Breaking a remarkable three national track records in the space of just 40 days has confirmed that Lamont Marshall is in the best form of his life as he prepares for the May 24 Half-Marathon Derby.The Devonshire athlete rounded off a stunning national record-breaking hat-trick when he competed in the Penn Relays, the biggest track and field meeting in the US, and shattered the Island’s long-standing 10,000m record by running the distance in 30 minutes and 20.54 seconds.Now he is focused on challenging for Bermuda’s most prestigious road racing crown when he laces up for the 102nd annual May 24 road race from Somerset to Hamilton.“He’s in the best shape of his life. Having broken three Bermuda records in such a short space of time, particularly the 10,000m record, it sets him up for May 24. To run an average of 4.52 per mile in a six-mile race gives him confidence,” said Marshall’s father and coach Larry Marshall Sr.He believes his son is now capable of running a time of 1.09.40 or 1.09.50 in the half-marathon. Last year only three-time reigning champion Chris Estwanik ran faster than 1.10.“Chris will be in the 1.08/1.09 area and that’s what Lamont will aim at because that’s the type of performance that is needed to win the race. It should be a closer contested race this year,” said Marshall Sr.“We respect what Chris has done in past years. He’s always been sub-1.10, which is remarkable considering the race conditions and the course.”It had gone midnight in Philadelphia when Marshall scorched to his third national record in six weeks during the Olympic Development 10,000m race at the Penn Relays last Thursday. The event was pushed back by more than an hour because of delays in scheduled track races earlier in the day.By the time the large field of runners assembled on the start line the conditions were near perfect, at around 65 degrees and with virtually no wind.The number of athletes in the race forced Marshall to run wide in the second and third lanes for the opening laps until the field started to string out. He ran mile splits that ranged from 4.47 to 4.58, reaching six miles in 29.13.“When I saw that time I knew he only needed to run 76 seconds for the last lap to take the record. But he was flying he ran the lap in 67 seconds,” said Marshall Sr.Boston’s Brian Harvey won the race in 29.39. Marshall was seventh overall. His time was 24 seconds faster than his own personal best, set at last year’s Penn Relays, and was nine seconds quicker than Kavin Smith’s national record, set in Grimsby, England in 1995. It was Marshall’s third national record in the space of six weeks, a record-breaking streak that started on March 19 when he set new figures for the 3,000m at the 49er Classic in North Carolina, when he ran 8.25.15.He followed that up on April 8, beating his own 5,000m national record at the Duke International event in Raleigh, North Carolina, when he ran 14.27.Now all eyes are on the May 24 Half-Marathon crown with Marshall expected to go head-to-head once more with friend and occasional training partner Chris Estwanik a former US Olympic team triallist and the undefeated May 24 champion of the past three years.Marshall Sr said: “Chris and Lamont have developed an excellent friendship. We appreciate the track sessions where Chris has made himself available and helped to push Lamont to a different level. Those workouts are very helpful and having a quality athlete resident on the Island you could not ask for more.“Doing speedwork it makes all the difference when there are two people instead of one. Chris also shares tips. He has been a godsend.”Marshall has been training consistently and putting in nine or ten sessions each week, which means doubling up on his workouts on some days of the week. His father notes that he is recovering from those workouts quicker, and achieving better results.In the past five years Marshall has consistently finished in the top three in the May 24 race, including taking the runner-up spot. But he has yet to win. His older brother Larry Marshall Jr was the 2007 champion.Marshall Sr said: “We are preparing for a difficult race. Lamont has a chance, but Chris always brings everything to the table and is the three-time winner. Lamont will put everything on the line. He’s in the shape of his life and has just broken these three Bermuda records.“He’s going for a 1.09 and if that doesn’t get him to the top of the podium I don’t know what will.”