Although he has been involved in athletics since he was ten, Matthew Sharp has only been running seriously for five months.

Previously, he competed professionally as a triathlete on the ITU circuit. He did occasional road races to break up the gruelling triathlon training.

However, the switch of focus to running has paid off. Last month he ran the fastest time of the year in Britain for a five miles road race, winning the Victory 5 in Portsmouth in 23:41.

He was third in the Great South Run, a 10-mile race also in Portsmouth, where he ran 48:18. And two months ago in Leeds he set a lifetime best for 10K of 29:31.

“I really prefer the longer distance and I am currently taking some time out from triathlon as I want to run a fast time in the marathon,” he said.

“My training has been going very well, I am still learning a lot and slowly increasing my running mileage.

“Racing in Bermuda will be a welcome break from the chilly British weather and be good motivation for the 2017 season.”

He added: “I will be racing in the 10K and I’m looking for a good result. My aims for the 2017 season are to run well in the London Marathon and to improve my times over the half-marathon and 10K.”