It was the biggest running and walking event on the Island last year, overshadowing even the May 24 Marathon Derby in terms of the sheer number of participants.

Organisers hope for another spectacular sight at the Botanical Gardens this coming Sunday as hundreds of women take part in the PartnerRe women-only 5k run and walk.

Last October 700 women streamed out of the Gardens onto the surrounding roads to complete three miles in the name of raising money for charity to help other women in Bermuda.

Since the inaugural event in 1998 more than $90,000 has been raised for female-related causes in Bermuda.

That remains the goal this year as money raised by the run and walk, which includes a separate girls? 3k race, will go towards fighting female diabetes in Bermuda.

As if that is not incentive enough there are prizes totally almost $10,000 up for grabs, including a prize draw of a seven night cruise in the Eastern Caribbean.

And everyone who competes can enjoy a free post-event breakfast in the Botanical Gardens.

The idea of women helping women has proved a big incentive for participants of the yearly run and walk at the Botanical Gardens and this year will be the ninth time the event has been held.

By linking up with the annual PartnerRe event the Bermuda Diabetes Association hopes to raise awareness of diabetes in women.

According to the Bermuda Diabetes Association one in five women in Bermuda are at risk of developing diabetes, while this risk increase to one in three for those aged 65 and over.

And in 2005 one quarter of Bermuda?s pregnant women developed gestational diabetes.

?The BDA plans to launch an educational programme to combat the problem, aimed at both at-risk women and health professionals who treat them,? said past president of the BDA Debbie Jones.

?It will teach women and their families how to control their weight before, during and after pregnancy, as well as how to recognise the symptoms of diabetes and the best forms of treatment.

?We really appreciate being chosen as the beneficiary of this year?s PartnerRe 5k and we encourage women of all ages to come out and support us.?

The Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club is once again organising the event, which includes a junior girls? 3k race at 8.45 a.m. followed by the adults? 5k run and walk at 9.15 a.m. on Sunday, October 15.

?Last year we had 700 finishers, which says a lot about the popularity of this special female charity event,? said race director Rosemary Jones, who added the event will be held ?rain or shine? and it is hoped there will be an even bigger turnout than last year.

Amongst prizes on offer will be a corporate trophy to the company with the most finishers and a $500 cash gift for the school with the most participants.

For individuals the prize list is worth nearly $10,000 and includes a grand draw prize of a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise for two on Royal Caribbean?s Freedom of the Seas.

The prizes are sponsored by C-Travel, Apex Construction Management, RMS Construction and Island Construction Services.

The port-race breakfast is being laid on by Butterfield and Vallis with Post Cereal and Dunkley?s dairy products.

Entry forms are available at Sportseller, Winners Edge and Sports R Us or can be downloaded at www.partnerre5k.bm.

The deadline for entries is this Wednesday at 4.30 p.m. and registration will be on Saturday at the Jack King (poultry) building in the Botanical Gardens where entrants will be given their numbers and the first 1,000 entrants also receive a gift bag and T-shirt.