four minute time will be collected come Friday evening -- if Michael Bartoszak has his wish.

The Polish runner who was second to Falcon last year but the favourite this time is vastly improved and ready to make the Bank of Butterfield Elite Mile his own.

Evidence of his improvement came with a time of 3 minutes 47.26 seconds -- the best on the road in the United States last year -- at a race last October in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Falcon, still regarded as one of America's top milers, could do little that day, trailing in third over nine seconds behind.

"I want to break the course record of 4:04 (actually 4:04.2) and maybe if there is not much wind and rain I can go under four minutes,'' Bartoszak said.

"I think I'm better now, especially after running in Oklahoma.'' Still Bartozsak will need to better his time last year (4:07) by three seconds for the course record and shave a whopping seven seconds off if he is to earn the bonus that has eluded some of the world's best since its inception in 1991.

Coming from the much cooler climate of Poland, Bartozsak was understandably wary of the heat and said that the ideal temperature at race time would be somewhere between 59 and 68 degrees.

With Falcon absent, Russian Farrid Khayrulin and Greg Whitely of the US, fourth in the US Olympic trials over 1500 metres, look to be the ones to offer a serious challenge and Bartoszak is wary of his competition.

While splitting time between the US and Poland, Bartoszak has done some altitude training much like the Kenyans, who have dominated the world stage in recent years.

"Last year I was in the United States for four months training in Colorado,'' said Bartoszak, who will also run the 10-K in which he was third in 1992. "It is a good place for training as it is very high.'' Ironically it was due to this Colorado connection that the Pole came to Bermuda in the first place. It was Thomas Gnabel, a resident of Alimosa and Bartoszak's best friend, who told him about the Island's International Race Weekend.

When asked why he chooses to come here when there are several potentially more lucrative other meets going on, such as the Hamilton Spectator Indoor Games and Bali Mile with over a million dollars on the line, he simply said that he "liked Bermuda...it is paradise''.

"The country is beautiful and has very nice people.

"Also this is one of the bigger races for me. It is a good race and is well-organised.'' However, without the recent break-up of the European communist bloc, Bermuda may never have seen the likes of Bartoszak. He said that the move away from communism has been good for him and his progress as a runner.

"My homeland is much better now there is more freedom and I can go to Bermuda or other countries. Before I had problems getting a passport.'' Local competitors are urged to pick up their numbers at the No.1 passenger terminal on Front Street between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday or from 11 a.m.

to 7 p.m. on Friday. Late entries can also register at these times.

EYE ON THE PRIZE -- Michael Bartoszak (13), pictured during last year's 10-K, has his sights set on the Bank of Butterfield Mile record set by Joe Falcon (11) and the $10,000 bonus.