FRONT street will be packed tonight when the numerous mile races are staged to kick off International Race Weekend. And those mile races will be crowned by the KPMG Invitational Mile featuring top runners from around the world.

While Bermudians are expected to cheer on local runner Chris Estwanik in the Invitational, one of the island's veteran athletes believes it could all come down to a fight between Abraham Ng'Etich from Kenya and Abiot Endale from Ethiopia ¿ both in Bermuda for the first time.

Otis Robinson, who is one of the favourites for the local men's race, recently competed in a mile race with Ng'Etich and Endale in New Hampshire ¿ a race which Endale won with the Kenyan coming second.

"Endale looks in very good form," said Robinson who often runs abroad and has befriended many of the international athletes.

Three weeks ago Ng'Etich and Endale were two of five top runners who travelled from New York City to Londonderry, New Hampshire for the 10th annual Millennium Mile.

Endale finished in 3:59 and said afterwards: "I liked the course. I've never run a course like that before."

And it wasn't just Endale and Ng'Etich who were competing in Londonderry that will be coming to Bermuda this weekend.

The women's winner, Salome Kosgei who finished in 4:36, will be competing tonight in the first ever Invitational Mile for Women. The Kenyan will be one of six elite female runners ¿ the others hail from Jamaica, Ukraine and Australia.

Asked whether the magic four-minute mark can be broken with the winner collecting the $10,000 prize money, Robinson said: "You have to have guys who have done sub 3.53 miles ¿ and you need at least three or four of them. It can be done. But in Bermuda the Front Street Mile becomes a technical race ¿ every year it becomes a technical rae. I have seen where they get to the half in 1:59 or 2:00 flat and that not quite good enough. You need to get there in 1:55 or 1:56 and come back in a minimum of 2:20. That second half can take it out of you."

Robinson said tonight's Invitational will be tight. "There are a lot of good runners here. At a guess I would have to pick Endale, Ng'Etich and Neil Speaight as the top three and in that order. I think Chris could come fourth ¿ it should be a good fight between him and James Thie. I saw Chris up at the stadium the other day and he looked explosive ¿ I think he is in better shape than last year so he will be in it ¿ he will be in the top four or five."

Robinson said he assumed that the mile race in New Hampshire was the last competitive outing that Endale and Ng'Etich have run. "Endale has had a good IAAF season. Last year he did a 1500 and won in 3.45. He immigrated to New York two years ago and is only 22 and he takes it seriously. I have talked with him and knew he was very keen on getting to Bermuda and racing. Like Abraham, this will be his first time here and I think it will be between him or Abraham ¿ one of them will probably win it."

The others in the Invitational tonight are Ryan Woods from the US, Haron Lagat from Kenya and Oleksander Velychko from the Ukraine.

Of his chances of winning the local men's race, Robinson was very upbeat.

"I ran a pb in New Hampshire ¿ 4:43. I feel excellent ¿ I am in pretty good shape ¿ pretty good mile shape. I think I have a good chance of winning the local mile although I think it will be a close one with Riaan Naude who is a past winner. And Craig (Rothwell) is always a threat. I have never come to Front Street at my best. Last year I had a bad case of fatigue syndrome ¿ I came in and gave it all I got. A month later my body crashed. This year I feel a lot better."