Carmen Hili (St Patrick’s AC) and Vincenzo Scuro (AS Libertas) recorded the best leg times of the day at the Clubs’ Road Relay over 20km held at Marsascala and organised by Athletics Malta on Saturday.

Just seven teams, hailing from three clubs, fielded a challenge for this classic relay, the direct descendent of the Ferro Shield and the ‘Village-to-Village’ road relays remembered with nostalgia by many athletes from another millennium.

Fielding two teams for each section, St Patrick’s AC were the sup-reme winners.

Their men’s team was composed of Jonathan Balzan, Mario Grech, Clive Gerada and Hussen Ahmed Ibrahim. They completed the course in a time of 1 hour 4 minutes and 7 seconds, ahead of last year’s winners Pembroke Athleta.

The winning team in the women’s relay was made up of Angela Sammut, Roberta Schembri, Joelle Cortis and Hili. They covered the distance in 1 hour, 19 minutes and 6 seconds.

“My aim today is to challenge the fastest 5km leg time of 15.09 minutes set by James Douglas of Birkirkara St Joseph in 2007,” confessed Scuro before the race on Saturday.

Shy of this time by 24 seconds, at the end of the race the Italian signified his intention to be back next year.

“As I believe that records are there to be broken and as I feel the best timing is within my reach I will try again,” Scuro said.

Perhaps the 10th edition of this race will prove to be the best yet, at least if not in participation then in producing the fastest times.

Athletics Malta looks forward to both.