Marcus O’Sullivan has run more than 100 sub-four-minute miles and has nothing to prove to anyone.

But motivation is the theme of International Race Weekend 2002 for the legendary miler from Ireland and tonight the 40-year-old plans to make a wholehearted attempt at a third Elite Invitational Mile title.

“I’m in pretty decent shape but I don’t think I’ll run the kind of times I ran when I was here five or six years ago,” O’Sullivan said, shortly after arriving yesterday. “Realistically, I think I’ll put on a good show and run as hard as my 40-year-old legs will take me.”

O’Sullivan, who coaches track and field at Villanova University in Philadelphia, made a fine Bermuda debut in 1996 when he won the mile in four minutes and six seconds. But the great man bettered that accomplishment the following year with a run of 4:04.9, the second-fastest time in the 13-year history of the event.

He has not appeared on the international scene in recent years but after his last birthday on December 22, O’Sullivan set his sights on the masters world record over 3,000 metres — which brings him to Bermuda.

“I thought it would be nice to have something under my belt before I went to do it and Bermuda came to my mind,” he said. “I’m kind of caught between a rock and a hard place where I should be a master but I want to run with the younger guys.”

Among the “younger guys” will be Rich Tremain, last year’s champion from Canada, and a trio of Kenyans — Leonard Mucheru, Tim Mangera and Sammy N’geno — who will attempt to dip under the magical, four-minute mark on a most difficult course at the worst time of the athletics year.

O’Sullivan will tackle the 3,000 metres world record of 8:20 at a collegiate meet next week. “It will be a competitive 3,000 where I’m sure it will be won well inside the masters world record,” he added. “I think I’m in pretty good shape to run that, which means I’m in pretty decent shape to run a good mile.

“It’s just that with a mile you need some leg speed and that’s one of the things that is not as prevalent in my training now as it was when I was younger. It’s just tougher to recover.”

But that is not to say that the distance cannot be covered in quick time. “The course layout is challenging when you’re going for a such a time (under four minutes),” he added, “but I think the most challenging thing for the guys, as it was for me, is that it is the first or second race of the year. You’re still race-rusty.

“Having said that, it’s something I definitely think is possible. You just need to get a couple of races under your belt and you need a little bit of luck with the weather, so you can sneak in under four minutes.”

The highlight for O’Sullivan might just be what takes places tomorrow when he will serve as the motivational speaker at the Pasta Party, to be held at No. 1 Passenger Terminal on Front Street.

“I think I can make more contribution in that area than I can on the track,” he said, with a serious tone. “From experience of running for the most part of 28 years, I think lack of motivation is one of the biggest impediments for most athletes because a motivated athlete is a very, very successful athlete. Likewise, a motivated person is successful in anything they do.”

Powers of persuasion played a significant factor in the rehabilitation of Terrance Armstrong, the lone Bermuda runner to line up among a 12-strong field tonight, after an injury-wrecked 2001 season.

Armstrong, who recently turned 30 and is based in Taunton Lakes, New Jersey, was sat down from April until August last year after a stress fracture was diagnosed below the right quadricep muscle. “It was a recurring injury,” he said. “I kept thinking it was a tendon problem and was running right through it.”

The pain became almost unbearable at the Penn Relays where the middle-distance specialist broke the Bermuda record in the 5,000 metres. “I pretty much limped through the last half of that race because it was bothering me so much,” he recalled.

“After it was determined to be a stress fracture, I had to stay off it as long as I could.

“It was a long break and I have been building, running a lot of the mileage to get myself strong again and I will slowly start moving the workouts in.”

Nevertheless, Armstrong returns to his homeland full of confidence after qualifying last weekend for the 3,000 metres in the Millrose Games, which will be held in New York on February 1. Armstrong admitted that 8:30 was “not a great time” but as it evolved into a tactical race, he was able to hang in to make the standard.

“I’m happy to be 100 percent healthy,” he added. “I’m not in 100 percent in great shape but it’s just a matter of myself coming back from the lay-off. I haven’t been back on the track much yet because my new coach has me taking it slow.

“I just see tomorrow as a race to see where I’m at. I’ll just stick my nose in for as long as I can, like I do every year.”

The festivities get underway with the Primary and Secondary Schools races for boys and girls at 7.30 p.m. Local adult races will then provide the aperitif for the main event, which should begin at approximately 9.00 p.m.