and headed into the final few yards of a glorious Marathon Derby, he cast one final, furtive glance over his shoulder to see whether Kevin Tucker would catch him.

Forgesson realised in this moment of an athletic lifetime that he just had to keep pushing ahead to win Bermuda's Heritage Day spectacle.

In a race which featured humid conditions and blazing heat, the plucky New Zealander finally pulled away from a resolute Tucker at roughly one hour and seven minutes near City Hall on Church Street to capture his first Marathon Derby in 1:15.09.

It took all 13.3 miles -- most of them a cat-and-mouse struggle with Tucker -- for Forgesson to relax yesterday. But once he flashed a dazzling smile he showed no inclination to stop.

There were plenty of lead changes between the two runners in a remarkable race. Tucker finished second in 1:15.51.

While Forgesson was being acclaimed as the new men's champion, Sandra Mewett took the women's race for a record eighth time, clocking 1:30.16, followed by Debbie Butterfield (1:31.17) and Julia Hawley (1:31.38). Jane Christie (1:31.55) was fifth.

"I really didn't think it was going to be this hard,'' Forgesson said at the edge of the finish line at Bernard Park yesterday. "I was in good shape, but on a day like this, hot and humid with a tailwind, it really took its toll.'' Tracy Wright, who challenged for the lead in the men's division until the five-mile mark, won the duel for third place with a time of 1:18.20. Manuel Lopes (1:18.30) was fourth, followed by Rod Allen, the first Master (over 40) in 1:19.28.

Said an ecstatic Mewett: "That was the most amazing thing. I'll tell you, though, it was the longest way from Victoria Street to here I ever had. I felt like the whole marathon was from Victoria Street to Bernard Park. I didn't go out there to win, I just wanted to be part of it.'' The race took its biggest toll on Maria Conroy Haydon, the favourite in the women's field, who collapsed on King Street less than a mile from the finish, providing the event with its scariest moment. Conroy Haydon, who had been leading Mewett by some six or seven minutes, was rushed to hospital but later released in good condition.

"It's very upsetting because she's really a good friend,'' said Anna Eatherley, last year's winner, who was providing radio commentary. "She just went white and fell over.'' Forgesson became the race favourite when Kavin Smith, last year's winner and record-holder (1:11.27), opted not to participate.

"I was a bit dehydrated toward the end of the race and I was looking for water all the way along Front Street, but I couldn't find any. I was really struggling at that stage with the heat,'' said Forgesson.

What he did manage to find was enough momentum to finally overtake Tucker.

"I just had a little surge of energy and I thought it was now or never because of the way I was feeling. I thought Kevin would probably get me at the end in a sprint finish.'' Along Harbour Road, however, Forgesson started fumbling for the gas pedal, his shoulders slumping and head bobbing for the first time.

"I thought he would beat me there (Harbour Road). I had to really grit my teeth and hang on. He got away from me about 30, 40 yards at one stage and I just said to myself `you've got to stay. You've got to try and catch him, otherwise the race is over'.'' Forgesson, Tucker and Wright quickly roused the thousands of fans along the route, and they cheered with gusto. Wright was first to break away, bringing back memories of the lead he grabbed, but eventually relinquished to Smith in the final moments of the ADT Half Marathon in January.

"I started to get chest pains, I probably had too much water,'' said Wright, who finished fourth in 1993. "I was having trouble breathing. I don't think it was because of the early pace, because it wasn't that fast. I think I just wasn't conditioned enough.'' Forgesson, face grim, appeared cautious in the early going, with Tucker running third. Clearly enjoying himself, Tucker was waving and smiling to the crowd. Wright completed the first mile in 5.07 and by the second mile, at 10.45, Tucker pulled even with Wright.

Forgesson closed the gap for the first time at White Hill field taking the lead at the three-mile mark. But there was a long way to go.

He eventually finished two minutes shy of his best time in 1991 (1:13.30) and was slightly off the 1:14.10 he clocked a year ago, but his placing certainly made up for that. In 1990, the first time he competed, he placed 10th and finished the course in 1:16. Last year he was third behind Smith and Mark Perry.

Tucker, who seemed to slide with ethereal speed along a cushion above Bermuda's roads, was far from downcast.

"I'm not disappointed at all,'' he said among the maelstrom of sweating bodies. "I did exactly what I wanted to do and I ran as hard as I could from start to finish. I'm giving myself all the credit in the world.

"Brett's a lot stronger than me and I didn't want him to think I was afraid of him. In the past he has beat me and today I said if he's going to beat me he's really going to have to work.

"He kept getting kind of close during the race and I said `excuse me could you go over there a bit', and he did. It was cool.'' While most of the runners complained of the searing heat, fourth-placed Lopes said "if it's hot out there, I didn't feel it''.

Lopes, however, felt frustrated at not being able to overtake Wright for third.

"If it would have been a few more miles, at least one more mile, I would have got him,'' he said.

Forgesson, congratulated by Eatherley, his wife, with a hug and kiss, said the only other race he could remember being as challenging for him was the Boston Marathon in 1990.

"My tactic for this race was to try and get away at about seven or eight miles, but Kevin was just too strong. I couldn't do it. I was struggling to stay with him. I let him set the pace for the majority of the race ...I tried to stay with him while he sort of did all the work.'' Second behind Allen in the men's Masters division was Jeremy Ball, who crossed the finish line in 1:22.22 and was seventh overall, followed by Harry Patchett (1:22.27) and Michael Whalley (1:22.53).

Women's Masters honours went to Debbie Butterfield (although overall winner Mewett is also over 40) while Peggy Couper (1:35.33) took the Seniors Division.

Former winner Ray Swan, finishing 15th overall in 1:25.04, was the Men's Seniors winner (over 50).

AT LAST! -- Champion Brett Forgesson crosses the finish line after finally shrugging off the challenge of Kevin Tucker.