early and mid 1980s.

Last Sunday's Butterfield and Vallis 5K brought out more than 400 athletes -- and this was just a local event, the numbers not cushioned by large groups of overseas charity runners who nowadays account for more than half the field in our annual January Marathon.

Such a turn-out proved that the sport locally is alive and well, and the results again demonstrated the depth of talent that exists in this tiny Island.

Of the 401 finishers, there were 206 schoolchildren aged 12 and under, another 33 aged between 13 and 18, and the rest -- more than 160 -- in the open category.

Yet, at the risk of opening old wounds, it has to be said that what this huge gathering again showed more than anything else was the failings of athletics' governing body who, thankfully, apart from sanctioning the event, had nothing else to do with Sunday's race.

The question again begs, if more than 230 kids can turn out on a Sunday morning for a road race, why can't more than a couple of dozen make their way up to National Stadium whenever Bermuda Track and Field Association stage one of their meets? At the BTFA's first trial a couple of weeks' ago for the upcoming Carifta Games in Grenada -- an event where Bermuda's youngsters used to excel -- there was a miserable entry of less than 30 competitors, junior and senior. On a programme which advertised some 20 track and field events, none attracted more than four entrants.

The boys' under-14 and under-20 1500 metres, for example, saw just two runners in each, the girls under-12 event over the same distance, a field of three.

To be fair, running around a track doesn't appeal to all young athletes, and those who think they can hide in the pack during a road race might feel intimidated in races where they face the risk of being lapped and subsequently humiliated.

But the question still has to be asked whether sufficient is being done to encourage our school-age athletes to take part in a national programme. Most of us, of course, already know the answer.

If more than 200 youngsters under the age of 12 turn up for a Sunday road race, why do only three from that same age group show any enthusiasm for a BTFA track meet? It isn't too difficult to figure out.

Road races are run by the likes of clubs such as Swan's, Mid Atlantic Athletic Club and Bermuda Union of Teachers, organisations whose events appeal to all segments of the community.

Track meets, on the other hand, are for the most part run by a BTFA whose history of divisive policies, internal squabbling and general incompetence has served to drive potential talent away rather than nurture its progress.

BTFA officials, on reading this column, will no doubt shrug off the criticism, claiming that road runners like myself who have a history of attacking the governing body and show no inclination towards track and field participation, are really to blame for the sport's declining popularity and continued lack of success on the international arena.

But perhaps if they took time out to attend the next road race and asked some of the young winners why they continue to steer clear of BTFA meets, they'd learn the real reason.

*** STILL on road running, it was good to see Kavin Smith perform so well in Las Vegas on Sunday. His time -- two hours, 29 minutes -- puts him up there with the very best of Bermuda's marathoners, and was only nine minutes shy of what is an extremely tough qualifying time for this year's Olympics.

Whether he ultimately makes it to Sydney could depend on his next race over the 26.2 mile distance, possibly in Boston in April.

The world's top marathoners rarely run more than three races over that distance in any one year, and with the Olympic marathon scheduled for September, most of those who have already qualified will now be putting the emphasis on training rather than racing in order to peak at the right time.

No question, Smith has his work cut out. If he could run 2:25 or better in Boston, it still might not earn him automatic qualification, but it would make Bermuda Olympic Association think very hard about trying to offer him a wild card entry.

Certainly, nobody has dominated his or her sport as much as Smith has over the past few years. And nobody would be more deserving of the long trip Down Under.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON