Runners were tested to the limit as temperature and humidity levels rose into the 80s during the Nature Valley 5K.

The out-of-season road race is renowned for being held in sizzling heat and this year was no exception.

Tim Price and Martina Olcheski-Bell coped with the conditions best and are the new men’s and women’s champions.

Price, 27, was in the lead group for the first mile, before taking control and overtaking teenager Robert Thomas as the group started to break apart along Parsons Lane. After that he stayed clear to claim victory in 18min 27sec.

His strategy was to “go out fast and see who could last longest through the heat”.

Before moving to Bermuda last year he lived in South Carolina, where summer temperatures regularly soar into the 90s. He said training through a Bermudian summer presents similar challenges and rewards.

“It’s the best time to train. If you can run when it is in the 80s and the humidity is in the 90s, then you feel a lot stronger when it cools off,” he said.

Runner-up Thomas, 17, reprised his second place from last year, finishing in 18:55 to win the 17-and-under age division. Third place went to Sean Trott, who was only two seconds behind in 18:57.

In the women’s race Olcheski-Bell, 33, took a similar approach to Price, heading out at a fast pace for the opening downhill section.

As well as running she competes in triathlons, and she considers herself best suited to longer distance events. However, she had plenty of speed to stay ahead of the competition in yesterday’s race and finished top among the women, and ninth overall, in 21:42.

Next was Melissa Logie in 22:31, followed by first master Sharlene Sousa in 22:54.

It was a smaller race field than last year, with 67 finishers. The event started and finished at the Butterfield and Vallis depot on Orange Valley Road, Devonshire, and followed a hilly course that included Frog Lane, Montpelier Road and Middle Road.

Other 5K age division winners among the men were: Damian Gold (30-39) in 18:57, Peter Tobin (40-49) in 23:00, Jon Smith (50-59) in 20:58, Christopher Jones (over-60) in 24:31.

Among the women, age division winners were: Sophie Miller (18-29) in 26:29, Lea Osborne (50-59) in 26:33, Debbie Butterfield (over-60) in 25:55.

In the 5K competitive walk Aaron Tucker was first in 37:09, followed by first woman Gilda Cann in 38:51, and Gina Bradshaw in 38:52.