The Bermuda Triple Challenge is back, with international pros taking part and a new division for America’s Cup teams to compete.

The obstacle race, which raised more than $55,000 for charity last year, has grown by leaps and bounds: participation is up by 30 per cent year over year, according to organisers.

Four professional racers from overseas will join local teams in running, jumping, climbing and crawling through three days of challenges around the Island.

Matt Novakovich, Juliana Sproles, Brakken Kraker and Val Smith, veterans of the international Spartan Race challenge, will provide this year’s international contingent. Jason Correia, one of the event’s founders, said an elite individual division had been created this year to draw interest from other countries and cater to athletes looking for “a pure race experience”.

“We are also extremely excited for 2016 as we have been awarded Obstacle Course Racing World Championship qualifying status,” Mr Correia said.

“The top three male and female elite individuals will be eligible to compete in the World Championships.”

Reid Robinson, a co-director of the Triple Challenge, said the group had been “blown away by the charitable funds the participants raised in 2015”.

Organisers have added extra challenges, as well as invited Anthony Carson, an announcer for the Spartan Race, to emcee all three events.

This year’s participants will raise funds for the Reading Clinic, Knowledge Quest, Raleigh Bermuda, Somerset Primary PTA, the Sunshine League, and SCARS.

The challenge starts with the Argus Urban Foot Race through the streets of St George’s on Friday, March 18, followed the next morning by the KRYS Global Island Challenge hosted by the Bermuda Regiment.

It closes on the Sunday with an assault on Dockyard, the Chubb Royal Challenge. The challenge is sponsored by KRYS Global, Chubb, the Argus Group and the Bermuda Tourism Authority.