About 2,500 people walked, ran, biked, swam, rode horses and rowed their way around Bermuda in this year’s Catlin End-to-End event.In fancy dress, or sweaty shirts and sneakers, participants in the premier charity fundraiser thronged the roads on Saturday.Among them was Pembroke resident Joan Dismont who has walked in each of the 24 annual End-to-Ends.“I’m a widow but I keep busy,” Mrs Dismont said last night. “I love doing the End-to-End and helping others. I’ll be 82 this November, but I had to go out and walk.”This year’s was the first that she’s walked less than the full distance. “I had to attend a funeral,” Mrs Dismont said. “In fact, I did 12 out of the 14 miles I had to consider the time.” She said she had gone most of the way on her own, enjoying the sunshine.Initially nervous that this year’s turnout might be lower, organisers reported “excellent turnout”, according to Stephen Davidson of the End-to-End Charitable Trust Board. About 500 of the participants were children.Many set out at 8am from St George for the full 25 miles. Slightly over half the total participants were Middle-to-Enders, leaving Albuoy’s Point at 10am. Fun walkers headed out from Sandys Middle School at 2pm.Some cyclists undertook an End-to-End-to-End, leaving Dockyard at 8am while everyone else headed west.One cyclist and runner didn’t want fanfare for what could be the most ambitious interpretation of ‘End-to-End’: architect Alex Hammond set out on his bike at 2am, vowing to cover six laps of Bermuda.“I actually miscalculated the distance,” Mr Hammond said. “I covered 152 miles instead of 144. And then I got off and ran a half-marathon, just to get up to 165 miles.”He said he asked his sponsors to contribute the modest sum of 10 cents per mile.“You have to remember, it’s only the first three miles that are the hardest,” he said, adding that he had begun Sunday with a “recovery run” another 13 miles.“That was the longest ride I’ve ever done,” Mr Hammond recalled. “It was definitely an interesting day, or night, or both.”It took him a total of 12 hours to complete.Over recent years, costumes have become an End-to-End tradition; this year’s was no exception.In his bear costume, Warwick Academy geography teacher Ralph Woods made it into many of the day’s photographs.“It’s amazing how many people will give you money if you’re prepared to make an idiot of yourself for a couple of hours,” said Chris Burns of the First Atlantic Commerce Team, who with his colleagues dressed up as a caveman pursuing cyclist Chuck Morgan, in his sabre-toothed tiger outfit.Speaking 24 hours later, Mr Hammond said: “My legs feel fine. But I’m lucky. I was there training for the May 24 race. I’d rather do that than just go out running, for sure.”So far, funds in the region of $190,000 have been donated, with substantially more expected over the next couple of weeks.By about 5pm Saturday, the last stragglers were making their way to the M3 Wireless finish line in Dockyard. Duke of Edinburgh Awards participants had dropped their backpacks and were preparing to camp out for the night.Mr Davidson said a total of about 70 teams joined Bermuda’s journey on Saturday.“We got big corporate teams down to smaller businesses, and families and extended families. I walked a few miles of it myself with my six-year-old son. It was great to see the Spirit of Bermuda going around on the Great Sound. Those last miles in Somerset, all kinds of people come out to yell their support. All those people who turn up every year, and all the people who volunteer to help out, really make the event what it is.”There were 18 stops along the route, each sponsored by a different company, handing out water and fruit, and cheering on participants.Added Mr Davidson: “It’s also a costly event for us to run, which is why we’re so grateful to our big sponsors as well as all our individual sponsors.“Next year it’s going to be our 25th End-to-End, and a week from now we’re going to have our first planning meeting to start putting together the pieces for it.”Over the years the event has raised close to $4 million for charity.To make your contribution to this year’s End-to-End, go to www.bermudaendtoend.bm.