Former Front Street Mile champion Ashley Estwanik will be looking to regain her title next month after clocking the fastest time in trials held over the weekend at the National Sports Centre.

But she's sure to face stiff competition from last year's winner Jennifer Alen after the two runners were separated by just six tenths of a second during the trials.

Estwanik finished in five minutes 29.0 seconds and Alen in 5:29.6.

Alen won this year's race, which Estwanik missed, in 5:24.

However, Estwanik holds the race record after winning the 2008 event in 4:55.4, becoming the first local female to dip under five minutes.

Trials over the weekend were held for male and female runners in four categories – Over-18, Senior Schools, Middle Schools and Primary Schools – with the KPMG-sponsored finals kicking off next month's International Race Weekend on Friday, January 15.

Estwanik's husband Chris, a former Olympic trialist in the US who has broken the four-minute barrier, is expected to run in the Elite Mile along with top Bermudian road runner Lamont Marshall.

That should leave the door for Evan Naude who was the fastest by far in the local Over-18 male group when he clocked 4:35 – 16 seconds better than his closest rival Gary Raynor (4:51).

Last January Evan's twin brother, Riaan, won the final in 4:39 but didn't take part in the weekend trials.

Only the top 20 from each of category qualified for the finals, although just 11 entered the Over-18 female division, meaning that all of them will now go through to the final.

In the Senior Schools group, Ashley Berry looks set to defend her title as she led the trialists in 5:48, having won the 2009 event in 5:20.

Trey Simons was quickest of the Seniors Schools male runners in 4:39.5.

Kyrah Scraders led the Middle Schools females in 5:43.5 and Nakeno Cerighton the male field in 5:43.9.

In the Primary Schools female trials, Quinnae Outerbridge was best in 6:27.5 while in the male Primary Schools event, which attracted the largest field of 58, Haile Eve was fastest in 6:01.2.

Full trial results – see Scoreboard Page 26.