A trio of evergreen Bermudian businessmen proved road running is not strictly a domain for the young and sprightly after completing one of the oldest and most famous marathons in Europe.

Veteran runners Giorgio Zanol, Stephen Dunkley and Ian Coles put their bodies on the line by taking on the gruelling and punishing “IL Passatore” marathon in Florence, in Italy, last weekend.

The race covers a staggering 100 kilometres in distance — the equivalent of running Bermuda’s May 24th Half-Marathon Derby five times.

Coles, 53, who just six weeks ago completed a 150-mile run across the Sahara Desert in Morocco, was the first of the threesome across the line in a time of 12 hours and 40 minutes, placing him a credible 310th out of the 1,300 starters.

Dunkley, 47, followed him in 13 hours seven minutes and Giorgio Zanol, 66, in 14 hours one minute.

Coles, owner of Bermuda Marketing Limited, admitted conditions at the start of the race were testing with the temperature over 90F with high humidity.

“The race started at 3 p.m. and we ran through the night, so as the sun set and we climbed into the Tuscan Hills, it became more comfortable for running,” he said.

“We had two enormous climbs, the highest of which was 3,000 feet over 15 kilometres.

“When you consider that the highest point of land in Bermuda is only 200ft, you realise how difficult it is to prepare physically for an event of this nature.

“But you can prepare mentally for ultra endurance events such as this and one of the keys is to learn to be patient knowing that you can overcome whatever may be put in front of you in the race.”

Dunkley’s performance was particularly impressive given that he was one of the biggest men in the field and his physique isn’t normally associated with long distance running.

But the Bermuda Diabetes Association may be the biggest winner with Zanol raising an estimated $40,000 by completing the run.

“At my age I approached this as more of an adventure than a race,” conceded Zanol, who is the managing director of Lindo’s.

“It was so important for me to finish, so I paced myself slowly and took my time at all the aid stations, that were placed every five kilometres.

“I’m looking forward to presenting a cheque to the Bermuda Diabetes Association shortly and want to thank all my sponsors who inspired me to enter and finish this race. It was an extraordinary experience”.

Last year the trio, known as ‘Team Bermuda’, completed the London Marathon to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

[bul] Over a hundred athletes from across the Island will be descending on the National Sports Centre today to take part in the National Track and Field Championships.

Organisers envisage this year’s event as being the start of a new era for the once prestigious competition, which has fallen off the Bermudian radar in recent years.

A paltry turn-out of competitors made a mockery of last year’s contest — just three or four athletes battled it out in some of the disciplines.

But the Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) have responded by ringing the changes and hope the 2007 championships will draw a line under last year’s fiasco.

Many subtle alterations have been made by the association to increase interest and attract more competitors, including increased sponsorship, award ceremonies, properly attired officials and a live commentator.

Budding athletes from primary, middle and high schools, including those not affiliated to local clubs, have also been targeted to perform.

While road running on the Island has continued to prosper with the May 24 Half-Marathon Derby enjoying an impressive field of over 600 runners, the track and field showpiece has struggled to capture the imagination in recent years.

But event organiser, Donna Watson, is hoping for a much improved turn-out this year and has urged those runners who took part in the Bermuda Day Marathon to also sign up and compete.

The championships start today at 10 a.m. with action also slated to begin at 3 p.m. tomorrow.