yesterday, feeling jittery about his Front Street fling in the Primary Boys mile race.

"Yeah, I was nervous,'' he said last night, with a wide grin.

By the time his run was over, Butterfield -- who ran the race in 5:03.2 -- smashed the record his brother, Spencer, had set a year earlier by a margin of 12 seconds, one of only two records that fell on a wet and windy evening as International Race Weekend officially began.

Tamika Williams set the other mark in the exciting Secondary Girls race, grabbing first spot in 5:51.1, six seconds better than the record Susan Richards has held since 1991.

Williams, of Warwick Academy, overcoming reigning champ Suella Matthews after a tight duel. Matthews crossed the finish line in 6:03.9, running up the white flag inches from the end, not the pennant she had in mind. In third place was Heidi Madeiros in 6:07.

In the other races featured on the undercard leading up to the ever-popular Elite Mile, Velvet Smith -- elegant and perky-cute and whose legs looked eight-feet long while running -- captured the Primary Girls title in 5:58.1, just shy of the record (5:58) set last year by Matthews. Gabrielle Butler (6:28.1) was second while Sherrie Seymour (6:31.8) was third.

Michael Donawa (4:54.2) -- the Berkeley Institute speedster -- won his second consecutive Secondary Boys crown, but was 24 seconds short of the record he set in 1993. Donawa, who clutched his stomach while nearing the finish line because of the stomach flu, was joined on the winner's podium by two other Berkeley students, Sharif Taylor (4:57.6) and Damon Ming (4:59.5), who were second and third.

Jennifer Fisher, fighting off extreme fatigue from staying up late this week to attend to her sick child, sewed up first place among the adult women when she finished in 5:17.4, seven seconds ahead of Anna Eatherley, who was clocked at 5:24.4. Jane Christie was third in 5:36.2.

Neil Halliday, winner in 1992, grabbed his second adult male title with a 4:40.8 time, while Jamal Hart was in second place in 4:48.4. Neil De Ste Croix, cheered on by his wife Claire, finished third in 4:52.7.

Donawa, who for most of the race carried himself like a hard-hitting defensive back, considered pulling out of the race near the Cabinet building because "I was feeling really sick. But I'm glad I didn't stop,'' he said, his thoughts as elusive as he was on the road. But the impression he left was indelible.

"My approach was to run a tactical race. I wanted to be sensible and stay within myself, especially because of the wind.'' Most of the runners had trouble with the weather conditions, but were especially motivated by the outburst of enthusiasm by spectators lining the race route.

"It was tough,'' De Ste Croix said afterwards. "My back is killing me, just the strain from really pushing hard with that wind.'' Fisher, racing in a fire-engine red suit, was forced to change her strategy because of the fierce winds.

"You had to, because if you don't come up with a different game plan you can totally mess up.'' Halliday, seven seconds slower than Tyler Hall's record-setting burst last year, entered the race feeling apprehensive because of the effects from a recent illness.

"This one was harder,'' he said, when asked to compare his titles. "I took it easy over the first 400 metres and I expected Neil (De Ste Croix) to go hard in the second 400 and he didn't. And I found myself in front and it was too late, I was committed.'' Smith, endless grace mixed with a soupcon of power, showed why she is one of the brightest young stars on the local running horizon. The outcome of her race was never in doubt as the Bermuda Institute student led from start to finish.

"I was well prepared,'' she said shyly following her run. "But I felt fine and this was one of the easiest races I've run.'' Record-breaker Williams, meantime, said she was "trying to run my own race and stay with the pack. I was really positive I could do it.'' Paul Zar was the winner in the Celebrity race, finishing the .6-mile course in 3:09.9, ahead of Rick Richardson and Rod Ferguson.

West End captured the Primary Schools award for participation while the Secondary honour went to Berkeley Institute. Full results, Page 14 PROUD WINNER -- Velvet Smith, who was a runaway winner in the Primary Girls race, is congratulated by Opposition Leader Frederick Wade.