Despite momentarily breaking into a walk on the last steep hill of the PartnerRe 5K women-only race yesterday, Island resident Olga Firsova won the race in a new course record of 17 minutes, 53 seconds.

That eclipsed the mark set by Ashley Estwanik (18.26) in 2006 in a charity event which this year attracted 849 women, competing in both the run and the walk.

The Czech athlete made her intentions clear in the opening half mile of the race as she pulled away from former champion Victoria Fiddick and the rest of the field.

A week after running a sub-five minute road mile in New York, Firsova took command of the race and was never headed as she galloped away.

But it wasn't an easy run for the winner, with the 26-year-old admitting that on the final incline up Tee Street she briefly walked a few steps as the heat, humidity and her own fast pace caught up with her.

She regained her momentum and surged through the downhill finish in the Botanical Gardens to claim victory by a minute-and-a-half from Fiddick.

"I would have liked to have run 17.30, but getting under 18 minutes is good," said Firsova, noting that the early part of the race was particularly fast.

One concern she had was a stiff calf muscle, brought on she believes through training in a new pair of track spikes earlier in the week. However, it did not cause too much discomfort.

For current May 24 Half Marathon Derby champion Fiddick it was a return to Island racing after a summer that saw her compete for Bermuda in the Island Games in Europe.

She met Firsova for the first time five minutes before the start of the run and admitted she felt somewhat nervous lining up for the race.

"I ran solidly. My plan was to get away from Jennifer (Alen). I was being realistic," she said, noting that Firsova ran a time of 29.02 in the Labour Day Five-Mile Road Race, some two minutes faster than she has run lately. She crossed the finish line second in 19.28.

"My time was not great, but sometimes you have to stop racing for a finishing time and just keep going for a position. Today was also windy and humid," she added.

Third-placed Alen was runner-up to Fiddick in the May 24 Marathon Derby and has been a close competitor in other races. Last weekend she took 10 seconds from her road mile personal best as she came second to Firsova in the women's open event at the Fifth Avenue Mile road races in New York City.

She finished the 5K less than 10 seconds adrift of Fiddick in 19.36, and said afterwards: "I would have liked to have been nearer 19 minutes. I've been doing quite a bit of training this week, but I'm still happy enough with my result and it is still faster than my last 5K time."