OVERSEAS athletes who swelled the ranks of this year's Bermuda International Race Weekend have given the event ¿ and the island ¿ glowing praise.

Throughout the three-day festival of running it was impossible not to hear dozens of complementary remarks from athletes taking part who had arrived from both sides of the Atlantic.

For Ray and Sandy Leone, from Washington State, the friendliness of the people they met and the professionalism and thoughtfulness they saw in the way the races and the awards ceremony were handled has made their Bermuda experience something to treasure.

"One of the great things about the 10K and the half marathon was seeing all the people cheering you on from in front of their houses. And people started to talk to you when they heard you were doing the races ¿ I've never been anywhere where the local community are so into the event and talk to you about it, even on the ferry each day and in the restaurants," said Ray, who completed the half marathon version of the Triangle Challenge and picked up awards as third-placed man in the 50-59 age category in both the 10K and half marathon.

It is exactly 30 years since Ray last competed in Race Weekend during a visit to Bermuda in 1979.

For Sandy it was a winning weekend as she also completed the Triangle Challenge and was first woman in the 50-59 category in the 10K and second in her age group in the half marathon.

"We had no idea people would be cheering us along the way," she said. "And after we had finished someone came up and asked us how we had done ¿ it was so wonderfully warm and personal. And everyone is so polite.

"They had such a nice awards presentation and party afterwards. They really honoured the event. We have been to places where they just hand out the awards from a booth."

Her husband Ray added: "The Bermuda kids were highlighted in a special way in the mile races, and at the awards they did not forget that Bermudians had run hard and they too got awards. The locals here are acknowledged in the mile and at the awards night and worthily so. I like what the BTFA (Bermuda Track and Field Association) has done."

In fact the only thing that didn't go quite to plan was not getting to see the elite men's mile race as they had to rush back to the ferry terminal to catch the last boat back on Friday evening to the Salt Kettle Guest House, and only wished there was a slightly later ferry departure that night.

At the guest house the Leones met fellow runners Heather Brain and Juliet Kingsford, both from Dorset in southern England. They became instant friends and shared the race weekend experience with them.

"I've loved it ¿ the country and the people," said Heather, who took part in the half marathon and finished only three minutes outside the top three places in her age group.

"The course was undulating, although we have been training on some horrendous hills. I was just enjoying the scenery and the experience."

Her travelling companion Juliet had the extra boost of running close to women's marathon legend Kathrine Switzer throughout the half marathon. She said: "That was my inspiration, she was running 10 yards ahead of me and I worked to keep up although she got away in the last mile.

"Everyone has been wonderful at the event. I just wish I was fitter. I thought the mile races were brilliant with all the people watching and the kids running."

The quartet, together with another runner also staying at the guest house, were drawn to the event by the growing attraction of 'destination races' and for the Leones there was the extra intrigue of testing themselves over three back-to-back races on consecutive days.

Sandy said: "It's fun to go on vacation and have a race thrown in. When I retire that's what I would like to be doing.

"What I liked here was that the races were graduated (in terms of increasing distance each day) and I had never run a mile race before. I ran each race hard. We know that if we come back we will have to do some more hill training."

Ray agreed the mile-10K-half marathon sequence was the right way around, because he is not sure he'd have been able to face the events in the reverse order as it was always his intention to give his all in the longest event where it is possible to make up some real time difference on other competitors. The Triangle Challenge is decided on who has the lowest accumulated time over all the races.

"I was going to run the mile, run the 10K and then race hard in the half marathon. Actually I waited until I reached Flatts Village in the half marathon before I really gave it everything. I was so beat at the end two women had to grab me to keep me up as I went over the finish line."

Reflecting on the weekend, he added: "It is so neat that we met Heather and Juliet here. We actually have had five people, from three countries, taking part in the races and staying at the guest house."

Although there were no ferries or buses earlier enough to get them to the start line for the half marathon on Sunday, they comfortably made it there thanks to the early morning willingness of guest house taxi driver John, one of the many little touches that made the Bermuda experience memorable.

The gratitude and pleasure expressed by the four running visitors who spoke to the Mid-Ocean News was repeated many times over the weekend by other overseas athletes, auguring well for the Bermuda International Race Weekend as it prepares for its 35th year in 2010.

l After the excitement of International Race Weekend runners looking for their next competitive outing do not have long to wait. The Butterfield & Vallis 5K run and walk, which regularly attracts one of the biggest turnouts of competitors, takes place on Sunday, February 1.

There is a shorter race over 2.7K for under-12 boys and girls starting at 9 a.m. followed at 9.30 a.m. by the race for over-13s, adults and walkers.

The event is organised by Butterfield & Vallis and the Bermuda Union of Teachers and entry forms are available from SportsSeller, Sports'R'Us and Butterfield & Vallis. Entries are also taken online at www.bermudatiming.bm.

Competitors will wear race chips. Amongst draw prizes is an American Airlines ticket to the US, pedal bikes and gift certificates. The first 700 participants will receive a t-shirt and goodie bag, and all finishers get a medal.

Entries close on Wednesday January 28 at 4.45 p.m., late entries can be made at number pick-up on Saturday January 31 between 10 a.m. and 12 noon.