reduction in the amount of trash left by participants.

Despite receiving a report about litter in Devonshire and spending six hours picking up after hundreds of walkers, Eugene Carmichael said assistance from people manning the water stops made the clean-up easier this year.

"The people who manned the water stops made it easier this year,'' Mr.

Carmichael said yesterday. "They went short distances along the trail cleaning up End-to-End trash and other things.'' Mr. Carmichael, who cleaned the western portion of the walk from the southern roundabout in Paget to Dockyard, added that organisers cleared the trail after the majority of walkers passed through.

Volunteers also picked up any trash that had been left since the last Keep Bermuda Beautiful clean-up.

"We give it a general clean-up,'' Mr. Carmichael added. "Yes, it (trash) is a problem but we keep on top of it. The plus side is that the whole Island gets a good clean up.'' Mr. Carmichael said organisers have been aware of the problem and had warned participants about littering. He said he also planned to check out the reported problem spot in Devonshire.

"It's an unfortunate by-product of the walk,'' Mr. Carmichael continued, "they get so caught up in completing the race they sometimes litter. We do follow behind them and satisfy ourselves that we get up the trash.''