Eli Nixon has vowed to give it his best when he represents Bermuda for the first time at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc, Spain.

Nixon, 28, is one of the more than 1,700 athletes from 70 countries participating at the event and he, is taking on the 45k short trail race, one of four major races at the championships, on Friday

According to the course description on the WMTRC website, Nixon will have to complete 44.5km with 3,657 metres of elevation gain, including an ascent of La Moleta, which involves 1,500 metres of ascent in just six kilometres.

But the intrepid runner has an overwhelming feeling of excitement as he prepares to compete for his country for the first time against some of the best trail runners in the world. .

“This is the first time that I have had the honour to represent Bermuda,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“It can be intimidating going against a lot of the other guys here. I definitely still feel like a newcomer in this sport and many of the other athletes here have sponsorship contracts and a lot more experience.

“When the race starts on Friday, I want to ignore all of that and race my race, but this is an incredible opportunity to be able to race for my country.

“I want to honour that by running the best race I can, to soak up the experience and when it gets hard out there, to keep on pushing.

“Time-wise, we will see how that shakes out. I have a spreadsheet of checkpoints so my girlfriend, Jordan, and my parents know when and where to expect me, but I think I’ll keep those under wraps for now.”

Nixon, from Point Shares, Pembroke, has conducted the bulk of his preparation in Portland, Maine, where he is based.

“My training has been primarily in the White Mountains of New Hampshire,” he said.

“I would really love to get some time on the Bermuda trails soon. A race across the island on the Railway Trail would be a really amazing event.

“I first heard about the 2025 world championships during the last edition that took place in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2023.

“At that time I had been trail running for only about a year, but I was loving the sport and determined to get better.

“In the past two years I have tried to become a student of the sport and the training block for Worlds specifically began in June.”

Nixon, who is studying to become a doctor, also has his eyes on the next event in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2027 and he hopes that his appearance in France might inspire Bermuda to sending a bigger team to that competition.

“I have two brothers, Colby and Tucker Nixon, both are runners and I credit them for getting me into it,” he said.

“The next iteration of the WMTRC will be in 2027 in Cape Town. Between now and then I plan to train hard and my goal is to have the honour to return to WMTRC to represent Bermuda there.

“An even bigger goal would be to have a larger team with me there. With Bermuda’s history in athletics, I think that the two shorter distances, a vertical kilometre 4K uphill race and a mountain classic 14k up-and-down race, would suit our athletes well.

“I would like to thank Freddie Evans and Mia Bean at the Bermuda National Athletics Association, my family, girlfriend and running partners for their incredible support that has gotten me here.

“It is an incredible honour to be here for Team Bermuda and I am wearing the Pink and Blue with pride.”