in the first triathlon event of the season on Saturday.

The pair, who finished first and second in the national duathlon championships last month, will resume their rivalry at Clearwater Beach, in the Tri Gatorade Sprint Triathlon.

But on Sunday, they will join forces in the Tri Gatorade Team Triathlon, at the same venue.

But six athletes from the New York University Triathlon Club could provide some strong opposition for the two 16-year-olds, even though Scott Willett, who won the event last year, will not be among them.

The duathlon run/bike/run format favoured Butterfield, but this time Herring should have a better chance in the 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre cycle and five-kilometre run event.

Herring, a former Bermuda national squad swimmer, will hope to gain sufficient time on Butterfield in the swim to hold him off on the final run.

Olivier Martin, who has shown some excellent early season form, stands a good chance of third place.

Laurie Orchard will start favourite for the women's category, especially in the absence of Melanie Claude, last year's winner, and Julia Hawley, who is injured.

New Yorker Jamie Alford, Clare Morrall, Sarah Manuel and Kim Mason, hot favourite to retain her over-40 title, will be others to watch.

The over-40 men's division will be competitive with Granville Gibbons, Andrew Doble and Jim Butterfield all in contention.

The event will start at noon after a junior triathlon for athletes aged seven to 14.

On Sunday teams of one swimmer, one cyclist and one runner will compete in the 1,500-metre swim, 40-kilometre cycle and 10-kilometre run event.

A tough team to beat will be Tim Dewailly, Jonathan Herring and Tyler Butterfield.

Dewailly is new on the Island, but has already shown he can compete with the best open water swimmers, while Herring is the top time trial cyclist in Bermuda this year and Butterfield is in the top four 10K runners.

In the women's category, Karen Hackenberg, Heather Brand and Georgia Belboda and Kris Cash, Sarah Manuel and Michelle Hammond should be trios to watch.