for an operation on an umbilical hernia, Maria Conroy Haydon wiped out her challengers to comfortably claim victory in the women's division of the Marathon Derby yesterday.

By conquering the 13.3 mile trek from Somerset to Hamilton for the first time ever, Conroy Haydon not only beat out two former winners -- defending champion Sandra Mewett and Jane Christie -- but also left such prominent runners as Jennifer Fisher, Julia Hawley and Karen Adams in her wake.

Both Hawley and Adams were forced to quit, the latter requiring medical attention at hospital before being released later in the day.

Conroy Haydon won in a time of 1:23.22, easily beating Mewett's winning time of 1:30.16 a year ago. Mewett was second in 1:25.19 and Fisher third in 1.28.45.

Conroy Haydon was 18th overall, Mewett 28th and Fisher 39th.

But the day belonged to Conroy Haydon who clearly enjoyed finishing in grand style just one year after collapsing in a race which she seemed to have had all wrapped up.

The ecstatic winner said later she wasn't convinced she would win until getting past the point on King Street near the Fire Station where she fell and bowed out of the race last year.

"Psychologically I needed to get past there to see if I was going to finish, but I only knew that I was leading when informed by the crowd at the foot of the lane,'' said Conroy Haydon.

"I felt comfortable the whole way. There wasn't any pressure on me to perform. Most of the pressure I think was on Jennifer (Fisher) because she had been the leading female throughout the whole racing season.'' The new champion said she didn't know when she took the lead and couldn't recall passing Mewett. She said she put a lot of effort into the first mile and then ran comfortably the rest of the way.

The hernia that forced her to pull out of the Malpe Leaf 10K just two weeks ago didn't bother her at all. She pointed out that she suffered no discomfort anywhere along the route.

Mewett, who only decided to run at the last minute, applauded the winner and wasn't surprised with the outcome.

"Maria came past me at the first mile and I didn't look for her after that.

You just gotta know your place,'' grinned Mewett, who has won the event an unprecedented eight times.

Fisher, who admitted going into the race that the distance was longer than she was accustomed to, wished she had gone out quicker.

"I wish I had gone quicker. I just didn't know what to expect. I just did my race. It was very comfortable out there, I had the same pace all of the way,'' she said.

She added: "I would train differently if I ran again. But it was just Maria's day this time, she trained for it and did well.'' Hawley had expected to do well going into the event in her best ever condition, but she went down with a bout of the 'flu a few days before the race and couldn't shake off the effects.

"I really didn't know how it was going to affect me, and it really did. I got to Burnt House Hill and had chest problems and decided that was it. I felt awful and instead of trying to just struggle through I decided to quit,'' said Hawley who had struggled from the start.

Mewett was the first female Master to finish followed by Jane Christie (1:33.35) while Peggy Couper was top female senior in 1:36.21.

MARIA CONROY HAYDON -- her Irish eyes were smiling.

JENNIFER FISHER -- proved she could handle longer distances.

UPHILL BATTLE -- The hills proved to be the biggest challenges for the 400-plus runners in yesterday's Marathon Derby.

NEIL DE STE CROIX -- top triathlete was in seventh heaven.