Rankin is set for another Titanic effort on the Foyle

The race should attract some of the best local club athletes and recreational runners to the flat, fast riverside course.

Local bragging rights, personal performances and not forgetting Northern Ireland Championship silverware and NI Masters League points are all up for grabs.

The up-front race picture has yet to fully emerge but both established local clubs Foyle Valley and City of Derry Spartans are expected to feature squads which will feature in the battle for honours at the sharp end of the action on the spectator friendly lap course.

Last year’s top two Declan Reed and Scott Rankin, the latter placing third in Sunday’s Titanic 10K, are expected to line up with Keith Shields and possibly Connor Bradley - fourth in Sunday’s Great Ireland Mile in Dublin - others who could feature.

The 2013 female champion, Catherine Whoriskey, is just about to become a first time mother so a new name will 
appear on the 2014 results sheet with no clear contender yet to emerge.

The talented Lifford AC pair Anne Marie McGlynn and Natasha Adams finished top two in the Titanic race with good 35 minutes and 12 seconds and 36 minutes and 21 seconds clockings in the blustery conditions and provided their recent busy racing schedule hasn’t got to them, they could be the big names for tonight’s women’s race.

The NI championship tag will bring in some runners from further afield, Springwell, Orangegrove and East Down have all pre-entered runners.

The NI Masters 2013/14 League also has the Bay Road race as its final scoring event so that will attract some of those still chasing League podium spots, including the local Spartans stalwarts, Jackie McGinley, Hannah Shields, Una Gavan and Paul McCafferty who all are chasing top three League spots in their respective age categories.

Entries will be taken at race headquarters in the UU Magee Sports Centre, Rock Road from 6pm this evening with the race start set for 7.30pm on the Riverside Walkway, close to the KFC site.

Pre-entry can still be made up to 3pm today by emailing, name, gender, age on race day and club if any, to [email protected]

All race packs and payment of the £8/10 euros entry fee can be sorted at race HQ this evening from 6pm to 7.15pm.

The 5K organisers want to point out that all potential 5K runners must be at least 13-years-old on race day, to comply with governing body permit regulations.

The main event will be complemented by a 1K run for children who may be interested in qualifying for the Mini Marathon at the June 1st Walled City Marathon.

Tonight’s 1K will be the second qualifying run for the big June event and entries which are free, will be taken from 6pm at the Da Vinci’s Car Park, the run starts at 7.30pm.