One of Bermuda’s most prestigious triathlons, the National Sprint Championships, will be staged this weekend — with a record number of competitors set to take part.

Around 250 participants are expected to line up at tomorrow’s showpiece event, which features a 750-metre swim, 20 kilometre bike and five kilometre run at Clearwater beach.

The race will see new national champions anointed as neither last year’s men’s nor women’s winners be returning to defend their titles. Rather than pound the Island’s streets, Evan Naude will be sitting his FSA examinations, while Karen Bordage will be overseas for a half-Ironman event.

Bermuda Triathlon Association president, Steven Petty, said he was “greatly encouraged” by the number of competitors who had entered the event. He pointed to the meteoric rise of Flora Duffy, the new darling of the Bermudian triathlon, as an explanation for the bumper turn-out.

“We are delighted with the number of competitors who will be taking part — it will be our biggest ever turn-out.” he said. “It certainly proves triathlon is thriving on the Island.”

He added: “The success story of Flora Duffy has certainly had a positive impact on triathlon in Bermuda.

“Whenever she is back on the Island she is so accessible and gives up her time to coach at various clinics for children.

“Bermudians can really identify with her and having a local athlete shining on the world stage can only aspire youngsters to follow her footsteps.

“Her success has certainly had a knock-on effect on this year’s National Sprint Championships — the record number of competitors is clear evidence of that.”

In the absence of last year’s victors the likes of Kent Richardson and May 24 cycle champion Neil de Ste Croix will be looking to scoop the men’s title, while Kim McCullen and Deana Thompson are among the women’s favourites.

A growing element of the event, being sponsored for the ninth year by insurance broker and management Aon Group, is the team race.

And co-race organiser Ian Fox said he was delighted with the entry numbers as it would be the last event he and fellow organiser Nigel Godfrey would be putting on.

“It’s quite fitting the race will see the largest ever amount of competitors — it’s the last we will organise after nine years,” he said.

Fox’s son, Timothy, who was announced on Wednesday as one of two junior ambassadors to fly the flag for Bermuda at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will also be competing in the race.

A popular junior race for seven to 14-year-olds precedes the main event, with a swim in shallow water, a carefully marshalled bike course and an off-road run.

At the same time a Try-a-Tri race for those 16 or older who want to test a triathlon on a small scale has also been introduced.

Full details of the race, including course maps and entry forms, are available from the website of the Bermuda Triathlon Association at www.bta.bm.

A new series of training sessions are to be held at Clearwater every Thursday from next week. They will be aimed at both elite athletes and beginners and start at 6.30pm.

For more information, call Steven Petty on 293-8221.