The sixth staging of the Everyone’s a Winner Best Dressed Chicken Race Series got off to a thrilling start on Sunday with Shawn Pitter and Juliett Dinnal securing the top overall male and female positions, respectively, in the 5K run.

Pitter posted a time of 16:37 minutes to win from Wayne Brown 17:51 minutes and Jomo-Rhys Gilman 18:11 minutes. Meanwhile, Dinnal returned a time of 21:18 minutes to finish ahead of Olivia McKoy and Garielle Pratt, who posted 23:55 and 24:09 for second and third, respectively. The race was the first event of the two-part series, with the second running slated for Sunday, June 19.

Dinnal, a Manchester native, recounted that the race was a challenge mentally at first as she had to overcome nerves, but settled in to grind out the win in a keenly contested event.

“I was nervous before and at the start of the race and I had to just find a way to regain my focus as races like these are as much mental as they are physical. The conditions really helped also as the early morning showers made the morning cool, similar to the conditions at home in Manchester and that sparked my calmness and I just went out hard and then maintained my pace home,” said Dinnal.

In other events on the day, the pair of Mavis Bank High teenagers, 19-year-old Garfield Gordon and 15-year-old Crystal Brown romped to victory in the 8K run. Gordon dominated the field with a time of 26:46 minutes with Ryon Chambers securing second with 29:26 minuts, just ahead of 18-year-old Shaun Richards, also of Mavis Bank High, in third with 29:53 minutes. Brown, like her high school compatriot, also secured the pole position in commanding fashion, posting a time of 33:10 minutes. Karlene Blagrove was a distant second in 37 minutes flat and Janetta Robinson further back in third with 38:08 minutes.

Andre Smith and Shane Pryce, both of the Go Run Running Club, put on a thrilling performance in the 5K walk as Smith posted 28:17 minutes for the victory and Pryce returned a time of 28:35 minutes for second, just ahead of third-placed Lenworth Hunter in 28:36 minutes. Tracey Tapper secured the female equivalent in 33:56 with Denise Allen clinching second with 34:16 ahead of Fern Townsend with 34:34.

Following the day’s races, the event’s 2015 beneficiaries, The Diabetes Association of Jamaica, The Heart Foundation of Jamaica and the Department of Medicine Neurology Department at the University Hospital of the West Indies, were each presented with a cheque of $250,000 to aid their various operations. This year’s beneficiary of the series is the Diabetes Association of Jamaica.

The first 1,000 finishers of all the race events proportionally, received a half medal at Sunday’s event. The special commemorative medal is split in two – with the other half to be presented at the series finale on Sunday, June 19 and will be a special staging for Father’s Day.

In keeping with the theme of encouraging healthy lifestyle practices, participants received post-race massages from Bella Oasis Day Spa, along with free blood pressure and basic health checks from the Heart Foundation.