THE PartnerRe Women's 5K Run & Walk will this year benefit a charity which has helped thousands of women on the island ? and is likely to assist similar numbers in the future.

Proceeds from the ninth annual event will be donated towards the Bermuda Diabetes Association (BDA), which plans to launch an educational programme to combat female diabetes on the island.

Last year, one-quarter of Bermuda's pregnant women developed gestational diabetes. Additional statistics show one in five women are at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes ? for women over 65, the figure increases to one in three.

To be held on October 15, the hope is that the PartnerRe 5K will again see a huge turnout of participants eager to run and walk to raise money for the cause.

"The Bermuda Diabetes Association plans to launch an educational programme to combat the problem, aimed at both at-risk women and health professionals who treat them," said Debbie Jones, past president of the BDA.

"It will teach women and their families how to control their weight before, during and after pregnancy, as well as how to recognise the symptoms of diabetes and the best forms of treatment. We really appreciate being chosen as the beneficiary of this year's PartnerRe 5K, and we encourage women of all ages to come out and support us."

This year's event will be held at the Botanical Gardens rain or shine. It begins at 8.45 a.m. with a junior girls' 3K race, followed by a 5K run and walk for adult women at 9.15 a.m.

A corporate trophy will be presented to the company with the most employees who finish, while the school with the most participants will receive a $500 cash gift to be put towards sports programmes and equipment. Nearly $10,000 in prizes is up for grabs in various race categories.

"Last year we had 700 finishers, which says a lot about the popularity of this special female charity event," said race director Rose Jones of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club.

"We're hoping to get the same strong support from Bermuda's women this time around."

Since its 1998 launch, the PartnerRe 5K has raised more than $90,000 for female-related causes in Bermuda including programmes to fight heart disease, physical abuse, breast cancer and general initiatives supporting the treatment of women's health.

Entry forms are available at the Sportseller, Winners Edge and Sports R Us. They can also be downloaded ? www.partnerre5k.bm. The deadline for entries was on Wednesday. Registration will take place on the day before the race, Saturday, October 14, at the Jack King (Poultry) Building in Botanical Gardens where entrants can collect their numbers. Gift bags and T-shirts will be given to the first 1,000 registrants.