Eleventh-hour decisions to enter the Hannover Re Half-Marathon paid off for Chris Estwanik and Christine Dailey as they triumphed in Sunday’s race.

In a field of 99 competitors, the 44-year-old Estwanik cruised to victory in 1hr 18 min 19 sec at John Smith's Bay. Close behind was Thomas Mills, the 2022 winner, in 1:19:43, with last year’s champion Adam Prunty third in 1:21:14.

Dailey, 37, successfully defended her women’s title, finishing in 1:27:27 and securing seventh overall. Teresa Ruiz claimed second in the women’s race in 1:32:50, narrowly ahead of Megan Berry, who clocked 1:33:11 for third.

Estwanik, an eight-time Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby winner, expressed his delight at clinching his first victory in one of the island’s oldest races.

“I’m just excited to be back out running and being part of the crowd,’’ Estwanik told The Royal Gazette. “This race is growing every year, and I had never done it in all the time I've lived here. It was fun to do something different — a half-marathon before the New Year.

“We had great conditions and a beautiful course. It was a bit windy, and like anything in Bermuda, there were plenty of hills, but we had fun. Tom and Adam are phenomenal runners, so it was fun running with them for a bit. Towards the end, I remembered how to do this and finished strong.

“I have no big plans for the season. I may turn up occasionally, but I’m just enjoying life and doing fun stuff like this when I feel like it.”

Mills, who dashed off to compete in the Pickleball National Championships at the WER Joell Tennis Stadium after the half-marathon, was content with his second-place finish.

“I’m pleased to come second, which is really as good as you can hope for if Chris is running,” he said. “I’m looking to run a few more local races in the next few months and try to be competitive. The Hannover Re is a good race that comes at a nice time of the year when the weather is a bit more comfortable.”

Dailey reflected on the absence of Gayle Lindsay, who had beaten her a week earlier in the PartnerRe Women’s 5K.

“I missed Gayle today. I would have run faster if she was here,” Dailey said.

“It’s nice to have that little push when you run. I ran with Allan Fox the whole time, and we pushed each other all the way. He was an awesome guy to run with.

“I didn’t go into the race looking for a personal best. My goal was just to have a good long run because I haven’t done one since my last half-marathon in Toronto.

Now I’m back for some long runs, and I might do the January races. I’m particularly interested in the 10K because I haven’t done that in a while.”

Ruiz, who held off a strong challenge from Berry, was thrilled to achieve her personal best. The 30-year-old improved on her 1:32:50 from last year and is gearing up for the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge in January.

“It feels good to finish second again. It was a tough course on a windy day,” Ruiz said.

“I didn’t expect to do this well, but I felt strong towards the end. I’m training for the three races in January, but I might also sign up for races abroad in the spring because that’s when I feel stronger.”

Among the younger competitors, Warwick Academy student Nate Snelling ran the race to raise funds to combat homelessness in Bermuda.

He achieved his goal of finishing under two hours with a time of 1:59:40, placing second in the 17-and-under age bracket behind schoolmate Jake Smith.

“I ran a sub-two-hour race, which was what I was aiming for,” the 17-year-old said. “I did make a wrong turn, which cut off five or six minutes from my time, but it actually motivated me to go faster. I’m glad I sprinted at the end to finish under two hours.”

“Over the course of a month, I e-mailed people and posted on social media to promote the run. We’ve raised $15,500 for the charity home, which provides shelter and rehabilitation services for the homeless.

“It’s really great what they’re doing over there on Court Street. They’ve got excellent services that genuinely help people, so I thought it was a worthy cause.

“I’m just grateful I could give back to the community by doing something I enjoy. This was my third half-marathon, and I’m actually trying to get fit to play for the Bermuda under-19 rugby team.”