A brave run by Kavin Smith fell agonisingly short as new champions were crowned in yesterday's annual Bank of Bermuda Team Triathlon.

Teenager Mark Morrison desperately hung onto the lead that had been carved out by swimmer Stephen Kenny and cyclist Kent Richardson as that trio snatched overall honours.

But victory was hard-earned after Morrison had seen a comfortable lead of almost two and half minutes over the six-mile run eventually slashed to just 50 seconds by the gutsy Smith.

For top women Belinda Castree, Melanie Claude and Anna Eatherley, there was no such drama as they led from start to finish, coming home more than three and a half minutes ahead of their nearest rivals.

Smith with swimmer Michael O'Connor and cyclist Dayna Henry Rochester had been looking to defend the title they won a year ago and appeared on course as O'Connor completed the mile swim in Hamilton Harbour with the fastest time of 20 minutes and 21 seconds - 27 seconds ahead of Kenny.

That put Henry Rochester in the driver's seat but on his very first loop around the streets of Hamilton he suffered a puncture and all of a sudden the complexion of the race changed.

Richardson powered in front, never looking back as he handed over to young Morrison with a two minute, 28 second advantage.

With Smith having earlier in the morning been required by national track coach Gerry Swan to run a seven-mile cross-country time trial and then run from the Arboretum to the triathlon start line at Albouy's Point, there seemed little likelihood that his weary legs could close such a big deficit.

But he began making inroads on the first of the six laps, continued to gain ground and put Morrison well within his sights before the six laps expired. Smith clocked the fastest run of the day, 32.34, with Morrison finishing in a quick 34.12, the second fastest.

Morrison admitted that despite the comfortable lead he had always been wary of Smith.

"These guys (Kenny and Richardson) gave me a good lead, so I figured I was in pretty good shape but obviously Kavin's the strongest runner on the Island," said Morrison.

"I thought if I kept pushing I should be able to hold him off and over the first two laps I kind of took it easy to see where he was and try and keep the same gap.

"Going into the last two laps he started to close a lot, and I thought I've just got to hang on. In the end it worked out, but I was pretty tired. It took a lot out of me."

Cyclist Richardson admitted his rival's puncture had made a difference but said he was already closing in on the early leader.

"I was going well, I went in knowing I needed a good work-out for next week (individual triathlon), I knew a bit of the course from the recent Grand Prix and I just wanted to get out and give Mark a good lead.

"My mission was to try and make a move on Dayna on the very first lap. I was gaining ground and then Dayna flatted. I wouldn't have caught him as quick but I think I may have caught him.

"Once I got in the lead, my biggest fear was Melanie (Claude). She's been riding really well. I kept using Mel as a gauge. She was my main focus and that helped me put some time on Dayna."

Recalling the puncture, Henry Rochester said: "I got down by Crow Lane Bakery and the tyre just went soft. I managed to get back to the transition area and change the tyre. Kent was flying but I still think I lost about two minutes.

"The puncture basically cost us. Kavin ate up a lot of that lead. Without the puncture I think we could have got it. But it was exciting, and second place is better than nothing."

Third place in the open division went to Trevor Johnstone, Matthew Herring and Colin Swan in 1:36:21 while the third fastest time was recorded by company division champions Jamie Pedro, Andrew Davis and Tracy Wright who, like Smith, had earlier run the cross-country time trial. That trio finished in 1:35.36.

Castree's swim time of 20.56 gave Claude a big advantage in the women's race, which she quickly built on with a sizzling time of 36.55, leaving top female runner Anna Eatherley virtually unchallenged on the last leg. She clocked 38.57 to give the team a combined time of 1:36.48, fifth fastest on the day.

The second women's team of Ashley Robinson (23.19), Julia Hawley (37.02) and Karen Smith (40.02) came home in 1:40.23.

Full results

- see Scoreboard.