start) with defending champion Tracy Wright forced to watch by the sidelines because of an aching back.

Wright, who won last year with a time of 27:03, said yesterday: "I am sitting this one out, my back can use a little break after I pulled a muscle here recently.'' But the top two finishers in last week's Round the Town 5.1-mile race, winner Mark Perry and second place Brett Forgesson, are sitting this race out as well -- both "taking a brief break'' from road running.

The hottest participant in road running so far this year, Perry is taking a deserved break after winning last week and also the Yamaha 5-K the previous week.

Perry said yesterday that he is recovering from a cold that hampered him slightly in the Round the Town race and is now concentrating on the Dunkley 10-K next week.