``I will, however, be jogging it,'' he said.

``I call it running but others normally call it jogging.''

The exuberant lawyer, better known for his talents in the court room than his athleticism, will not only be making his sixth appearance in the race, but will also be joined by his Hobart- based son Scott.

Although Scott, 21, who is in his fourth year of law at the University of Tasmania, says he's quite keen to join his father's practice some day, it appears he's not quite as eager to stick by his old dad during the race.

Scott and Greg have run the10km dash together three times before and each time the younger Richardson has beaten the elder home.

But the rivalry is good-natured, with Greg readily admitting his son's superior fitness.

``I'll be lucky to get within 20 minutes of him,'' he said.

Greg said he finished somewhere in either 700th or 800th place last year and would probably do the same this year.

``But I will finish,'' he said.

``It may take me anywhere up to an hour, but I will get there.''

With prizemoney totalling $30,000 and an anticipated field of 1200 competitors, this year's Burnie Ten is expected to live up to its reputation as one of Australia's premier road races.

The event has previously attracted world- class athletes from both interstate and overseas and this year will be no exception with runners flying in fresh from the Commonwealth Games and also Ethiopia, Morocco and South Africa.

This year's favourites for female champion include Hobart's Kylie Risk, a silver medallist in the 10km event at the Commonwealth Games, top national five and 10km Victorian runner Natalie Harvey, and defending champion Kate Anderson, of Victoria.

Favourites in the men's category include Ethiopian Mizan Mehira, who came second in last year's event, Ethiopian Sisay Bezebah, who was second in this year's City- to-Surf in Sydney, and third placegetter in last year's event Lee Troop, of Victoria.

Mehira and Bezebah are both enrolled at the Australian Institute of Sport and are applying for Australian citizenship.

This year's event will again carry the added prestige of being an accredited course for national rankings.