Neither of last year's winners in the International Race Weekend 10K will be back to defend their title, The Royal Gazette has learned.

In a second blow to the Bank of Butterfield-sponsored event, it has been confirmed that South Africa's former Olympic silver medallist Elana Meyer will not be returning to the Island in a bid to retain the women's crown.

It was already known men's champion, Kenyan Stephen Nyamo, wouldn't be back.

And late on New Year's Eve, the weekend of races was further disrupted when Russian marathon twins Vladimir and Nikolay Plykin contacted chief organiser Philip Guishard to tell him they were both injured and would have to rule themselves out of their event.

"It's a shame,'' admitted Guishard, putting the Africans' absence down to cost. "I don't think it's down to any conscious decision not to come back.

They're both on the other side of the Atlantic. Frequently, we're able to strike deals, like last year when Nyamo and Meyer were both competing in the US later and we were able to split the costs.'' Meyer, who had been hampered by a serious Achilles tendon injury at the Atlanta Olympics, ran last year's event in 32:39 before journeying on to Florida, where she enjoyed another victory in the Gasparilla 15K. Nyamo, too, competed in that event, finishing second.

But with him missing, it could leave the way clear for Briton Paul Evans -- should he return. The former factory footwear worker, who swapped his semi-professional football boots for running shoes in 1986, was the pre-race favourite last year after winning the 1996 Chicago Marathon, but found the wispy Nyamu in his tread all the way before the Kenyan overtook him.

The 29-year-old Plykin twins teamed up with a third team-mate Alexander Kuftyrev to take the top three places in last year's marathon and prevent Belgian Eddy Hellebyuck from repeating his success of 1994.

Vladimir was the official winner, nosing ahead of his brother at the tape to finish in 2:23.15, while Kuftyrev, on whom there is as yet no word for 1998, ended 35 seconds off the pace.

One elite runner to confirm his return, Marcus O'Sullivan, the Irish miler, warmed up for his attempt on a third successive title with a useful outing in the Honolulu Mile over Christmas.

The 36-year-old Sullivan finished third in that -- it was won for the second year running by Canadian Graham Hood -- recording the 92nd sub-four minute mile of his career. A 93rd in Bermuda would go down nicely, and earn him a handsome cash bonus. Guishard said 71 elite athletes had applied to come to Bermuda and, of those, 32 had been sent invitations to appear.