The Convex End-to-End charity walk got under way on Saturday with upwards of 2,400 participants walking, running, cycling and rowing their way across the island.

The 24.1-mile route starts in St George’s and ends in Dockyard.

One walker was visiting all the way from China and decided to participate in the fundraising event to see the island.

Ying Gong said: “It’s the first time I have done it. I’m a visitor on this island; I’m here for a week. It’s a very nice island. I wanted to experience it.”

Philip Beytel, Ms Gong’s friend, said: “It’s nice weather for a hike. We still have a while to go. I think we will finish a little late.

“This is the fourth time I have done it. It is a big event for Bermuda; it’s a nice day out with all the stalls, and it’s a nice hike to see the island. I go with colleagues and friends. We’re going to make it to the end, I think.”

Erica Rance, an employee of title sponsor Convex, was running the stand at the Barnes Corner water stop. There was music from DJ Bubbles as well as light refreshments that were being handed out to participants.

Ms Rance said: “Convex is the sponsor, so we wanted to have the biggest party atmosphere. We have Ashley’s Lemonade, we have DJ Bubbles Darrell, we have been giving out oranges and watermelon all day with water. We also have Fluffy Stuff snowballs.

“There were more people this year than we saw last year — crowds of people. It’s been a party atmosphere all day; there were such diverse groups of people.

“The weather held out. We had a few light showers but nothing that dampened the atmosphere. It was a great time. We had the Convex bear mascot from the UK come and join us. We do hope we get voted the best water stop as we tried really hard this year.”

There were so many participants this year that Ashley’s Lemonade, which was set up next to Convex, ran out of drinks.

Ashley Stephens, the owner, said: “It’s been an amazing turnout. We had a delicious purple lemonade and it sold out super fast. We have an infused water with no sugar that everybody loved.

“We are completely done but we are ready for next year. It’s been a lot of fun. There was music by DJ Bubbles, maracas, everybody has a great energy. Barnes Corner is the corner to be on with Convex partying.”

Lativia Hayward was part of a group of students from The Berkeley Institute who were competing as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. She said: “It’s been really good. We enjoyed lots of free food, juices and candy on the way. We had to do some preparation for the event. We had to plan our meals and get the group together.”

Kenya Robertson, the team leader, added: “We entered because it is our final journey for our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award — we get awarded for physical exercise. We could choose an event and we chose End-to-End. It is a big event. They have a lot of vendors and we thought it would be fun to work as a team to get from town to Dockyard.

“It’s hard sometimes but we sing, play a lot of music and we dance. It is hard because we keep taking breaks and we want to get there as soon as possible.”

Kamille Minors was walking with a friend, doing the event for the first time. She said: “I’ve always wanted to do it. Every time it happened, I was working. This time I’m off so I said I’m going to do it.

“I went end to end. I do badminton and walk casually. The walk was pretty good. I started to get a little cramp just after the middle but I got a massage along the way and it feels better. It’s been really nice. Everybody has been happy and friendly.”

The selected charities to benefit from this year’s event are WindReach, Transformational Living Centre, Raleigh International, Coalition for the Protection of Children, and Action on Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Additional donations will be made to the Horticultural Skills Programme, St John Ambulance and the top participating school.

The End-to-End traces its roots back to 1988 and is one of one of Bermuda’s most popular annual fundraising events.

Organisers said: “At its core, the End-to-End is about more than just physical exertion; it’s about community spirit and giving back.

“Each year, thousands of participants come together to support a wide range of charitable organisations, raising funds and awareness for causes that touch the lives of Bermudians.”

Photo gallery