Despite suffering the agony of shin splints, which has hampered her training, Flora Duffy was still able to romp to victory in the Front Street Mile last night.

Racing in the Girls 18 and under division, 15-year-old Duffy clocked a time of 5:39.23, well outside her own record set in 2001 of 5:34.28 but still enough to see off stiff competition from Tiffany Eatherley and Deanne Lightbourne.

Eatherley, representing the Adult Education School, finished second in 5:42.31 with Lightbourne, of Whitney Institute, third in 545.52.

Duffy, who said she would not have won without the help of coach Steve Burgess and physiotherapist Maureen Ryan, said: "It was not easy at all. I ran full out from the start. I knew I had to break those girls early because they both had strong kicks and I didn't.

"I just kept it strong the whole way. When I turned, the wind made it very hard but I was able to hold on."

Duffy, of Warwick Academy, said she had hoped to break the record.

"At halfway I was about 5:20 pace but then in the second half I just died. I wanted to break the record and thought I could but I guess it was not to be," she said.

Taijuan Talbot, of CedarBridge Academy, took the honours in the Boys 18 and Under category, finishing in 4:53.33.

Geoffrey Smith, of Warwick Academy, was second in 5:01.41 with Husayn Brown third in 5:01.95.

"Initially, I was going to go with Henry (Talbot's) pace but everybody else went a little faster so I went with them. Then I just knew I had it in me and just went," said Talbot.

In the Girls 12 and Under race, 11-year-old Alexis Bean, of Warwick Academy, crushed her rivals to finish in a time of 6:05.47. Danila Martin (11) of Sandys Secondary, was second in 6:13.70, with Kaitlyn Miller (11), of Saltus Junior School, third in 6:20.37.

Bean, who was in the lead group for much of the race while not out in front, said: "I just prayed to God and said `You know what - if I am meant to win this race then I can, if I meant to beat her (Martin) then I will'."

Trey Simons also dominated his Boys 12 and Under race, breaking the tape in 5:34.17, with Matthew Spring (Sandys Secondary) second in 5:49.42 and Damali Bell (Flyers Track Club) third in 5:50.37.

Simons (nine), of West End Primary, said he had but one gameplan: "To win."