International Race Weekend -- just a week away.

With the exception of popular Irish miler Marcus O'Sullivan, the list of elite runners for next weekend's four events -- released yesterday -- lacks many of the major international names traditionally attracted to the Island.

And overall numbers have also dwindled, with a total of 1,062 entries -- 745 from overseas -- received as of Monday for the three distance events, down from the 1,103 that had been accepted by the same date a year ago.

But officials yesterday cautioned not to read too much into that.

"Due to the backlog in the arrival of Christmas mail in Bermuda, we anticipate receiving a number of late entrants in the 10K, half-marathon and marathon,'' Bermuda Track and Field Association president Judith Simmons told a press conference at the Bank of Butterfield, the event's title sponsor.

And race committee chairman Phil Guishard noted Bermudians' tendency, for strategic reasons or otherwise, to enter at the last minute, despite the additional cost involved.

Meanwhile, two of the invited athletes -- 10K runners Anne-Marie Lauck and Muchipiwa Mazano dropped out on Wednesday -- leaving 30 to lead the charge for the $25,000 in prize money, not to mention some $40,000 in bonuses.

That number is the same as last year, although the 1997 field included the likes of Elana Meyer, Anthony Whiteman, Steve Nyamu and Eddie Hellebuyck.

While this year's list includes for the first time athletes from Gabon, Somalia, Tunisia and Ukraine, it probably doesn't have the same depth or star quality of previous years.

Guishard conceded the field for next Friday's night's Front Street Mile could be better but said the overall calibre of athletes was "comparable'' to last year.

"I don't think there's an appreciable difference,'' he said.

O'Sullivan, who held off Whiteman down the stretch a year ago for his second straight win, figures to have the mile all to himself.

Nyamu and Paul Evans -- 1-2 in last year's men's 10K -- aren't coming, leaving Kenya's Johnstone Kipkoech and James Bungei as the likely favourites.

Guishard termed the loss of Lauck, a three-time winner here who ran into a conflict with a scheduled race in Japan, "immeasurable.'' Kenyan Salina Chirchir, third a year ago, and Canadian Carol Howe now figure to fight for the title.

In the marathon, the Plykin twins, who were 1-2 last year, dropped out two weeks ago but another Russian could be ready to take their place. Edward Toukbatullin, who in 1997 ran a 2:12 to place third in the Hamburg Marathon, has his sights set on the course record 2:21:30 set in 1996 by Alexander Gurin.

Americans Kim Goff and Roxie Erickson, last year's winner, are back to renew their rivalry on the women's side.

Guishard said the timing of the event -- International Race Weekend falls very early in the race calendar -- makes it difficult to attract middle-distance runners.

"They know if they come here they will want to do their best and run hard so a lot of them are fearful of injuring themselves,'' he said.

Bonus money -- including $10,000 for breaking the four-minute mile barrier -- in this case works against organisers. As well, officials do not pay appearance money.

Small changes to the course do nothing to improve the chances of giving away the bank's money this year.

For the Front Street Mile, an international course measurer was brought in to certify an adjustment that has runners turn at the west side -- or exit lane from the docks -- of the Longtail statue. This required a correspondingly slight adjustment to the start-finish line.

Road improvement schemes means 10K runners will start next Saturday on Parsons Road, a few yards west of the Southeast gate of National Stadium. The finish is is about half-way along the Eastern straightaway of the track.

For the second year in a row, ESPN will not telecast the race but Guishard did not think this had any bearing on which, or how many, athletes attend, noting the Island and event still get plenty of exposure.

Race Weekend's top athletes MILE Ibrahim Aden Somalia James Bungei Kenya Rueben Chesane Kenya Daniel Hill Australia Johnstone Kipkoech Kenya Jean-Paul Leandro Gabon Marcus O'Sullivan Ireland Karl Paranya United States Paul Freary England 10K Salina Chirchir Kenya Senoria Clarke United States Carol Howe Canada Tania Jones Canada Phil Barker England Brad Hudson United States Farid Khairullin Russia Charles Mulinga Zambia Rachid Tbahi Morocco Christian Weber Canada Paul Freary England James Bungei Kenya Daniel Hill Australia Johnstone Kipkoech Kenya MARATHON Roxi Erickson United States Kim Goff United States Gillian Horovitz England Valentina Lyakhova Russia Yelena Plastinina Ukraine Mikhail Kokorev Russia Anatoliy Korepanov Russia Neji Makhlouf Tunisia Jerod Neas United States Nikolic Srba Yugoslavia Edward Toukhbatullin Russia MARCUS O'SULLIVAN -- the defending mile champion is one of the few big names lined up for International Race Weekend.