Two of the biggest names in Bermuda road racing will be missing from this weekend's series of international races.

Kavin Smith, who has reigned supreme at almost every distance from 5K to full marathon over the past three years, says he wants to "take a break.'' And Steve Burgess, the local runner who has done more than anyone to help relieve the Bank of Butterfield of the $10,000 bonus for a sub-four minute mile, will be absent from Friday's elite event on Front Street because of injury.

Smith's name is missing from the entry list for the Mile, 10K, Half-Marathon and full Marathon, and although he still has time to submit a late entry, he said yesterday he had no plans to take part in any of the races.

"I'm not motivated to do it right now,'' Smith replied when asked if he planned to be a late entry.

"This is my 20th anniversary of running so I'm taking it easy.'' Smith, who was rumoured to be preparing for Sunday's 26.2 mile marathon, suffered a rare defeat last Saturday when he was beaten into second place at the national cross-country championships by Jay Donawa.

However, a week earlier he easily defended his Princess to Princess road race title, winning the 7.1 mile event by almost two minutes.

Burgess, who has acted as the elite race `rabbit' since 1991 in hopes of pacing one of the top milers under four minutes, confirmed yesterday that he would miss the event because of an ankle injury that has not healed properly.

"At the press conference Phil (Guishard) announced that I was going to be doing it but he was unaware of my injury,'' explained Burgess.

"We thought maybe it was a 50-50 chance but the ankle is still too sore. It's been nine weeks.'' Burgess suffered the injury while jogging to the Botanical Gardens, twisting the ankle as he jumped onto a wall to avoid a truck that was turning.

The past year was not a good one for Burgess as regards injuries. Early in 1996 he suffered a leg injury after being run off the road by a taxi while cycling, and that kept him out of action for a month.

These days the Bank of Butterfield elite mile is the major race on Burgess' calendar, as he takes up the challenge of setting a fast enough pace over the first half of the event to put the top overseas runners on course for the $10,000 bonus. It has been on offer for a number of years but with no takers.

"It took some time for locals to understand what I was doing,'' explained Burgess who was seen sprinting out in front at the start and then walking back to the finish.

"To make it legal the `rabbit' must be entered in the race, so I have to come in as an official runner and wear a number.'' Burgess, who holds the Bermuda record for the 800 metres -- 1:47.64 which he set in 1985 in Atlanta while a student at the University of Georgia -- is one of the best equipped to handle the `rabbit' duties.

"No one wants to lead the race, so if a `rabbit' is doing the pacing then the others can relax knowing that the pace is being controlled,'' explained Burgess, who won the local mile in 1990.

"All these guys who have run the elite mile are used to following `rabbits' in track races. I've gotten together with Michal Bartoszak ('93,'94 winner) on the night before, gone down to the bird cage corner and tried to look at how much time we would lose and it becomes like a science.'' Needless to say, Burgess stood to gain financially if, through his pace-setting efforts, one of the runners picked up the bonus.

"Now, `rabbits' can also win the race and that would be something,'' he said.

"I've had locals say `man, go and get that $10,000'. The thought occurred to me one year to get myself in really good shape and really put a scare in these guys by still being with them at three-quarters-of-a-mile.

"My fastest in college was 4:06, so technically I could get myself close to that but it would be something to still be in the race at three-quarters-of-a-mile.'' Burgess will still have a keen interest in proceedings on Friday night as 18 runners whom he coaches, from primary girls to local men, will be participating.

"This is the first year I've had that wide a range, so maybe it's a blessing, that maybe this year I was meant to be a coach,'' he added.

"The injury has given me a new perspective, I hadn't been injured through college so, while there is no better time than another, in terms of being injured I can live with it now.'' DOUBLE BLOW -- Kavin Smith (left) says he has no plans to race this weekend while elite mile `rabbit' Steve Burgess (right) has been ruled out through injury.