Lamont Marshall and Olga Firsova in what may be her last race as an Island resident ¿ were the respective men's and women's winners for the Crime Stoppers 5K road race yesterday.

Marshall led from start to finish to reclaim the title he last won in 2007. On a warm morning, with runners facing into a moderate breeze in the opening half of the course, finishing times were slightly slower than would have been expected.

The winning time was 15 minutes 42 seconds. Devonshire's Marshall, who last weekend ran a 15.09 time in far worse conditions near Philadelphia, noted that he had been training hard this week and so was not too surprised to see less of an edge to his finishing time.

"I took it out hard. It was 4.35 for the first mile.

"The wind was a bit patchy, it was a bit weird. But the run was a good burn and I've had a hard week," he said.

Runner-up was Stephen Allen in 17.26, with Tony Banks third in 17.59.

Women's winner, and fourth overall, was Czech Republic athlete Olga Firsova. It was her third victory from three races she has so far competed in on the Island.

She moved to Bermuda in the summer, but Sunday's race may be her last as an Island resident as she has been informed that her position at the Elbow Beach Hotel is being made redundant due to the imminent closure of the main hotel at the end of November.

Firsova expects to find out this week when she will be leaving the Island, and viewed yesterday's race as her likely competitive finale as a resident.

Like Marshall, she took the lead in the women's race within the opening 100m and was not headed again. With no close rival to worry about she focused on the top men ahead of her to push her pace. Her time of 18.06 was just over 10 seconds down on her winning time in the PartnerRe race a few weeks ago.

Firsova's training partner Jennifer Alen was second in the women's race, running 19.23 to take seventh place overall.

The Crime Stoppers 5K also saw the return to road race competition for former May 24 women's champion Ashley Estwanik. She was third woman in 19.42, running alongside her husband Chris Estwanik, who won the Crime Stoppers race last year and who this year pushed the couple's baby daughter in a stroller around the course.

A total of 161 runners finished the race.

In the 5K walk, first place went to Sinclair Smith in 34.29, with Sheena Young the first woman, and second overall, in 34.41.

The closest finish of the day came in the junior 1.5K race as Juma Mouchette, 15, duelled with Dage Minors, 13, in a sprint finish. Mouchette got the verdict, running 8.34 to beat Minors by one second. Third home, and first girl, was Kyrah Scraders, 12, in 9.09.