Best known for his pedigree as a middle-distance track athlete, Dage Minors showed what he can do as a road runner, winning the inaugural George Jones “Smiler” Miler 5K at a canter.

The island’s first road race since Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in March attracted almost 100 runners and walkers today.

Minors, 24, wasted no time laying out his stall, breaking away from the field within the opening mile and front-running his way to a comfortable victory in 17min 23sec.

The race distance was actually 5.6km owing to the need to have start and finish timing mats in the same location. Minors’s race pace was equivalent to 15:30 for a standard 5K.

There was also a noteworthy winner in the women’s race, as Izzy Dutranoit, 19, finished fifth overall in 20:32.

Minors’s win was all the more impressive because he completed the half-marathon distance the day before, in about 1hr 15min, as he and Chris Estwanik accompanied Sean Trott during his virtual one-man race against the clock for the World Athletics Half-Marathon Championship.

For Minors, the 13.1-mile distance was way beyond his normal race range of mile and 3,000 metres events. But he does expect to compete at the longer distance further along in his career.

He was pleased with his solid 5K race pace, which wasn’t blunted by the exertions of the previous day. Minors praised the Swan’s Running Club-hosted event for honouring running veteran George Jones, whom he said was an inspiration to many people.

Jones, now in his eighties, has competed in races for 45 years. He was applauded by competitors before the start of the race, and he waited at the finish line to congratulate them as they returned.

In the men’s race, runner-up was Sammy DeGraff, in 18:49, followed by Jauza James in 19:59.

Second woman was Martina Olcheski-Bell in 22:49, with Laura Graham third in 23:05.

In the 5K walk, Carol Redahan was first in 38:56, with Junior Watts second, and first man, in 40:42, followed by Kevin Blee in 41:37.

The second woman was Gina Bradshaw in 42:17, followed by Gilda Cann in 42:28. Third man was Stephen Barton in 44:06.

Results

(Age-group positions in parentheses)

1 (1) Dage Minors 17:23

2 (2) Sammy DeGraff 18:49

3 (1) Jauza James 19:59

4 (1) Shannon Lawrence 20:07

5 (1) Izzy Dutranoit 20:32

6 (2) Iziah Tucker 20:37

7 (2) Chris Parry 21:20

8 (3) Alexander Winfield 21:22

9 (4) Tim Price 21:36

10 (5) Jonas Muir Wood 21:37

11 (3) James Roberts 22:22

12 (1) Martina Olcheski-Bell 22:49

13 (6) Evan Faulkenberry 22:50

14 (4) Anton Doloricon 23:00

15 (2) Laura Graham 23:05

16 (7) Florin Teleman 23:22

17 (8) Paul Dissington 23:24

18 (9) Kyle Ferreira 23:34

19 (10) Will Green 24:01

20 (11) Matthew Viney 24:11

21 (5) Cesar Aparil 24:31

22 (1) Tommy Sinclair 24:45

23 (12) Damani Smith 24:51

24 (13) Gerhard Coetsee 25:00

25 (14) Sondai Smith 25:12

26 (1) Georgia Wharton 25:15

27 (6) Melbert Bergonio 25:16

28 (3) Alexandra Mellor 25:19

29 (1) Gavin O’Connor 25:29

30 (2) Jonathan Reiss 25:47

31 (15) Devin Appel 25:53

32 (16) Chris Mills 25:55

33 (7) Steven Ortiz 26:13

34 (17) Richard Howells 26:15

35 (3) Scott Neil 26:19

36 (18) Franco Kwan 26:31

37 (4) Alec Swan 26:32

38 (4) Melinda Decosta 27:10

39 (2) Philip Barcilon 27:17

40 (3) Andy McComb 27:41

41 (5) Si Farrington 28:28

42 (4) Jose Andrade 28:35

43 (5) Leana Coetsee 29:21

44 (1) Joanne Medeiros 29:41

45 (2) Gianina Tescu 29:42

46 (8) Edgar Arnante 29:45

47 (19) Joseph Borkowski 30:08

48 (2) Zina Jones 30:10

49 (6) Tammy Faulkenberry 31:15

50 (5) Wayne Mouchette 31:37

51 (9) Tom Johansmeyer 31:42

52 (20) Romel McDonald 31:43

53 (7) Cathryn Minors 32:06

54 (21) Yabin Jones 32:06

55 (10) Trevor Haynes 32:37

56 (6) Tony Riker 32:43

57 (6) Peter Richold 32:51

58 (7) Mike Rickards 32:58

59 (1) Mayberline Black 33:16

60 (3) Carol Griffith 33:30

61 (8) Evaline Kessy 33:39

62 (2) Lisa Ferrari 33:54

63 (3) Edwina Arorash 34:02

64 (8) Charles Harvey 34:32

65 (9) Meadhbh Callanan 34:37

66 (10) Shara Crunden 34:43

67 (7) Peter Aldrich 34:43

68 (3) Brita Oosthuizen 34:44

69 (4) Elizabeth Arnold 35:36

70 (9) Steven Barber 35:44

71 (5) Deborah Pharoah-Williams 36:35

72 (4) Natalie Price 36:41

73 (11) Ranie Cabrera 36:57

74 (4) Florence Sharpe 37:07

5K Walk

1 (1) Carol Redahan 38:56

2 (1) Junior Watts 40:42

3 (2) Kevin Blee 41:37

4 (2) Gina Bradshaw 42:17

5 (3) Gilda Cann 42:28

6 (3) Stephen Barton 44:06

7 (4) Beverley Barton 44:26

8 (5) Lecole Richardson 45:45

9 (4) Eugene Ming 50:16

10 (5) Cecil Whitecross 52:39

11 (6) Julia Aidoo-Saltus 55:47

12 (7) Sherline Senior-Lowe 55:47