first outing over the distance.

Babcock, who lives and trains in Montana, is a 5K specialist but adapted superbly to force American Lynn DeNinno to settle for second place in the event for a second time.

Anna Eatherley lived up to her billing as the favourite among local runners to reverse the first two places of the night before in the women's mile, her time of 38:28 putting her 46 seconds ahead of Karen Adams.

And Emily Ferguson, third in Friday's race, again showed her promise to take third place among Island competitors with a time of 40:41.

Babcock, who finished tenth overall in a time of 34:55, made her move about a mile from home after she and DeNinno had run almost neck-and-neck from the start in the humid conditions.

"There were about four of us out in front before Lynn made a move at about the 5K mark,'' Babcock recalled afterwards.

"She opened up a lead of about 15 yards before I decided to go with her. And then we began to work together.

"With about a mile to go I made a move. I knew it was hilly and was going to be tough but fortunately that was in the last mile and not the second last.

When it's in the last mile you know you're going to finish.'' For Boston-based DeNinno, who clocked a time nine seconds outside Babcock's, it was the second time she had taken the runner's-up spot; the first was in 1996 when Carole Zajac triumphed.

But she said: "We were pretty much together most of the way. I had the lead until the last mile where she went ahead of me on the hill.

"I haven't had humidity like this in a while. It was Courtney's first 10K and she did a great job.'' Michele Buresh Chalmers, also of the US, came in third in 35:56.

Eatherley, meanwhile, continued her impressive run of performances in Island road races, adding to seven wins last year and a victory in the Princess to Princess event at the start of this.

But she admitted to being slightly disappointed with her time.

"I was actually aiming for something a little quicker but the conditions weren't that easy,'' she said.

"My thing was not to run too hard on Friday night so I just cruised a little bit in the mile. I tried to run a sub 5:30 in that and I ran 5:30. This morning I just went out a bit too fast.'' Eatherley's run was no surprise to Adams.

`I pretty much expected us to come in this order. I certainly didn't expect to beat her today,'' she said.

"She had quite a fast start and I find the jarring of the first mile a little bit intense. You have to roll with the hill rather than back off from it too much and I find that a little hard.

"Although I didn't feel that sharp when I came out I actually got into quite a nice rhythm when I was running.'' In the early stages, Adams was able to offer the benefit of her experience to the younger Ferguson. "She wanted to do a sub-40 and I thought that's what I might aim for so at the beginning we actually ran together. I had the watch and was pacing it. I tried to help her up a couple of the hills because I thought that might help me a bit.

"At the three-mile point I sort of pulled away and I know she eventually finished just outside 40 minutes but on a day like this and on a tough course I don't think she has any cause for complaint.'' TWO OF A KIND -- England's Dave Lewis (above) and Canada's Courtney Babcock (below) were the respective overall men's and women's winners in Saturday's 10K.

ANNA EATHERLEY -- first local female and seventh woman overall in 38:28.