Jay Donawa is aiming to break a seven-year consecutive streak of second places in the May 24 Marathon Derby next week but realises the competition is as hot as ever with little separating five race favourites.

It is a reflection of the ?so near and yet so far? aspect of the sport that, despite his international-level talent, Donawa has yet to secure the ultimate Island bragging rights by winning Bermuda?s signature event.

This time his race form appears perfect. He won the BTFA Fall Half-Marathon last November in a fraction over one hour 11 minutes and replicated that during January?s Race Weekend half-marathon ? both times only seconds away from his personal best.

And in last month?s RMS Construction 20K race, the final long distance event before the big day and over a distance only half-a-mile shorter than the May 24 route, he set a impressive time of 1:06:55 ? almost a full mile separating him from runner-up Evan Naude.

Last year?s May 24 defeat was particularly hard to take for Donawa as he ran the gauntlet for some critical spectators who chided him for being unable to stay with reigning champion Terrance Armstrong.

In a spur-of-the-moment remark after finishing the 2005 race Donowa responded to the ungraciousness of roadside critics by saying he would never run the race again.

By the following day he had put things back into perspective and regretted allowing himself to become so upset.

?What happened last year is documented. I try to take a positive out of everything and I have moved on from that. There will always be nay-sayers. I expressed how I felt at the time, I let that inner voice get to me, but I was over it the next day,? he explained.

Known to complete up to ten training sessions a week, Donawa has been disciplining himself during the pre-race tapering down period, going out only once a day in order to allow his legs to freshen up and recover for the big day.

?Now feels like the reward period. In the afternoon when I would normally go out for another run I have to force myself to stay in. It feels a bit weird but you have to be disciplined.?

Looking at the opposition, he views reigning champion Armstrong as the man to beat, with brothers Larry and Lamont Marshall and multiple champ Kavin Smith also capable of springing a surprise.

?With Terrance being the champion for the past two years I would say that he is the favourite. He is the man to beat because he has the title. Then there are the Marshalls and Kavin. I have heard that Kavin is competing but I don?t know what he is capable of doing this year.?

In his mind Donawa, who competed in the 2005 IAAF World Cross-Country Championships, has a variety of race plans that he believes will cover most of the likely scenarios come May 24.

?I have some alternatives and have a good idea how I would like to run the race. Hopefully, come race day, I will be able to apply one of these strategies,? he said.

The weather always has a significant bearing on how the race is run. Donawa is resigned to it being hot and humid.

?I?ve accepted that it will be hot and humid, that way I will not be disappointed. If it turns out to be a cool day that will be an unexpected bonus.?

The Marshall brothers, in their early 20s, represent a new guard moving into the top echelon of the Island?s distance running scene. But at 33, Donawa does not consider this year being his last chance to win Bermuda?s ultimate running accolade.

?I?m not looking at this year?s race from a desperation standpoint. Everything takes time and is a matter of patience.

?When I came back in 1996 I was in the same position as the Marshalls. I was the youngster and Kavin was dominating. It has taken a long time to reach this stage. I?ve got a lot of good years ahead of me.?

Donawa expects to step up to tackle the full marathon distance at some stage in the next year to 18 months.

He said: ?That?s something I want to do, but I?m running the shorter distances at the moment and want to master the half-marathon first.?