There were plenty of proud families at Flora Duffy Stadium as 717 young athletes took to the track for the Skyport Magic Mile on Saturday afternoon.

With extremely close competition in fields all the way from the 4-year-old age group to the 12 to 15 division, there was plenty of budding talent showcasing their ability to the delight of hundreds of family members and friends in what proved to be a fun environment.

Sloane Outerbridge, the 6-year-old girls winner in 3min 45.58sec, earned her family a hearty dinner as a reward from her delighted father. The daughter of former Bermuda cricket captain Stephen Outerbridge, Sloane has been the overall champion in three different age groups since 2024.

“I was really happy to win because I was nervous at the start,” the 6-year-old said.

“I enjoyed the competition, especially the girl who was behind me. I kept on looking back to see if she was going to come and overtake me.

“ I could hear the parents cheering all the way. The support was great as mum and dad were there, and my cousins and grandma were also there to support me.

“In the evening we had dinner to celebrate my victory. That was a gift from my daddy to celebrate my victory.”

The Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club president was impressed with how serious his daughter prepared for her race.

“I’m really proud of her process,” he said.

“Even before the event, she was very eager to sign up and compete and made sure I registered with her early.

“She got a few training sessions in, stayed focused on her preparation, ate well the day before and the morning of her event.

“She kept reminding herself to stay hydrated and drink her water. That level of readiness at her age says a lot.

“It was a real team effort with her mum as well, who has her own running background, and you can clearly see that positive influence.

“More than anything, I’m proud of her mindset, she’s developing discipline, confidence and a real competitive edge. She’s built differently and it’s exciting to watch her growth continue to unfold.”

Zaniyah Perinchief made up for the disappointment of missing the Butterfield Mile trials by securing the 7-year-old girls title in 3:23.36. Her twin sister Zanae was 21st overall in 4:14.21

“I felt nervous and excited about running, but when I saw I was in front, it felt very good,” the 7-year-old said.

“I felt super happy, like I could cry happy tears when I won the race.”

Her mother, Julee Smith, had no regrets about taking time off to watch her daughter racing.

“We’re incredibly proud not only of her win, but of the dedication, discipline and joy she brings to running,” she said.

“We’re excited to see where her determination takes her. Running is something that runs in our family as all of her older sisters competed, but what makes Zaniyah’s achievement so special is that her passion truly sparked on her own.

“She’s so much younger than the rest of them that she never really watched them race, so this love for the sport developed naturally within her.

“Even at just 7 years old, she approaches running with a level of focus and maturity beyond her years. She’s always asking thoughtful questions about strategy, when to pace herself, when to push ahead and she takes every race seriously.

“Before this race, when she heard it was the Front Street Mile, she asked if I had signed her up. When she found out I hadn’t, she was very upset.

“However, she then asked me if she had missed the race she runs in the dark, Dash at Dark. When I told her she hadn’t missed that race, she was happy.”

Before attempting to qualify for the Carifta Games in the 3,000 metres 24 hours later at the same venue, Spencer Haldeman won the boys 12-15 race in 5:15.7. Last month, the 13-year-old broke the Middle School record at Butterfield Mile.

“I really enjoyed the race as I haven’t done it in recent years, so it was a fun experience,” Haldeman said.

“I liked running with my Pacers team-mates but I was saving myself for the Carifta qualifiers on Sunday.

“I was just happy to go to one of these events with athletes as young as 4 years old participating, which I don’t normally do. Overall, I had fun and it was a good experience.

“The conditions were fine even though it was a bit windy. It’s always great to get support from family and my Bermuda Pacers Track Club team-mates.”

Hilary Haldeman, the teenager’s mother who was on the terraces cheering him on, commended her son for the effort he continues to put in his running.

“We are always so proud of Spencer,” she said. “He works so hard and always tries his best and it is wonderful to see him succeed.”

Evelyn Fahy won the girls race in 5:41.20, with her time placing her fourth overall in the boys and girls competition. Maggie Fahy, the 12-year-old’s mother, was delighted by her daughter’s exploits on the track.

“Win or lose, we’re always very proud of her achievements,” she said.

“No matter what, we’re happy that the girls are getting out there and they're trying their best.

“It’s great to have a win, but it’s also very important that she knows what it feels like not to do so well and how to deal with those emotions.

“That goes for any sport or anything that she does in life. In sport, there’s always going to be somebody out there that is going to try to do even better and try harder and train harder.

“We just encourage the girls to try to do as well as they can, so that they don’t have any regrets later.

“It was funny because actually when we looked at the results, there was an option to click on last year's results and she came in first. We had completely forgotten about all that.”

While she was exhausted from swimming earlier, Riana Robinson (6:10.92) finished second in the girls 12-15 race.

“I enjoy being a part of the Skyport Magic Mile,” the 14-year-old said.

“Giving back to my club by running as a “rabbit” for the younger children’s races, then cheering on all the participants.

“Although I was tired by the time it was my turn to race, I stepped onto the track ready to have a fun run and support my track club.”

Cal Simons, the Pacers Track Club head coach, thought it was a perfect occasion for the budding runners to entertain.

“It was such a wonderful event for the young athletes,” he said.

“We hope that all the athletes and parents enjoyed the experience and we look forward to seeing them again next year. We would also like to thank all the sponsors for their continuous support of this event.”