Almost 250 runners and walkers took to the streets of Hamilton in the Crimestoppers 5km race event that also saw a fascinating duel between four of the Island?s fastest athletes.

The event is now arguably the fourth largest walk/run on the Island after numbers swelled this year with a particularly large contingent of youngsters taking part.

One of the goals of this year?s event was to encourage more young people to take part in an activity to improve their health and their awareness of the Crimestoppers message.

The walk and run started and finished on Sunday outside the offices of the main sponsor the Argus Group. Company president and CEO Gerald Simons said: ?This event touches on two areas of concern for us as a Bermudian insurance company.

?Firstly, it touches on security and crime and secondly, because it is physical activity, it ties in with our concern for all Bermuda and our concerted effort to get schoolchildren out walking or running and making that exercise part of their lives.?

Mr. Simons was amongst those who walked the three-and-a-bit miles from the centre of town out along Front Street to the roundabout at the Foot of the Lane and back. He said the event had instilled a feeling of camaraderie amongst participants.

As a special incentive this year?s event featured a prize draw for schoolchildren to win four Apple Nano iPods.

The school with the most participants, which turned out to be the Whitney Institute with 99 students taking part, received a $1,000 gift voucher for sports equipment.

Amongst the walkers was Superman, a.k.a. Mark Anderson, who decided against going ?faster than a speeding bullet? but to enjoy a stroll in the sunshine along Front Street instead.

Spectators were treated to a head-to-head battle in both the men?s and women?s road race as four of the Island?s fastest road runners showed up to compete for the spoils.

In the men?s event it was virtually a re-run of last May?s ?Sir? Stanley Burgess 5K race as Lamont Marshall and international cross country runner Jay Donawa fought out a tight contest that was only resolved in the final metres as Marshall delivered a blistering finishing kick to win by three seconds in 15 minutes 19 seconds.

A pair of Bermuda?s international athletes led the way in the women?s race as triathlete Flora Duffy and Commonwealth Games middle-distance specialist Ashley Couper were the next to cross the finish line setting two of the fastest 5km road times seen on the Island.

Otis Robinson, president of the event-organising Swan?s Running Club, who placed seventh in the main race, was delighted by the 100 percent increase in participants this year and the quality of the top finishers. He said: ?Argus wanted to increase the numbers and promote health in the community and amongst youngsters. We started offering incentives to youngsters in the Stanley Burgess race when we offered iPods and other things and it has brought more than 100 kids out today.?

Crimestoppers chairman Sean Pitcher was impressed and pleased by the numbers of young people taking part in the race and that the level of participation for the event generally had increased. He said the event helped to promote the Crimestoppers message to combat crime and violence.