in serious doubt after a late summer health scare for Speaight.

He ran his fastest metric mile (1,500m) in a time of three minutes 38.33 seconds on a rainy day in Sheffield, England. But a week later a tumour was found on one of his lungs. His highly promising athletics season collapsed as the health concern took priority.

Cat scans and a biopsy were undertaken and the tall miler had surgery to remove the tumour, which thankfully was benign.

But the disruption to his training, and the effects of surgery at the beginning of September, meant it was a long way back for Speaight to regain his former fitness.

"I was in the hospital for a week and then I tried to get my fitness again, so I started my autumn with a real lack of fitness. However, my health was always the most important thing," said Speaight, who spent last night at Grotto Bay Beach Resort.

"It may have been a good thing because I feel re-motivated and I've been doing a lot of base work. Aerobically I'm in better shape."

On his first full day back in Bermuda he went for a 50-minute run across the Causeway and around St. David's Island, battling Wednesday's strong winds as he did so.

His training since September has been predominately longer runs, building up his aerobic capacity. His basic speed work has yet to figure in his schedules, which means he is not as race sharp as he would like. However, Speaight does not believe that will be of major consequence due to the type of running the Front Street Mile demands.

In many years the exposed course is affected by a headwind, and being a road surface rather than a track favours runners with greater overall strength. Speaight made a concerted long drive from some distance out to pip Thie in last year's race.

"A mile on road is more about strength than speed. I think I'm in stronger shape than last year. I know the race field is strong, but I'm here to win," he said.

Amongst his rivals is American Jon Rankin who is coached by Joaquim Cruz, the man who beat British middle-distance legend Sebastion Coe to gold in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Speaight has posted a number of useful performances in recent cross country races in the UK, winning the Cambridge county title over a 10K course and coming sixth in the Edinburgh Cross Country short course of 4.4K.

Whatever the outcome of tomorrow evening's race, Speaight is happy to be back in Bermuda.

He said: "This is a great race for me because it always helps with my focus and gives me a springboard for the summer. I know James (Thie) is devastated he can't be here. It is a big part of his season and he and I have travelled around the world together.

"For me it is great to be back. The crowds here are great, and the hospitality is great. Who knows what the weather will be like on Friday. I'll be doing another steady run on Thursday to keep my legs loose."