Some 71 runners have so far signed up for Friday’s Mile Reloaded races at the National Sports Centre, including Dage Minors and Lamont Marshall in the elite race.

The races, which start at 6.00pm with junior races, will be the first event at the newly renamed Flora Duffy Stadium, an honour upon Bermuda’s first gold medal winner at the Olympic Games.

The deadline for entries is tomorrow and Covid-19 safety protocols will be applied for both spectators and participants.

“It is a Safekey event for spectators and participants will do antigen tests before receiving their number,” Freddie Evans, president of the Bermuda National Athletics Association reminded.

“This is winner-take-all, so who is going to be the fastest miler in Bermuda on December 10?”

The qualifiers for the Front Street Mile were scheduled for this Friday, but that event, as well as the marathon and half-marathon as part of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge, has been cancelled next month for a second straight year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dage Minors is featured on the poster promoting the Mile Reloaded races and his achievement in 2018, would remain fresh on the minds of those who witnessed the Front Street Mile then, as Minors became the first Bermudian to win the elite race.

Minors blazed to victory in 4 min 33sec after breaking away from the pack around 300 yards from the finish line. Jordan Donnelly, of Britain, crossed in second in 4.34 and Ethiopia’s Girma Bekele was third in 4.36.

Minors was not able to defend his title in 2019 as he was in college pursuing his masters degree at Franklin Pearce University in New Hampshire.