The weather may have saved its worst conditions for last, but the island’s top adult men responded with arguable the best race of the day, with Chequan Richardson overcoming both the spirited challenge of Adam Kirk and Deshi Smith, as well as the thick slippery mud and torrential rain.

In the final event of the Winners Edge National Mountain Bike Championships held at Southlands, it was Kirk and Smith who set the early pace, displaying solid technical skills on ground surfaces that included slippery, exposed tree roots, fast rocky descents and ankle-deep mud.

Such was the depth of the mud that some climbs proved impossible for anyone without getting off their bikes and pushing them, which only added to the exhaustion of the already draining, 75-minute event.

As Kirk and Smith built up a solid lead Richardson patiently raced at his own pace keeping the leaders within reach should they make a mistake.

However, as the race progressed and the conditions took a toll it was not a mistake that changed the outcome of the race but the fitness level of Richardson who looked the fresher and more confident as the race got longer and he gradually reeled in the front pair.

Two thirds of the way through the race Richardson took the lead and never looked back, leaving the other two contenders to battle it out for the other two podium spots. In a yo-yo tussle it was eventually Kirk who crossed the finish line with Smith third.

Earlier, veteran Mark Hatherley earned a well-deserved victory in the newly added category for rider 40 years and older. Having raced in every national championships over the years, Hatherley entered the event in a determined mood clearly wanting to lift the national title that has eluded him in previous editions.

It was Neil de St Croix who set the early pace, but Hatherley looked totally focused matching him lap after lap, before surging into the lead in front of an excited crowd at the start-finish line at the end of the fourth lap.

Not too far behind, Hans Hirschi, winner of the recently concluded Flying Colours mountain bike series, tried to limit the gap but as the race progressed it was clear he could not keep pace with the two front runners.

Sensing victory, Hatherley rode at his limit and pulled away from De St Croix and by the finish of their 60-minute race opened up a comfortable lead to take the title. De St Croix held on to a strong second place with Hirschi third.

At the other end of the age scale the top junior riders, who have dominated all the racing this year, were on the start line ready to see who would claim the right to the title of not only the national champion but arguable the island’s best off road racer.

In better conditions than the later open male race would experience, but only slightly, the race got off to its usual explosive start with the youngsters showing little regard for the difficult surfaces that an early downpour of rain presented them.

Robin Horsfield, Matthew Oliviera, Dylan Hill and Kaden Hopkins were the clear contenders, but what started off as a likely battle between the four was quickly reduced to three after a collision between Hill and Hopkins resulted in Hopkins crashing and braking his rear brake lever off and taking him out of the race shortly after it started.

Horsfield and Oliviera opened up a gap over the rest of the field, with Hill holding third place. As he did in the last race at Hog Bay, Horsfield looked in confident mood, showing little regard for areas of the course that would cause many riders problems, and before long it became clear he was on a mission, overcoming any challenge from a game Oliviera.

Horsfield rode to a well-deserved win, with Oliviera second and Hill third.

In the two female categories, the open women were first up with three riders on the start line. Eileen Mullowney, more known as a swimmer, Kim McIvor, and Kamryn Minors, who returned from university on Saturday, all guaranteed a podium finish, but nonetheless ready to battle each other for the top spot in their 30-minute event.

It was understandably a matter of beating the course as much as each other as the three carefully picked their way around, and when it came to the finish it was Mullowney in a clear first place, McIvor second, and Minors, who would take the title of national champion as the sole Bermudian entry.

The junior female category contained only two riders owing no doubt to the intimidating conditions, but Allysa Rowse and Cassandra McPhee gave their all as they have both done all season and should be proud that they overcame all the challenges the difficult course offered them. Rowse claimed the national title, with McPhee in second.

In two non-championship races for youngsters Liam Flannery and Nicholas Narraway were the top two 13 to 15-year-olds. Blake Oliviera, Manning Smith and Ahzai Smith were top three boys in the under-12 race, with Megan Hands winner of the under-12 girls event.