Top athletes from across the world are coming to Bermuda for an international triathlon event in October.

Escape to Bermuda — a gruelling combination of swimming, cycling and running — was yesterday described as another great sporting coup for the Island by Sports Minister Randolph Horton.

Competitors will jump into the sea from ferries off the West End before swimming one mile to Dockyard on October 21.

They will then climb on their bikes and ride 24 miles along South Road to St. George's, before embarking on a six-mile run on trails hugging the north coast of St. George's Island to complete the Olympic standard Triathlon.

Prize money totalling $40,000 is up for grabs for professional entrants, while amateurs can compete for a coveted slot at the 2008 Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, in San Francisco.

Professional athletes confirmed to race in Bermuda include former US National Champion Matt Reed, this year's Escape from Alcatraz champion Andy Potts, last year's Alcatraz champion Becky Lavelle and Australian Olympic athlete Simon Thompson. Organisers hope Bermuda's Flora Duffy will also take part.

Officially announcing the contest at a press conference yesterday, Acting Tourism Director Jasmin Smith said the Department of Tourism had spent months securing the event, which it is hoped will become an annual fixture.

It joins the PGA Grand Slam of Golf — expected to star Tiger Woods — and the prestigious Gold Cup sailing event on the Island's calendar for October.

Mr. Horton said the televised race would be available to 66 million television households across the world, giving Bermuda vital exposure and a boost for its tourism product.

"This year, perhaps more than any other year in our history, Bermuda is an international sport destination," said Mr. Horton.

"That reputation is further cemented today as we officially announce the inaugural Escape to Bermuda triathlon.

"As Minister for Sport I think I can officially say that our friends at the Department of Tourism have made our country an athlete's paradise — a place where sportsmen and women can come to work and play, train hard and relax even harder.

"The course they have in mind will literally cover Bermuda from west to east, from Dockyard to St. George's square. And there will be television cameras along the way to capture every moment of the action, and every breathtaking detail of our island.

"The buzz for the Escape to Bermuda triathlon is already reaching a fever pitch inside triathlon media circles. This inaugural event is seen as an instant mega-player on the triathlon scene."

Ms Smith said: "Back in 2005, Minister of Tourism, and now Premier Ewart Brown, told the public of a conscious effort underway to attract highly marketable events to our shore so that we could use those events to capture new visitors. That is exactly what you see happening right now, particularly with this event and the Grand Slam of Golf."

One of the organisers, James Leitz, of IMG World, said: "This will be an international event; it will be successful; it's going to be a lot of fun. It will become a fixture on the international sports stage."

The event is being sponsored by Bank of Bermuda, Ace and Fairmont Southampton.

A Bermuda Shorts Sprint Triathlon and Kids Race for young athletes will be held on October 20, featuring a 750-metre swim, 20,000-metre bike ride and 5,000-metre run from Clearwater Beach.

For more information, visit www.escapetobermudatriathlon.com