Bermuda?s End-to-End charity walk has been featured prominently in America?s number one selling active lifestyle magazine for women.

Complete with colourful pictures of the Island, the article in the November edition of Shape magazine has already generated a number of enquiries from the US where the journal sells 1.5 million copies each month.

It is encouraging readers to visit the Island and take part in the annual one-day hike in May, which starts in St. George?s and ends in Dockyard and now also includes a choice of shorter options for those not up to tackling the full distance.

Event organisers are overjoyed with the prominent exposure and as a result of the article there has already been a number of e-mail enquiries from people in the US.

?We?re delighted by the coverage and that Bermuda was highlighted and represented. I?m sure it will be a boost for tourism,? said Anne Mello, chairperson of the End-to-End event.

The magazine was put in touch with Mrs. Mello through the Bermuda Department of Tourism. Writer Ann Shepphird visited the Island to try out some of the walks along the Nature Trail for herself and said Shape magazine was promoting activity holidays for women.

The End-to-End event has been held annually for the past 18 years, having started off as a crazy bet among friends to see if they could complete a trek from the east end of the Island to the west end.

Around 1,500 people took part in the 18th event this year, either walking the entire way or using one of a number of other sports, such as kayaking, to complete the journey and help raise $230,000 for six Island-based charities. One of the reasons the event was started in the 1980s was to give a ?voice? to the then newly opened Railway Trail.

Stephen Davidson, one of the End-to-End directors, said: ?It supports Government initiatives to protect the Railway Trail. Anything we can do to make visitors and locals value the Railway Trail as one of our national parks is good.

?It is such a spread out park that sometimes people only think of it in terms of the half-a-mile stretch that is near their house, so they do not value it the same way as places like Camden and the Botanical Gardens.

?Bermuda is greatly in need of places for people to go and exercise and enjoy the outdoors.?

His wife Cecile has written a book Hiking Bermuda: 20 Nature Walks and Day Hikes giving visitors and residents information to find some of the off-the-beaten track walks that can be enjoyed on the Island, of particular use for those who want to build up their stamina before next May?s End-to-End event.

The book has also been given a prominent mention in the Shape magazine article.

Mr. Davidson said: ?Part of the reason Cecile wrote the book was that we are active walkers and we would often see tourists in unusual places where we were surprised to see them, so we thought it would be good to make maps and instructions for others to use.?

He added: ?It is flattering for Bermuda to be included in something like this. We need more activities and events that attract people to Bermuda. The End-to-End attracts visitors to come and enjoy what is here.

?Every year we know there are tourists who come in for the event because they have heard about it by word of mouth. This year there has been interest from the hoteliers wanting to put together packages.?

Charities that benefited from this year?s event were the Open Airways asthma group, Bermuda Stroke and Family Support Association, a riding for the disabled group, Crimestoppers, Age Concern Bermuda and the Sunshine League.

Chairperson Mrs. Mello said: ?Each year we send out information to all registered charities asking them to complete a grant proposal form so that we can decide which charities to support, and we host workshops to help those charities write their grant proposals.?

Details about the 2006 event can be found at the website www.bermudaendtoend.bm.