The Bermuda Half Marathon Derby proved to be a time of self-discovery for two women who took part in a special training programme leading up to the race.

The Royal Gazette followed Charmaine Thomas and Marquita Thorne, participants in the Argus 400 Challenge, over the last couple of months.

The Challenge provided a training regime, coaches and nutrition advice for people who wanted to run the half-marathon for the first time, but were inexperienced or out of shape.

Neither woman was able to finish the race in the time they originally aimed for. But they both got through it.

They were two of around 1,200 racers who took part in the gruelling 13.1-mile trek from Somerset to Pembroke on May 25.

Mrs. Thorne placed 641st with a time of two hours, 20 minutes and 30 seconds. Miss Thomas finished 988th with a time of two hours, 50 minutes and 23 seconds.

"I finished!" said Miss Thomas afterwards. "There are parts of me that hurt that I didn't know existed."

But she said it was a beautiful race.

"I usually watch the race from Longford Hill but to be at the start line with everyone was absolutely beautiful," she said. "When the gun went off, before I could move, as far as my eyes could see, there were runners ahead of me.

"This kept up until mile four when the crowds started to thin out."

She said the spectators in the race were awesome. "My friends who were closer to the finish line waited and waited, and were very happy to see me coming by albeit not in the best of shape."

At mile ten she had to walk because she was in a lot of pain. "It was the most painful 45 minutes of my life," she said.

She did not celebrate afterwards because she barely had enough energy to watch the parade.

"I will save the celebrations for the prize party and hopefully by then I will have gotten my piece of hardware, the medal."

Mrs. Thomas discovered through her training, that she's not by nature a runner. "It was a good seven months leading up to it," she said. "With all the training I still didn't learn how to run but I did my best."

She said her Argus trainer was at the race to encourage her along.

"He was there during that dreadful final three-mile stretch," she said. "He was just encouraging me to keep going until I got there. He was at the finish line to give me a hug. A big thank you to him."

She said next time she would be at the finish line waiting for her partner, who also took part in the race.

"I think it's best that way, leave the running to the runners," she said.

But when we spoke to Mrs. Thorne, she was busy with her two training coaches, turning her garage into a gym.

At the age of 51, her only regret was that she hadn't started running sooner.

She is the niece of legendary Bermuda runner 'Sir' Stanley Burgess, who won the Derby at least six times.

"I guess I had it in my blood," she said. "But it took a while for me to do something of that nature.

"I wish I would have done it 30 years ago. I just wanted to do it once. I am happy where I have my fitness level now."

She said she enjoyed taking part in and training for the half-marathon.

"It was good," she said. "We finished. That was my task. I had hoped to do a better time, but it was far too hot."

She said just standing in the line to start the race she realised that with the heat she wouldn't finish within her target time.

"I thought I would just enjoy it," she said. "I felt like Johnny Barnes. I was just running through Hamilton waving at people."

She said people cheered for her from Somerset all the way.

"I would consider doing it again," she said. "I enjoyed it. I felt great. I did have a knee concern the whole time. I felt the pain."

Friends met her along the way with the brand of water she liked.

"I had no trouble," she said. "I finished with a sprint. It was great and I felt great."

Her only complaint was that at Crow Lane, the crowds were too dense.

"It was like they wanted to touch the runner," she said. "There was only space for one runner to get through the crowd.

"This was hard for some runners, who felt 'don't' touch me now, I might fall over'. By that time the great runners had gone by but people were so excited. If anyone wanted to do it just once that was the year to do it."

Mrs. Thorne took part in the race with her husband, son-in-laws and brother-in-laws. Everyone finished. Her daughters originally planned to walk the race, but decided against it at the last minute.

Her plan this summer is to ride her pedal bike more.

"I have a great bike," she said. "But I never had time to ride it in the past, because I am caring for my mother, and I couldn't get out. I set up my den as a training spot.

"I haven't been out much doing some true cycling. Who knows where I will go with my fitness level."