English runner Neil Speaight went one better than he managed in 2006 to win the KPMG Invitational Mile in a thrilling sprint finish cheered on by thousands of spectators lining Front Street last night.

But despite breaking the four-minute mile barrier indoors in the US last season he was unable to come close to the magic mark — and the $10,000 bonus on offer — although he was delighted to secure a victory in 4:12.3, just two hundreths of a second ahead of friend and two-time winner Jamie Thie of Wales.

As exciting as the elite men's mile was, the biggest surprise of the evening came in the local women's race when school teacher and Bermuda national 800 metres record holder Tamika Williams stormed to victory ahead of favourites Joanna Shillington and Victoria Fiddick.

Lamont Marshall retained his local men's title but was seven seconds slower than his record-breaking run of a year ago.

The evening was blessed with perfect running conditions. The temperature was pleasant and there was practically no breeze.

Everything looked in place for fast times and tension mounted as the elite men lined up. Towering Columbian Edgar Bermudez was employed as a "rabbit" to pull the runners along at a fast pace through the early stages and he did his job as the race field of 12 internationals powered through the first quarter mile having successfully negotiated the tight turn around the Birdcage.

The runners disappeared up Front Street, turning at the "Longtails" and then digging in to their final reserves as a tight group of four sprinted towards the finish.

Tall Englishman Speaight took a tactical approach, staying just off the lead pace for much of the race before using superior strength in the final 500 metres to take him clear of his friend Thie by a fraction of a second as they crossed the finish line.

Despite race organisers employing computer chips in the shoes of the runners to automatically register athletes' finish times as they ran on to a special mat, it turned out to be a dead-heat for third between Puerto Rico's David Freeman and last year's third-place finisher Geoffrey Rono (Kenya).

After the race Speaight said: "I sat back for the first half, I thought the others would come back. In the last 500 metres I got back up with everybody. I felt good in the second half. At the turn I had really picked it up and I had a great finish."

It was Thie who introduced Speaight to the event last year, and he joked it was probably a mistake after being denied a third win by 0.2 of a second.

Thie said: "It was a good field of runners, it was a real race and beforehand Neil and I said there were five or six runners capable of winning. Neil stole a march on me, but I thought I could get back at him before the finish. This is such a great event and I think the finish times will come down. The crowd was great."

Equal third-place finisher Freeman also said he was in awe at the atmosphere and the crowd support.

Undoubtedly the talking point of the evening was Tamika Williams' return to competitive running. She was only the fourth fastest qualifier for the women's mile race but left the two pre-race favourites Fiddick and Shillington many metres behind.

Williams still holds the national 800 metres record of 2:04.40 and at her peak sought qualification for the 2004 Olympics. Last night she was overcome with emotion after winning the Front Street showdown, cheered on by students from Somerset Primary where she teaches.

"It has been a great experience being back home. In the race Vicky and Shillington took it out quite easy. We went through the quarter mile in 1:26 and I felt they were taking it easy so I hung on," said Williams.

"I did not know how I was going to go, I was trying to have fun and enjoy it and I heard all my students calling out for me."

Williams has previously trained with fellow Bermudian Ashley Couper and was part of the Nike-sponsored athletics team at Stanford University.

Her win, in a time of 5:41.8, came as a surprise even for Williams. She said: "Up to a week ago I kept saying that I did not think I was ready. It is a blessing to have done this."

Runner-up Shillington repeated her finishing position of a year ago, although she had suffered a bout of flu earlier in the week.

"I just wanted to stay with Victoria. The second quarter was slower than I hoped. I know Williams has been training in the US and it's wonderful that she is back."

Men's winner Marshall led from start to finish but did not feel good, as indicated by his winning time of 4:30.8, some seven seconds off his 2006 record. Friend Chayce Smith, currently studying at St. Augustine College in the US, tried to stay with Marshall and came home five seconds in arrears.

Third place went to Craig Rothwell who proved to have a better turn of speed in a sprint to the line to see off Danny Kendall.