The Old Testament book of Isaiah speaks to how “a child shall lead them”, and so it was that Saturday saw thousands drawn to Flora Duffy Stadium, so they might bear witness to the vibrant spectacle of athletic prowess performed by Bermuda’s youth.

From the opening heat, when four-year-old B Brogden showed steely determination in finishing prominently after twice losing her left shoe, to a climactic final 5,000 metres that saw college student Kallan Richardson produce a storming run to qualify for the Carifta Games, this year’s Skyport Magic Mile was extraordinary.

Aided by the use of two pacesetters, who alternated in their roles, Richardson, a student at St John University in New York clocked 16 mins 25.62 seconds, well under the 16:40 qualifying mark, to book a place in Bahamas this coming spring.

The 16-year-old appeared strong throughout the 12-and-a-half lap test of endurance, a testament to the work he has put in during recent weeks.

“I’m really glad to have run that time, especially as I haven’t been training for it that long,” said the teenager afterwards. “I’m really happy with my progress so far.

“The pacers played a huge role. Just in the manner that I didn’t have to think about positioning a whole lot, but I just had to follow them.

“That along with all the support and the training I’ve put in.”

While Richardson was successful in his goal of eclipsing the set standard, sprinters Lashee Jones, Pria Wilson and Jahstice Grant were unable to attain a similar objective in the Girls Under-17 100 metres largely due to a significant headwind.

The trio fell fractions short of the 12.35 seconds required for an automatic berth, with respective times of 12.66, 12.81 and 13.14.

Such disappointments aside, the eclectic mix of local residents in attendance were held spellbound by the display of raw, grassroots talent.

“I always point to how sport brings everyone together,” said Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) president Freddie Evans, who doubled as master of ceremonies for the 27th edition of the event.

“It’s good to see a full house and much of that is that this event has a long history.

“A lot of people sitting in the stands ran this event, so it reflects all facets of Bermuda’s culture.

“Bermuda Pacers has a tremendous outreach into the schools and into the community.

“Cal Simons is an amazing person. He, along with Wayne Raynor and all of the staff of iolunteers, have put in hard work to make this a great event.”

Among those watching from the stands with keen eyes and special interest were father Shannon Lee and his wife, Taqwa, whose two sons, five-year-old Juma (1:54.95) and seven-year-old Munir (4:52.20), encountered mixed fortunes on the track, with the former earning household bragging rights by virtue of his silver medal, compared with his brother’s 22nd place finish.

“For me, personally I have two sons competing, along with a bunch of nieces and nephews, so I’ve enjoyed myself a lot,” said the father. “The older one said that he got pushed during the race.

“He just went seven and was running with others well into their seventh year, but I’m no less proud of him, as he finished the race, which was the main goal.

“Overall it’s been a beautiful event, being able to watch all of the kids of different ages, from the various schools competing.”

Another family hosting significant fascination to the day’s proceedings was that of Aaron and Paige Eversley, who had made the trek from Somerset to watch the brother/sister duo of London (5:14.56) and Ivy Eversely (2:26.53) test their running skills in the Boys 8-9 Years and Girls 5 Years brackets, with the former placing 11th in Heat 4 while his sister was 10th in her heat.

“It’s a well organised event and the kids love it,” said the mother. “They both look forward to this event every year and make sure to have me sign them up.

“They’ve each done it before and get excited at this time of the year and keep wanting to come back.

“The atmospehere here is special and similar to the most popular events, with airhorns blaring and people cheering on the competitors … it’s really nice.”

Even those having no dog in the fight found great entertainment value in the latest offering of the Bermuda Pacers Track Club, with Stanley Wade, another west end resident, simply out seeking a fun experience.

“The camaraderie among fans of all colours and walks of life is heartwarming to see and hear,” said Wade. “So often we speak of there being two Bermudas and here we are today as a chorus of one encouraging each and every one of our young people that are out here competing with one another.

“It’s a beautiful thing to take in and look to replicate beyond sport in a time when togetherness is much needed.”

Evans highlighted further upcoming opportunities for people to come out in support of track athletes and witness examples of pure speed on the stadium rubber, with a weekend of activity in May that will feature some of the world’s elite sprinters in action at the USATF sanctioned Bermuda Games.

"We have the opportunity again to partner with the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) and USA Track and Field (USATF) to bring back a professional track meet here on May 21, a series Grand Prix event,” said the BNAA president.

“We’ve decided to build on that, so what we will do on the Saturday [May 20] is have a free kids athletic clinic, as an introduction to track and field for those aged 6 to 13, for which we hope to draw 1,000 kids.

“On that Saturday we will also have a sprint event, The Fastest Kid On The Rock, with sprint distances specific to their age group and then, for the first time, we will have the ‘Masters Track Meet’ for those aged 50 and over, including local and US athletes from all over competing, which should make for an exciting weekend.