SIX top class Kenyan runners will fly into Bermuda next week for International Race Weekend. But most likely they will be arriving from their training bases outside of Kenya which has been rocked by violence since the disputed elections.

In fact a number of top Kenyan athletes based in the country were affected by those deadly riots and one former Olympic star ¿ Lucas Sang ¿ was killed.

Peter Lever, who is in charge of the elite athlete division of IRW and also the race director for the 10K, said yesterday that he believed that those Kenyans coming to Bermuda to race in the Mile, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon were training at bases like the one used by the Africans in New Mexico.

"We have some high quality athletes coming here," said Lever pointing out that world-class runners from the US, Russia, the Ukraine, Uganda, Guernsey, Morocco, Belarus and Ethiopia will join the half dozen Kenyans.

"I am happy to say that in the Elite Mile field we have some high quality athletes. They are very impressive and if the weather cooperates we could see some real excitement on Front Street next week.

"In the 10K, again there is an impressive list of athletes ¿ some of the men have times in the sub 28-minute so that is going to set up a fast race."

Also some of those in the Elite Mile on the Friday night will race in Saturday's 10K. "That 10K should be very exciting," said Lever.

For Sunday's International Marathon and Half Marathon, Lever said: "Although the elite numbers are not as numerous as for the 10K they are a very impressive bunch of people. Our five-time winner El Afoui Boubker (from Morocco) is coming back and he will have some challenges from runners from Belarus, Ethiopia and the Ukraine.

"At first glance the women's list looks a little short on numbers but it more than makes up for that in quality. Some of the women coming here are unbelievably fast. In the 10K for instance Janet Cherobon from Kenya recently ran 32.21 (10K) in Puerto Rico. Up against her is Lioudmilla Kortchaguina who is from Russia but now runs for Canada and a late addition is Florence Jepkosgei from Kenya who will run the 10K and Half Marathon.

The Elite Mile athletes are led by last year's champion Neil Speaight from England and he will be joined by Lee Merrien from Guernsey, Kenyans Haron Lagat, Vincent Rono, Emanuel Chamer, Jackson Kivuna and along with Jon Rankin, Andrew Carlson and Ed Moran from the US, Tonny Okello from Uganda, Evgeni Bozhko from the Ukraine, Said Azouzi from Morocco and the Fairmont to Fairmont race winner last week Chris Estwanik who is from the US but now lives in Bermuda as he is married to top Bermudian runner Ashley (Couper) Astwanik.

In the men's marathon Boubker will be looking for his sixth title but will face stiff competition from Alex Golovnickiy and Edward Gapak from the Ukraine as well as Dimitry Sivov from Belarus and Gurmessa from Ethiopia.

Lever said that the courses have also been remeasured. "Over Christmas period we had our courses recertified (by an IAAF course measurer) and he made some adjustments.

And he also said that they have slightly changed the start and finish lines for Sunday's marathon and half marathon. "They are more spectator friendly," he said.