A solid piece of front-running carried Chayce Smith to victory in the RMS Construction 20K Road Race, while women’s winner Ashley Estwanik confirmed her training is on course for next month’s Bermuda Half Marathon Derby.

Smith, 26, appeared to thrive in the warm, humid conditions as he kept pace with eventual 10K winner Christopher Harris on the opening circuit of the two-lap course. When Harris peeled off to win the shorter race in 37 minutes, 5 seconds, Smith was less than 50 metres adrift and had opened up around a minute on his nearest rivals.

The 26-year-old stretched that lead on the second lap to win in 1:12:45.

The next two runners were Evan Naude, 37, and Ryan Wilson, 29, who had agreed to work together during the race with the aim of running a negative split — the second half faster than the first. They achieved this after going through 10K in around 38 minutes and running the second 10K lap two minutes quicker.

In the final mile Naude edged ahead to take the runner-up spot in 1:14:32 from Wilson, who ran 1:14:44.

“It was humid and there was not a lot of breeze. We ran as good as could have been hoped,” said Naude. “The first half felt good but once we started the second lap my legs started to feel a bit like jelly. Ryan was pushing along North Shore Road and I almost let him go. But on Palmetto Hill I got a second wind.”

The race distance, at just over half-a-mile short of a half marathon, was the longest Naude has competed over in two years due to family commitments helping his wife Samantha to bring up their young sons Matthew and James.

Third-placed Wilson was pleased with his morning’s work and said he felt he was “almost there” with his training for next month’s half marathon derby. He noted that his time for yesterday’s 20K averaged out faster than the single 10K he ran last year when he won the shorter race.

Women’s winner Estwanik, 36, was able to run in the company of some of the leading men for the first lap, but found herself alone on the second.

Coming home fourth overall in 1:20:18, she said: “It felt good. But I need to ramp up a bit for May 24.” She wants to finish next month’s derby race feeling better than she did a year ago when she was second in the women’s race. As for predicted finishing time, she has her sights on 1:22 or faster.

Last month, Estwanik set a Bermuda national women’s record of 1:19:18 in New York City Half-Marathon. In freezing conditions she found herself struggling in the first few miles before hitting her stride around five-and-a-half-miles into the race.

Speaking of that experience, she said: “I had been doubting myself, but after Times Square I felt stronger and stronger.”

Second woman in yesterday’s 20K was Krista Dyer, 26, who ran a personal best of 1:29:52 to finish 13th overall. In textbook style she ran two practically identical 10K splits. Third woman to finish was Vivienne Lochhead in 1:32:00. In the 10K race, which was held in conjunction with the longer event, overall winner Harris, 44, was followed home by Jahmai Lottimore, 29, in 40:26 and Chefton Hall, 30, in 41:41.

Laura Wright, 31, was a comfortable winner of the women’s 10K in 43:49, ahead of Laurie Orchard, 41, in 46:49, and Kathleen Thompson, 34, in 46:57.

The 10K competitive walk was won by Sinclair Smith, 69, in 1:10:23, with Sheena Young, 50, first woman and third overall in 1:14:23.