Chris Estwanik made a surprise return to competitive action with a commanding victory in the David Saul Memorial Fidelity 5K.

After being rarely seen on a start line in Bermuda since his eighth Half-Marathon Derby triumph in 2022, the 43-year-old showed he had lost little of his prowess when crossing the line in a time of 15min 42sec, comfortably clear of runner-up Adam Prunty (17:13) with Sanchez Smith completing the top three (18:00).

Estwanik was delighted to be back among the running community after challenging himself to race consistently again this year.

“I made a resolution to myself that I would get out running again,” said Estwanik, who holds both Half-Marathon Derby course records, which stand at 1hr 8min 25 sec (Somerset) and 1:07:46 (St George’s).

“I’ve only really raced properly a few times in the past five or six years and so it was nice to get out and about again among the crowds and soak it all in.

“I haven’t really been training fully, but I really wanted to push myself. I think I was averaging around a five-minute mile so it was good to test myself.

“The course was great for me, pretty flat and so I really had fun cruising along and hearing people cheering. You forget when you’re training alone that people come out for these races and support the runners, which is really nice and makes the running community here so awesome.

“I’ve missed that sense of community and so it was great to be back as a part of it.”

While he has not ruled out a return to the start line of this year’s Half-Marathon Derby, Estwanik concedes he is not focusing on equalling Kavin Smith’s record of nine victories.

“I’m still not fully sure about whether I’ll be competing fully again and I’m not putting any pressure on myself to do that,” he added.

“It would be fun to a part of it again [Half-Marathon Derby], but unfortunately the mileage starts to affect my body if I do too much and so I’d be more likely to do it for myself and not a hardcore chasing records effort.

“I’m 43 now and I feel like my body is starting to say no to the bigger mileage. I can still do the speeds and the shorter distances, but I don’t really focus on those long runs any more.

“For sure these days it’s more about a personal challenge rather than thinking competitively. Those days are so far behind me now and I prefer to see the likes of Dage Minors and some others taking up that mantle.

“There’s so much talent on island, even beyond those guys and through to the youth. I’d say it’s at its height for the island and that’s amazing to see.”

Among that crop of burgeoning talent is ten year-old Naomi MacGuinness who was the first female across the line in 18:54, which was good enough for eleventh place overall. Gabriella Cechini, 13, was seventeen seconds adrift for twelfth, with the experienced Rose-Anna Hoey rounding out the top three in 19:59 for sixteenth place among the field of 222 runners.

The event, which is held in support of the Family Centre, also included a junior race consisting of a 1.8km course.

Matthew Hoey put in a dominant display to clinch victory in seven minutes flat, comfortably ahead of Jack Fullerton (7:23) and Heath Kemp (7:32).

Freya Dunkle was the first female finisher in 8:01 for fifth place overall, closely followed by Peggy Forster (8:04) in seventh, with Drew Meyers (8:24) rounding out the top-three placings in fourteenth.

In the competitive walk event, Laura Wright came out on top, crossing the line in a winning time of 34:54, ahead of Junior Watts (35:23) with Nancy Andrews-Sousa (36:36) completing the podium places.