But don’t tell Evans that.

The school teacher has been busy standing in front of the classroom to care and says he’s feeling no pressure ahead of the 21.1km Hobart run to defend his title reign.

“I know it’s a big thing, but for me it’s just another race,” Evans said of Sunday’s run from Wrest Point Casino to the top of Mt Wellington.

“It’s good to support local races. There’s going to be a lot of good guys coming down, including ex-Olympians. It’s going to be a tough race and different to other years.”

Point to Pinnacle director Tim Smith has forecast the sternest test for Evans.

The Launceston 25-year-old’s time of one hour, 27 minutes and 22 seconds last year was his slowest win, but Smith expects times to pick up amid a high-quality field. 

“Dylan definitely has got the most competition he’s had in any of the last four years running,” Smith said.

“He’s always had someone there who has to beat, but he’s got at least five guys there this year that will also be seriously pushing to win.” 

The main challenge arrives in the form of 10,000-metre national record-holder and two-time Olympic finalist Ben St Lawrence. The formidable Sydneysider will bring American wife Katie Conlon.

The couple’s advantage of training together comes on the back of Conlon recently finishing third at the prestigious Six-Foot Track off-road race in the Blue Mountains.

“He has just confirmed a couple of days ago that he’s coming down but bringing his wife as well,” Smith said.

“They’re probably a good chance of potentially winning the men’s and women’s.”

But Evans will be pushed by Nick Earl, who is fresh from a fourth place at this year’s Melbourne Marathon in a time of 2:18:56.

Tasmanian Dejen Gebreselassie returns home after taking seventh at the Commonwealth half-marathon championships at Cardiff and in the process breaking the state record of 1:02:37.

Allan Craigie will attempt to better his second finish in 2016 and fourth last year.

Cameron Wurf, who finished ninth at the Hawaiian Ironman, and Alex Hunt, who won a fourth Freycinet Challenge last month, are the top multi-sport challengers.

Reigning women’s champion Meriem Daoui is back after falling just 58 seconds short of the record last year that Launceston’s three-time winner Kate Pedley holds.

Contenders to Daoui’s title include Georgia Nesbit, who has been in the top five the last three years, and Simone Brick off the 2018 Australian mountain running win.