For a second consecutive year a visitor has won the Fairmont to Fairmont Road Race.

Miami-based Bryan Huberty edged ahead of seven-times champion Jay Donawa to take the title yesterday.

While in the women’s race Rose-Anna Hoey claimed her first Fairmont race crown with a two-minute margin of victory over Deon Breary.

Donawa led the race through the first mile along Front Street, closely followed by Huberty and eventual third-place finisher Evan Naude.

As they broke clear of the field, Huberty and Donawa ran together along Harbour Road and went through the first 5km in 17min.

“Jay’s a nice guy, we were talking before the start. He took the lead and after the first mile I said to him ‘let’s have fun and work together.’

“When we reached 5km I wanted to increase the pace,” said Huberty, 36, who had set himself a target of breaking 40 minutes for the 7.2-mile race.

As Huberty moved ahead, Donawa sustained his pace. “At about four miles he made a break. I was hoping he would come back,” said Donawa, who managed to claw back some of the lost ground, especially on the testing hill up to the Fairmont Southampton, but Huberty’s superior speed was decisive and he won in 39min 58sec. Donawa was second in 40:21, with Naude, 38, third in 42:41.

Last year’s race was also won by a visitor, Harry Mulenga, of Zambia, in a record time of 36:00. Mulenga did not run yesterday but is expected to compete during the Bermuda Marathon Weekend, which starts on Friday.

After yesterday’s event Huberty declared the final hill the toughest he has faced in a race. “I barely had a lead going into the hill. I’m used to running track or flat courses,” he said.

Huberty has run 27 marathons, including four Boston Marathons, and has a personal best of 2:36. His best half-marathon time is 1:11.

“This was my first race in three months, and my first race in Bermuda,” said Huberty, who will be a guest speaker at the Bermuda Marathon Weekend.

On Saturday afternoon, at the Fairmont Southampton, he will give a talk about the benefits of Chi running, which aims to make runners more efficient, relaxed and injury-free through good posture and running form.

The American, who broke his pelvis a few months ago after tripping on a rock as he ran downhill, is returning to full fitness. However, recent training sessions have been restricted to endurance work, rather than speed workouts.

He is making his third visit to the Island to see his girlfriend Gresny Quintero, of Cuba, who moved to Bermuda in November. Quintero finished 100th in yesterday’s race.

Huberty added: “Bermuda is a great place, everyone is so friendly.”

Runner-up Donawa, 42, who last won the event in 2006, said: “These days I’m running for fun and to try and win the master’s age group. I still have the strength but not the leg turnover I once had.”

Women’s winner Rose-Anna Hoey, 33, made her intentions clear early in the race, clocking 6:04 for the first mile. “I knew Deon and Krista [Dyer] were in the race and I wanted to create a bit of breathing space. They are both strong runners and you can never underestimate them,” Hoey, who had her training disrupted by icy conditions during a recent visit to her native Ireland, said.

She found herself in the company of top five finishers Chris Allington and Mark Morrison for part of the race, and on the last uphill she throttled back to save some energy for the Bermuda Marathon Weekend. She was sixth overall in 45:31. Breary, 44, was second woman in 47:47, with Dyer, 26, third in 48:10.

Around 500 competitors took part in yesterday’s race, which included a junior race, relay race and competitive walk.

The junior race, over approximately 3km, was won by Jayden Ming in 8:51, ahead of Ryan Outerbridge in 9:03 and Sajan Harvey 9:07. First girl was Lynsey Palmer in 9:42, followed by Jessie Marshall in 10:14 and Jade Johnson in 10:32.

First walker to finish was Howard Williams in 1:19:24, ahead of Andrea Bolley in 1:20:27.