Deon Breary completed a fine day for the 40-plus runners in the Appleby Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby when she won a second women’s title in 1hr 35min 38sec.

Breary, 47, capitalised on the absence of defending champion Ashley Estwanik and Rose-Anna Hoey to race to a comfortable victory over Martina Olcheski-Bell who was second in 1:36:53.

Karen Smith was third after crossing the Bernard Park finish line in 1:39:14.

“I wasn’t expecting it but at my age I’m thankful and thank God for my health, my strength,” Breary said. “I’m just so happy right now, I’m feeling really good!”

With Estwanik and Hoey, another past winner, both opting to compete in the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race instead, the women’s field was wide open as Breary seized the opportunity to add to her 2011 title. She took an early lead out of St George and knew before she reached the airport that the race could be hers to win.

“I would say the first three miles, when I kept everything in control,” she said. “I looked back and didn’t see anyone so I decided to just take my time and pace myself.

“Ashley wasn’t running, Rose-Anna wasn’t running, so I just wanted to go out there and do my best,” Breary said. “I wasn’t pressured, wasn’t bothered, I was going to run my own race.”

On the same course two years ago — the first time the race came out of the East End in almost 40 years — Breary clocked 1:31:13 as Estwanik won that day in 1:22:43 ahead of debutant Ashley Berry.

“The course is different, hilly and what really got me was those long hills,” Breary said. “Those hills were hard.”

Olcheski-Bell, 33, was happy with her performance as she finished five places and a minute behind Breary.

“I haven’t done the run in three or four years as I’ve done the cycle race, so I was really pleased with my time,” she said. “I’ve never done it from St George’s before and it’s a tough course, hard going uphill.

“She [Breary] took off from the get-go and people were saying, ‘You’re the second girl, keep it up’. The crowd was amazing.

“I wasn’t looking at a time, I ran 1:30 in New York City in March but conditions were completely different. I was just hoping for a top-three finish.”

Kristen Palmer was second in her age group (30-40) in 1:39:52, while Victoria Fiddick, 51, won her age group in 1:40:36.