Ryan Outerbridge’s first race on the island since finishing second to Lamont Marshall in the Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby saw him upstage Sean Trott to win the Friends of Sandys 5K at Boaz Island on Sunday.

In a field of 52 runners, Outerbridge ran 15 min 38sec to claim the victory. Jake Smith, two days after winning the high school boys Butterfield Mile trials, finished second in 16:00, while Trott, the winner of the Legends Series title, stopped the clock at 16:05.

Christine Dailey was the first woman across the finish line in 17:50, a time which placed her seventh overall.

Outerbridge, who turns 22 on Tuesday, was thrilled to get an early birthday present as he gears up for the Butterfield Invitational Mile on January 17.

“It feels good to win a race on my return to Bermuda,” Outerbridge told The Royal Gazette.

“I’m coming off a pretty solid cross country season after nationals in California a few weeks ago, so I’m still in pretty good shape.

“I’m in the middle of a transition phase from cross country to indoor track, so I thought I might as well get a small race while I’m back home.

“We didn’t have ideal racing conditions to run fast times, but I wasn't really chasing a fast time. I was using it as a workout so I was satisfied with the outcome.

“It was really breezy going out the headwind, but coming back it wasn't too bad. We had a tailwind on our way back so it worked out fine.

“I ran strong going out as we fought against the headwind. When we made the turn, I pulled away on the way back and maintained that lead until the end.”

For the Franklin Pierce University student, it was the second time he finished ahead of Trott on home soil this year, with the pair finishing second and third respectively in the Half-Marathon Derby.

“I’ve been keeping track of Sean throughout the season and likewise he’s been keeping track of me,” Outerbridge said.

“We keep in touch once in a while, so it’s pretty nice to come back and race alongside him. Hopefully, while I’m home I can get some training sessions with him.

“I’ll be doing the Front Street Mile in January, so I’ll be training for that one. Right after that I’ll be going back to the US for the indoor season.

“My focus is on the indoor season and depending on how that goes, I’ll probably do May 24 after speaking to my coach.”