Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club raised the curtain for the start of the road running race calendar for the summer in the post-Covid era.
The start of racing was welcomed by many athletes, who had been awaiting the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
The BSJ 5k Road Running Series, supported by Eurosport Malta and held under the auspices of the Malta Amateur Athletic Association, has been taking place on the Mtarfa By Pass for the past 12 years and has attracted a good number of athletes.
The first race of the series saw some new faces to the route.
From the onset it was Imed Ben Moussa who took a strong lead.
Following him was Aidan Tanti and Neil Brimmer all of whom were vying for a place on the podium.
Ben Moussa kept the lead for most of the way until the last part of the second loop when Tanti edged him to cross the finish line first with an advantage of four seconds.
In third place was Neil Brimmer.
Amgonst the runners, was George Vella, who finished in fourth place, after recently making headlines when his record for the indoor 800m, registered 16 years ago, was finally recognised.
First female to cross the line was Tara Abdilla, winner of last year’s series.
Abdilla kept the lead throughout the whole race. In second place was veteran Carmen Hili. Abdilla and Hili’s timings saw them finish amongst the top ten athletes. In third place was Francesca Arrigo who returned to the series following her absence last year.
“2020 is a very special year for the club as it celebrates its 45th Anniversary,” Euchar Camilleri, Birkirkara SJ secretary general said.
“For a while we thought we would not be in a position to celebrate such a milestone. Kick starting the road running season post Covid-19 made it even more special for us.”
The second part of the three part
Eurosport BSJ 5k Road Running Series will take place on Tuesday July 28, starting at 7pm.
