The Skyport Magic Mile, featuring some of the island’s most promising young runners, is back for the first time in three years.

The event, in its 25th year, will be held on March 5 at the Flora Duffy National Stadium after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is organised by the Bermuda Pacers Track Club and sanctioned by the Bermuda National Athletics Association. The event has each year featured hundreds of young people aged 4 to 15 years old participating in their respective age groups.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Bermuda Pacers Track Club to host the Skyport Magic Mile,” Aaron Adderley, the Skyport president, said in a release. “This is our signature community event, and it was disappointing to have to cancel it for the past two years due to the pandemic. However, we are back this year and eager to celebrate Bermuda’s young athletes.”

The Skyport Magic Mile is part of the company’s continuing investment in the local community. Over the past five years, the operator of the LF Wade International Airport has invested nearly $500,000 to support Bermuda’s young people through education, sport, the performing arts and overall wellbeing initiatives.

The event is designed to promote, ignite and capture children’s interest in running, and to allow public and private schools to showcase their athletes while enabling the Bermuda Pacers Track Club to identify and work with those promising youngsters who want to compete further in track and field.

Cal Simons, the Pacers head coach, said: “The Bermuda Pacers Track Club is thrilled to see the return of the 2022 Skyport Magic Mile after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are extremely overjoyed to have Skyport as the major sponsor. We are also very excited about seeing the junior athletes back on the track. I would like to encourage all athletes to register for the best junior running event in the country.”

Registration is now open with entry forms are available at Sportseller in Washington Mall or on www.racedayworld.com. The entry fee is $15 and must be paid by March 2 for paper entries and by March 4 for online entries. Cheques are payable to Bermuda Pacers Track Club.