by JUSTIN MARVILLE

PHILIP LAGAT is ready to run Barbados again.

The half-marathon record holder and former 10K champ makes his belated return to next month's Powerade Run Barbados Series after a late arrival forced the indomitable Kenyan out of last year's competition.

Lagat's participation and details of the three-day series were revealed yesterday by marketing executive of the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) during a Press conference at the BTA's offices on Harbour Road.

An internationally renowned distance runner, Lagat, the 2007 winner of the Scotiabank Half-Marathon and Nature Valley 10k events, headlines a strong eight-man Kenyan contingent which includes his wife Penina Sawe and last year's "double crowned" champ Robert Kiprotich Letting.

And the African delegation won't be restricting themselves to the 10k and half-marathon this year, adding the 26-mile marathon to their schedule as the Run Barbados Series prepares to host a record number of at least 450 overseas participants, with a marked growth from Canada especially.

"We're expecting those numbers to increase [because] we did a lot of marketing in the region," said Winston Carter, marketing officer, sports.

"[And] the biggest increase in numbers is expected from Canada and those numbers should be in excess of 200 [people]. We're also hoping to get that increase in local participation as well."

Even the Caribbean Schools' Relay will be boosted by an increase in overseas competitors as teams from St Vincent, St Lucia, Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago have confirmed their participation in the race.

However, the series will suffer from the notable absence of the defending marathon champ Amy Chalk and last year's 10k and half-marathon title holder Wendy Nicholls.

But even without their presence, Carter still anticipates a more competitive series with the bigger Kenyan contingent.

"We expect the marathon to be more competitive, especially in the women because we find that most [of the Kenyans] would have just run the 10k and the half while just two ran the marathon, but now we have about four including Lagat's wife," added Carter.

No major changes in routes, events or prize money have been made to the $500 000 three-day series, which begins on December 4 with the Midnight Fun Mile in St Lawrence Gap and concludes two days later with the marathon, slated to start on Bay Street at 4:30 a.m.