Evan Naude and Jennifer Alen beat high humidity to become the Argus Crime Stoppers 5K Road Race men’s and women’s champions.

By coincidence, Naude and Alen both last won the titles in 2012.

Also competing was May 24 race legend Mike Watson, who won the 5K walk, which was held half-an-hour before the main race. Then, with only a few minutes to recover, he lined up for the 5K run and came third in his age category.

There were more than 200 finishers in the road race. With humidity at 93 per cent, the conditions were not conducive to fast times, however Naude appeared untroubled as he quickly stretched away from the rest of the field in the opening mile.

After negotiating the roundabout at the bottom of Crow Lane, he was able to assess the size of his lead. It was substantial, but he kept pushing the pace, which averaged 5:32 per mile, to ensure victory in 17mins 10secs.

Second runner was Ronae Burgess in 19:02, followed by 17-year-old Akim Johnson in 19:31.

Naude, 39, said: “I felt good, and I was just trying to run without blowing up. It was humid, and I’m aware that you have to be a bit careful in those conditions. I’ve got into trouble before when it has been very humid.”

In the women’s race, Alen, 31, went out at a conservative pace in the opening mile. On Friday evening she was the fastest adult woman at the KPMG Front Street Mile trials at the National Sports Centre, where she ran 5:29. In yesterday’s race she could feel tiredness in her legs from Friday’s effort. She won in 19:35.

Towards the end of the 5K she noticed her legs did not feel as strong as usual, and put that down to the energy-sapping effect of the humidity. “It makes a difference,” she said.

“It was good to win, although some of the other girls, like Rose-Anna [Hoey] and Deon [Breary] were not here today.”

Alen may do another 5K in December before focusing on her preparations for the Front Street Mile in January.

Second in the women’s race was Stepanka Sprincova in 21:18, followed by Anna Laura Hocking in 21:25.

In the junior 1.5-mile race, Quincy Kuzyk, 14, powered to victory in a record time of 8:23, ahead of Iziah Tucker, 13, in 8:51, and Sancho Smith, 11, in 9:06. Fastest girl was Jessie Marshall, 13, in 10:02, followed by Jade Johnston, 11, in 10:28 and Adia Gibbons, 12, in 10:51.

Former Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby multi-champion Mike Watson, 57, enjoyed a full morning of exercise. He won the 5K walk in a swift 27:57, and with only minutes to spare before the start of the 5K run, he caught his breath and set off again.

In the road race he was 23rd overall, and third in the senior masters category in a time of 21:19.

Second finisher in the 5K walk was Robert Thomas in 34:48, followed by first women Rebecca Perry in 34:55, and third man Sinclair Smith in 35:43.

Second woman in the walk was Carol Redahan in 36:26, followed by Gilda Cann in 36:36.