Chayce Smith stormed to victory in the Ed Sherlock 10K Road Race, winning by two minutes, while Laura Wright was an equally emphatic women’s winner.

And the inaugural event of the Swan’s Running Club Legends race series lived up to its name with a number of the island’s greatest distance runners putting in an appearance.

Sherlock, 85, who won the first of six Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby titles in 1956, watched the race and presented the prizes.

While third overall in the 10K was Kavin Smith, 50, a nine-times winner of the May 24 derby race, and former Bermuda international athlete Mike Watson, a four-times winner of the derby, won yesterday’s race walk.

An altered route and extended distance gave runners a new challenge as the annual road race was held for the 24th time. Formerly a five-mile event, this year it was extended with the inclusion of loop beyond Barnes Corner and an extra quarter-of-a-mile at the start.

Smith, 29, proved up to the task, immediately taking the lead and stretching away. By halfway he had a minute on the rest and doubled that margin before crossing the finish line at Southampton Rangers Club in 34min 56sec.

There was nothing to separate Tim Price and first senior master Smith at halfway, but Price, 27, proved to have superior strength in the closing miles to claim second place in 36:58. Smith was next in 37:24.

Women’s champion Wright, 33, is training for next month’s New York City half-marathon where she aims to break 1hr 30min. She did a five-mile training run before starting yesterday’s 10K, where she won the women’s division, coming tenth overall in 42:59.

“I was trying to run sub seven-minute miles, which I did. I’ve been training 40 miles per week and it is hard work.

Today I felt good until about 4½ miles, but I’m pleased to go under 43 minutes, and I want to go faster in the Lindo’s 10K,” she said.

Next woman was Helen Draper, who has trained with Wright. Yesterday she set a lifetime best of 45:57. One place behind was third woman, Anna Laura Hocking, in 46:31.

Running legend Sherlock was delighted by the turnout, with 89 finishers in the 10K, and a further 20 equally split between the two-mile junior race and 10K walk.

He said: “To see all these people here makes me feel happy. It is getting more popular.” Sherlock still trains on the sand dunes at Horseshoe Bay, and he was delighted that the likes of Kavin Smith and Dale Butler competed in yesterday’s race.

Butler, a former sports minister, wrote a book on Ed Sherlock’s running exploits, and is the author of Marathon, a history of the May 24 half-marathon. He said: “I haven’t done a race for six years, but I know this one means a lot to Mr Sherlock and I was encouraged to come out and do it.”

He intends to compete in all four of the Legends race series event, which also honour Ray Swan, and the late “Sir” Stanley Burgess and Ludwig Cann.

Omari Hart was first master in 38:59, while Frederick Steede was first over-60 man in 45:49.

First master woman was Bonnie Mills in 51:57.

First senior master woman was Sharon Craig in 49:46, while first over-60 was Mayberline Black in 60:22.

The junior race was won by Tajai Goater in 13:34, with Myeisha Sharrieff first girl and second overall in 13:47.

Watson won the 10K walk in 1:10:25, followed by first woman Gilda Cann in 1:16:56.