It was a husband-and-wife double as Chris and Ashley Estwanik won the men's and women's Fairmont to Fairmont road race.

Both ran tantalisingly close to the all-time records, with Chris claiming the swiftest time by an Island resident as he stopped the clock at 36 minutes 29 seconds - just 21 seconds away from David Swanson's 1989 record of 36:08.

Ashley chalked up her second win, in 42:40, roughly a minute outside Sandra Mewett's record, while wrapping up a highly successful family day, Ashley's mother Peggy Couper collected an age category prize after ducking a couple of minutes under the one-hour mark.

With weather conditions highly favourable for quick times, it was little surprise many leading runners set new personal bests on the testing 7.2-mile course, which started outside the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and ended at the former Whaler Inn at the Fairmont Southampton.

This was the 31st annual running of the race, which is sponsored by Fairmont Bermuda and organised by Mid Atlantic Athletic Club.

American Estwanik, 27, started as favourite on the back of his National Cross Country victory last month. The sub-four-minute miler had Lamont Marshall for company in the first three miles before his superior strength allowed him to gain distance on the undulations of Harbour Road.

Spectators called out to Estwanik to let him know he was on record-breaking schedule.

"I was on record pace. I was running well through to five miles and then fell away a bit between five and six, like everyone I was thinking about the hill at the end and wanted to save something," he said.

It was the first time he had run the full course, including the daunting final mile — half-a-mile steep uphill to the hotel and the same distance in a freewheeling downhill that pulls every last drop of energy out of the runners.

Estwanik said: "It is a beautiful course. There was no wind today. Lamont and I were working together for the first few miles. I've only raced further than this once before and that was in a half-marathon Ashley and I did last year." He is now preparing for the Front Street Mile elite invitation race in just under two weeks' time, and the International Race Weekend 10K the following day.

Second-placed Marshall, 23, taking part in the Fairmont event for the first time, felt his result showed he has a strength base for his primary goal of the Front Street Mile local invitation race on January 18.

"The first three miles we were on five-minute mile pace, running side by side. The mile between five and six was challenging — going up Burnt House Hill and the hill at Fairmont Southampton."

"I was glad there was a two-week gap between this and Race Weekend. It means I can fully recover," he said.

The women's race saw Ashley (Couper) Estwanik in dominant form, quickly distancing herself from her nearest rival Victoria Fiddick.

The 30-year-old Commonwealth Games middle-distance runner ran in a relaxed manner over the opening miles and it wasn't until the final uphill test that she had to dig deep into her strength reserves. She was rewarded with a time two minutes faster than her 2003 winning mark.

"I had a pretty lonely race the entire time. I went past Simon Ashby at four-and-a-half miles and then I saw Riaan Naude ahead and gave chase," she said.

Like her husband, Estwanik is now gearing up for the Front Street Mile and race weekend 10K.

Runner-up Fiddick, who was also second last year, improved her time on the course by almost two minutes and had the added reward of a new 10km best en route as she passed that mark in 39:20.

For the first few miles she kept the gap between herself and Estwanik at around 30 seconds, but that soon lengthened as Estwanik pounded out consistently fast miles.

Fiddick, 42, found herself running with the likes of Geoff Blee and Norbert Meyer as she held onto her own competitive pace.

"The last hill was hard, even though I kept thinking I would have a lot left for it. Ashley was in a class of her own," she said. The BTFA Fall Half Marathon champion will run the Front Street Mile and race weekend half marathon.

Sylvester Jean Pierre, who is 50 in March, left many younger athletes in his wake in his final race before stepping up to the senior masters' category. He stopped the clock at 42:01.

Race directors April Vesey and Chris Page were delighted by the high turnout of athletes for the race, and the junior event between Heron Bay Market Place and the Fairmont Southampton.

Junior boys winners were Ryan Furbert in 9:03 (age 13-15 category), Dage Minors 9:11 (age11-12), and Justin Ferreira 9:25 (age 8-10).

Amongst the girls winners were Izabella Arnold in 11:03 (age 13-15), Gabriella Arnold 10:15 (age 11-12) and Aaliyah Nolan 10:30 (8-10).