Last year’s winners of the Birkirkara St. Joseph 5K Road Running Series, Aaron Mifsud (Pembroke Athleta) and Carmen Hili (St. Patrick’s) opened their defence of the title, by winning their respective categories in the first race of this year’s 10th edition of the series.

All three races in this series are being held on the Mtarfa By-pass, under the auspices of the Malta Amateur Athletic Association and sponsored by The Cyclist of San Gwann.

The top six athletes in the race all clocked a finishing time under 17 minutes. 

However Mifsud opened a wide gap in the first half of the race, to win in a time of 16 minutes 9 seconds, a personal best on the Mtarfa route. 

Four athletes were battling it out for second place, with St. Patrick’s Simon Spiteri marginally leading Steve Chetcuti (Birkirkara St. Joseph), team-mate Clive Gerada and Allcomers’ Bertrand Sant.  Spiteri finished in 16 minutes 29 seconds, ahead of Chetcuti (16:32) and Gerada (16:35).

Carmen Hili’s race in the females category was a solitary challenge against the clock. 

Determined to hold on to the title she won last year, she stopped the watch at 18 minutes 54 seconds.  Second place went to Francesca Arrigo of the Ladies Running Club, who finished 16 seconds ahead of Marica Micallef (St. Patrick’s A.C.)

The second race in this series will be held on Tuesday, 24 July starting at 7pm on the Mtarfa By-Pass.