Carifta stars will be gunning for records and medals this weekend in the National Track and Field Championships ? but a lack of long distance runners is playing on the minds of organisers.

Bermuda Track and Field Association director Mike Watson is predicting an exciting weekend of activity at the National Sports Centre, with competition set to be fierce between the Island?s young guns, particularly over 800 metres in both men and women?s events.

But the absence of experienced distance athletes ? those that have chosen to stick to road running ? is detracting from the competition,? claims Watson,.

?It is a shame these guys aren?t interested,? said Watson, who revealed that the Island?s CAC junior side will be finalised and revealed early next week.

?You?d think the opportunity to compete to say you are a national champion would have been enough to get these guys to come out and compete.

?They could come and join in the 5,000 or 10,000 metres and it could make for some pretty exciting competition. It would have been great, say, to get the top 20 runners from May 24 all competing in the national championships.

?The road racing is all very well, but often they are just competing for the event title and a chance to post good times, surely that can?t compare to being able to walk away from this weekend saying you are officially the best in your country for this year.?

Watson said he had put calls in to leading runners such as Kavin Smith and Jay Donawa to ask them if they were going to take part in the events, that begins at 4. 30 p.m. tomorrow with the girls under eight tennis ball throw and closes at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday with the 4 x 400 relays.

Watson predicted that records could fall in the jump events, currently one of the strongest areas for Island athletes, with Carifta medallists Lovinz Tota, Zindzi Swan and Latroya Darrell all competing.

Around 20 athletes are expecting to be named early next week for the CAC Games team that will be competing in the junior championships in Mexico later this month.

The event, which, like Carifta, is organised in under 17 and under 20 categories, will be one of the last chances for Bermuda athletes to gain qualification times for the World Junior Championships in Italy in July ? Tota, in the long jump, is currently the only Island athlete taking part.