Kahzi Sealey will have to watch out for two familiar rivals when he looks to retain his Seniors Boys’ title against fellow Carifta Games qualifiers Tommy Marshall and Ryan Outerbridge in the Butterfield Front Street Mile tonight.

Sealey and Outerbridge are both Berkeley Institute students and Bermuda Pacers team-mates, but that friendship will be put aside for a few minutes when they answer the starting gun for the popular races.

Sealey, who beat Nirobi Smith-Mills in a photo finish last year after the two recorded the same time (4:47.97) is looking forward to the challenge, which will also include Nicholas Pilgrim and Sancho Smith, as well as J’Auza James and Jayson Simons, who were second and third behind Khari Sharrieff in the Middle School race last year.

“Going into the race I feel I’m well prepared; I just hope it is an exciting race like last year,” Sealey said.

“It was good qualifying for Carifta in the first track meet, being that we’re not going to be able to go on the track as often as we would like this year. It felt good getting qualifying out the way and now we can focus on speed work and dropping my time down.”

The forecast is for wind and rain tonight, but the mile has had its share of inclement weather over the years. “It’s not like I’m facing the conditions by myself, everyone is facing the same conditions,” Sealey added.

Outerbridge was almost four seconds behind the first two finishers last year in a time of 4:51.65, watching a few strides away as Sealey and Smith-Mills produced the most exciting finish of the night.

“We’re good mates, team-mates, who train with each other every day,” Outerbridge said.

Outerbridge will tackle the 10K race the next day, aiming for a time of 36 minutes after a best time of 37 minutes.

“I’ve done the 10K a few times; I prefer the longer distance actually.

“I did it last year, but it didn’t go too well; I got a stitch.”

Neither of last year’s two record breakers in the schools’ races will be back to defend their mile titles tonight. Ziza Russell, an American with Bermuda ties, who flew to the island and set a new record in the Primary Girls race with her winning time of 5:39.77 seconds, is not among the entries.

Isabelle Dutranoit, who was in school in Connecticut last year, left her mark on the Senior Girls race when she broke Kyrah Scraders’s record of 5:19.74 set in 2014 when she won last year in 5:14.30 to deny Ashley Irby a fourth straight Senior Girls’ title in what was also Irby’s last year in the schools races.

Irby won seven titles overall going back to 2012 when she won the Primary Schools’ race. That was followed with three straight Middle School titles in 2013, 2014, and 2015 — including the fastest two times of 5:23.63 and 5:27.54 in 2015 and 2014 — before then winning three more titles in 2016, 2017, and 2018 in the Senior School Girls’ race.

Russell’s absence in the Primary School Girls’ race leaves the field wide open as Ellise Dickinson and Legend Stevenson, second and third last year, will also be missing, having now advanced to the Middle Schools’ division. Based on recent trial times, Jasmine McIntosh, Azari Jones, Century Robinson, Riana Robinson, Kelise Wade, Arabella Newport Derbyshire and Kalila Daley will be among the favourites in the Primary School Girls’ race.

A new champion will also be crowned in the Primary School Boys’ race where Feidhlim Carr, last year’s winner, is not among the entries. Tom Hyland, second last year, will be a favourite as Masaki Kitade, third in 2019, is now competing in the Middle Schools’ race.

Hyland recorded a time of 5:40.6 in the mile trials, faster than both his time on Front Street last year (5:43.84) and also the winning time by Carr of 5:42.60.

Five others also went under six minutes during the Primary Schools’ trials, with Harris Fleming, Cameron Adkins, Gianluca Bortoli, Declan Reardon and Chavi Pacheco Hill all expected to be among the top contenders for the title.

Daria Desmond, of Warwick Academy, will be looking to retain her title in the Middle School Girls’ race. She will be up against schoolmate Adriana Argent and Jasmin Hasselkuss, who finished second and third last year.

In the Middle School Boys’ race, Khari Sharrieff will be out to retain his title after winning by over six seconds over James with his time of 5:25.16 last year.