A talented European track athlete who moved to Bermuda in June is set to make her Island racing debut in Monday's Labour Day Five-Mile Road Race.

There has been a buzz within the running community about the presence of Olga Firsova since news of her arrival from the Czech Republic started to circulate as last season's road race season wrapped up in early July.

The 26-year-old, who works at Elbow Beach Hotel, has spent the summer months training with competitive senior master Sylvester Jean-Pierre and May 24 Derby women's runner-up Jennifer Alen.

Firsova has a strong background in the sport, with an impressive best of four minutes 35 seconds for a track 1,500 metres and 36:10 for 10,000 metres.

On the roads in Europe she has clocked 16.55 for 5K and 36.01 for the 10K.

Such performances would make her a serious challenger against top Island runners Ashley Estwanik and Victoria Fiddick, both of whom she has heard of, although she has not yet met them.

Since arriving in Bermuda in late June, Firsova has been bemused by the lack of racing opportunities. The Island's traditional 'off season' caused by the high heat and humidity of summer contrasts with the almost non-stop racing and competition to be found across Europe during the same months.

She is looking forward to this Monday and finally getting a chance to make a return to racing.

Of Bermuda, she said: "I love the weather here and the ocean, but I do miss my competitions in Europe. I'm starving for competition."

Firsova ran her 16.55 5K in Prague and hopes to better that personal best. In the coming months she will have opportunities, the first possibly as early as October with the Partner Re 5K women's race.

Running in Bermuda, the Czech athlete has noticed her heart rate is higher due to the increased heat and humidity, but she added: "I can still run at the same speed on the track. If my heart rate gets too high then I stop the speed training."

She hopes that running and training in the tougher climate will make her faster when she next races in cooler European conditions.

At the moment she is happy to be working and living in Bermuda and has found good training partners in Jean-Pierre and Alen. Although she has not seen the course for Monday's five-mile race, she will be aiming to run around 30 minutes.

Firsova also intends to run in the highly competitive Fifth Avenue Mile Race in New York at the end of this month.

¦ The Labour Day Five Miler starts at 9.30 a.m. on Monday outside the BIU headquarters at Union Square. Entries can be made until 4.30 p.m. today at Sportseller in Washington Mall, and late entries will also be accepted on race day in Union Square between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Walkers can also take part, setting off at 9 a.m. There is a junior race over 1.5 miles, which starts at 9 a.m.