ESS than an hour after sunrise on February 18th a handful of athletes are due to contest possibly Bermuda's most off-the-wall racing event ? running through the dunes and along the sandy foreshore of Long Bay and Horseshoe beaches.

If that doesn't sound crazy enough, there's more.

Because the coveted prize for first to finish the gruelling five-and-a-bit miles of sand and hills is a trophy that consists of a pair of old running shoes fixed to the top of a plaque.

So how come the competitors vying for the honours are likely to include such seasoned pros as former Commonwealth Games marathoner and May 24th Marathon Derby race winner Brett Forgesson? In the sporting arena of running anything is possible and the King of the Dunes race is proof of the extremes that some are willing to go.

For more than 10 years a hard core of Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club runners have met for a weekly training session at the South Shore beauty spot, utilising a former BTFA cross-country circuit that was abandoned when the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) cross country chiefs deemed races on beaches to be outside the qualify criteria for their championships.

It is only in the past two years that the twice-yearly King of the Dunes race has emerged for those die-hards who somehow manage to roll out of bed on a Saturday to run along the beaches and through the dune hinterland, not to mention the small matter of climbing the hill from Horseshoe Bay twice during the two-lap session.

This month's race is a handicap event, based on the best times (or estimated bests) of each runner on the course with the slowest going off first and the quickest last. In theory if everyone runs to form they all finish together. It is the person who 'beats' their handicap stagger by the biggest margin who will be first to cross the finish line.

Stephen DeSilva can remember the origins of the Saturday morning dunes training sessions and its recent elevation to a fringe racing event.

After the figure-of-eight route was de-listed as an official cross country route it remained a popular training spot for the likes of May 24th Marathon Derby victors Tracey Wright and the aforementioned Forgesson.

"In the old days people would train there on a Thursday. Brett and I have been running it for ten years," said Desilva, explaining that the handicap system of letting slower runners set off first was added to occasionally spice up the sessions.

It was another runner Simon Turner who came up with the concept of a King of the Dunes race and provided the unusual "old sneakers" trophy.

"Simon was the first to win the King of the Dunes. I had always assumed Brett was the King of the Dunes. That first event we gave Simon a minute start on Brett. Brett caught him at Horseshoe hill on the second lap, but then Simon ran away from him and probably ran the fastest last half mile he's ever done," said DeSilva.

Forgesson, who represented Bermuda in the 1994 Commonwealth Games marathon, claimed victory in the second running of the dunes race.

The King of the Dunes, which is held once in the summer and once in the winter, was won by Frenchman Philippe Cosentino last summer in what DeSilva refers to as "jammy" circumstances.

Cosentino is currently in Hong Kong and therefore unable to defend his title. DeSilva said: "He was a top ten runner but had been injured all this time so a minute was taken off his handicap time and then he went and won it." The race on February 18, is the fourth King of the Dunes event, and should have taken place in December, but was pushed forward to January only to face a last minute re-scheduling for this month.

But even when there is no race, each week a small band of hardy souls takes to the sand dunes to train and build strength for road races.

Two previous Marathon Derby race champs believe it is the extra strength in their legs gained from regular training on the dunes that assisted them in winning the Island's ultimate bragging rights event, according to DeSilva.

He said: "It builds up a lot of physical and mental strength. Brett and Tracey both won the May 24th race at the same spot near the finish on the little rise near the cathedral in Church Street. They both attributed it to the strength they got from training on the beach and being able to surge away at the cathedral." Famous Bermudian runners Albert "Jay" Donawa and Kavin Smith have also been seen training on the beach.

DeSilva added: "We have a motto for training on the beach and that's 'Many people come to the beach, but very few return'. It is gruelling. Most people have no idea how gruelling it is. Some people say they don't like to run on the sand in case they pull a muscle or because they have a Sunday race.

"For me the weekend would not be complete without the dunes. If you can put in a good Saturday morning run on the beach that sets you up for the rest of the weekend because you know you've conquered the beach."