Jay Donawa has participated in so many May 24 Half-Marathons he’s probably lost count.However, one thing that the Auburn University graduate hasn’t lost is his enormous passion for the annual road running spectacle.“As per normal I’m all signed up and looking forward to May 24,” he declared. “It’s Bermuda’s Day so it’s an opportunity for every runner no matter what level to basically go out there and showcase their skills in front of family and friends and I will be doing the same.”Donawa, who represented Bermuda earlier this year at the NACAC Cross-Country Championships in the Caribbean, regards the 13.1 mile race course used for the half marathon as “unique”.“The course is quite unique in the sense it’s got a hill in every mile so it’s not the easiest of half-marathons to run,” he added. “Nonetheless, I’ve put in the work since January and so from a psychological standpoint I know I can cover the distance, barring any injuries, on the day.”During the course of his running career Donawa has finished runner-up no fewer than seven times but never won it.But these days the veteran runner’s focus is not on winning but rather going out and doing his best and letting the proverbial chips fall where they may.“I’m not really looking at a particular placing or anything. I just want to be as a competitive as I can be at 39 and when I get to Bernard Park I’ll see what position that puts me in,” he said. “Obviously my focus is much different from years gone when the only thing I ever focused on was to win the race.“I’m not saying that’s not important, but at the same time it’s not something I’m putting myself under a lot of pressure with. I just want to be as competitive as I can be on the day against whoever tows the line and see where it puts me.”Last month Donawa put in a solid showing at the London Marathon where he placed 281st in a field of 36,000 runners. He covered the distance in an impressive time of two hours, 43 minutes and 16 seconds and helped raise over $3,000 for the UK charity Sparks, which is an organisation dedicated to funding and championing children’s medical research.Since returning from the UK, Donawa has kept a low profile.“The last three weeks or so I have been trying to maintain my level of fitness I had prior to going to London but also trying to rest,” he said. “So I haven’t raced since London for obvious reasons.“Having moved up to the full marathon and then doing the half is just like an appetiser now even though it (May 24) is still fairly long. But I don’t fear the distance in terms of the 13.1 miles because I’ve doubled the distance just weeks ago.”