Ariell Evans and Gayle Lindsay claimed men’s and women’s honours at yesterday’s Validus 5K Running of the Bulls.

Evans pipped Alan Potts by six seconds to take the open men’s title in 19min 36sec while Lindsay crossed the line nearly a minute ahead of second-placed women’s runner Brianna Mendes to win the open women’s crown in 21:09. Jahmai Lottimore came third in the men’s field in 20:18 and Whitney Iuliano claimed the final podium place in the women’s field in 22:03.

Richard Mansfield and Ceri Riihiluoma won the men’s and women’s masters divisions, with Jerome Wellman and Sharon Craig leading the men’s and women’s senior masters field across the finish line at the AIG Building on Richmond Road.

The race is inspired by the annual festival held in Pamplona, Spain, which involves running in front of a small group of stampeding bulls.

Rather than be chased down by a pack of angry bulls, participants have to outrun some of the Island’s elite runners — the bulls — who are given a delayed start before trying to catch the rest of the runners before the finish line. Among the elite athletes playing the role of the bulls this year were Bermuda Day Half-Marathon winner Deon Breary, Karen Smith, top local triathlete, and Ryan Wilson.

“The lady bulls started three minutes behind the official start time and the male bulls six minutes behind,” said Smith, who heads to Cozumel, Mexico, for the World Triathlon Championships today

“This is a nice event. It’s a fun way to take some of the people that are often at the front out of the race and give other people a chance to run really hard.

“It was just a great day for that.”

First among the participants in the 5K competitive walk was Gina Bradshaw, who crossed the line in 38:05, with Louise Treacy taking second in 38:41 and Gilda Cann third in 40:08.

Race proceeds will go to Project Action, which has provided free transport for the island’s seniors for nearly two decades.