Rose-Anna Hoey knows it will take an extraordinary performance to break the women’s record in the Bermuda Triangle Full Challenge.

Dawn Richardson ran the course in 4hr 0min 35sec in 2009. That astonishing record has remained in place for the past seven years, but it could be in danger if Hoey manages to string together three solid race results this weekend in the mile, 10K and marathon.

As one of the fastest runners on the Island, Hoey has the background to make a serious assault on the record. She also has the experience. In 2011, she was the women’s runner-up in the Full Challenge, albeit 19 minutes adrift off Richardson’s record. She tried again the following year, but was forced to retire on the final day after injuring her knee in a fall.

In 2013 she opted for the Half Challenge and lifted the women’s title, setting an event record. Bermuda international runner Ashley Estwanik reclaimed the record the following year.

This weekend, Hoey is part of a group of six runners competing in the Full Challenge and raising funds for the PALS home care cancer charity. The others athletes are Kate Tomkins, Nicole Rozon, Matthew Viney, Anne Kermode and Ali Hochberg.

“As I have already completed the Full Challenge, I felt taking on the record might encourage more people to sponsor me,” said Hoey.

During the past five months she has worked to regain her fitness after undergoing surgery last July to repair a femoral hernia. Having also dealt with two bone fractures in recent years, she has carefully steered clear of injury during her comeback. She said: “I am proud to say I have been very sensible with my training, both in the build up and in structuring workouts.

“I was very much guided by my coach Victoria Fiddick, who looked at my intended workouts and scrapped some unnecessary speedwork and really made me focus on my tempo workouts, and recovery.”

Hoey’s training peaked at 80 miles per week and, aside from a twisted ankle, she has remained injury free.

When asked which parts of the Challenge she expects to find the most difficult, she replied: “Two things will be really tough — the hilly second half of the 10K, when you need to save your legs for the next day, and the last 13.1-mile loop of the marathon.

“Dawn posted excellent times and she will be an extremely hard act to follow. Trying to stay focused for a lonely 13.1 miles will be difficult. I am hoping to have supporters out at regular intervals along the way.”

Having been an Island resident for a number of years, Richardson returned to her native England a few months after setting the Challenge record in 2009. Hoey met her once, but feels she knows a lot about her through her coach Fiddick, who trained with Richardson and remains a close friend.

“Vic always speaks so fondly of her. From what I can tell we are similar runners so I suppose I have about a 50 per cent chance of being able to take the record.

“It is outstanding that she did so well and held onto it for a long time. It is by no means a ‘soft record’ on those courses.”

If she wins the women’s title, Hoey will become the first athlete to be a champion in both the half and full versions of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge.

“I would be really proud to be the first person to win both. Something to tell Matthew about when he’s older,” she said, referring to her young son.

Beyond this weekend’s races, Hoey has her sights on the New York City Half-Marathon in March, where she would like to break the 1:25 barrier for the first time. She also hopes that her marathon run in the Full Challenge will be fast enough to qualify her for another crack at the Boston Marathon in 2017.

“That will be the 50th anniversary of Kathrine Switzer’s infamous run when she became the first female to finish the race [as a numbered entrant]. I would love to be part of something special like that,” said Hoey.