Canada's Courtney Babcock completed a hat-trick of Bermuda 10K victories as she decimated the women's field on Saturday.

With a beaming smile to match the brightness of the morning sun, Babcock overcame the early setback of a loose shoelace, reeling in a three-member breakaway pack to record a personal best time in Bermuda of 34 minutes, 22.75 seconds.

In the process of capturing the three-peat, Babcock found a way to break the will of Kenya's Grace Momany, who had led for much of the first half, with American Katie McGregor and another Canadian Tania Jones closely following.

However, once Babcock was able to make up the `stagger' caused by her need to stop and secure her running shoes, the deal was sealed.

Striding effortlessly under unusually tranquil conditions, Babcock put paid to the challenge of Momany as she hit North Shore, surging while leaving the African for dead, with McGregor and Jones previously having been dropped from the ranks of contenders.

The trademark wide grin was well evident as the tiny runner entered National Stadium to tumultuous cheers.

Momany finished almost a minute back, in 35:19.47, while McGregor crossed in 35:29.42 and Jones in 35:43.39.

"It was good out there,'' said Babcock, underscoring the obvious. "I knew I was in shape, I didn't know how it would go, but it went and felt a lot better than I thought it would.

"Unfortunately at the beginning my shoelace came undone, so I had a little stop, but it was okay, made me get my rhythm going, it was good.

"Luckily it was at the beginning, so I knew I still had five miles to catch up. If it would have been in the last mile I would have been more concerned.

"I just gradually tried to catch back up ...'' Babcock's time was her best on local soil, bettering the 34:44 recorded a year ago, after being timed in 34:55 back in 1999, when she won on her debut.

Still, she has a way's to go towards matching the race record of 31:41, held by Norway's legendary Grete Waitz, who likewise holds the record for most victories, with seven. Babcock though tied American Anne Marie Letko for second place in number of victories, as both have three to their credit.

However, there could be no muffling the joy expressed by Saturday's winner.

"It's almost sweeter every time, because you have more pressure every time you do it,'' said Babcock, who will next travel to California to take part in a 5K race. "The first time was the first 10K I'd ever run and I had no expectations, and now you kind of want to come to win, so it's sweeter every time.'' Meanwhile, Momany, surprisingly bothered by the heat, conceded to have simply run into a buzz-saw with no escape route.

"I thought I could beat her when we went through five kilometres, but she had too much speed for me today,'' said Momany. "The run was good, the course was good, and the weather was good also, although it was a bit humid for me, but I did my best.'' McGregor too managed a smile at the end, knowing that she had been beaten by the better woman on the day, yet promised to return for another crack at the `gold'.

"I think she's (Babcock) in really good shape right now, this course and this race has been good to her over the last couple years and she's real comfortable with it, obviously, and she ran us all out of the race,'' said McGregor, enjoying her first tour of Bermuda International Race Weekend.

"Maybe next year I'll come back and stick with her a little longer. I felt like we went out nice and easy, not too fast or anything. I started to hurt a little in the middle of it and then after a certain point everyone was staying where they were at and not progressing much more.

"I felt like I could have gone a little faster, but it just wasn't happening, like I was pushing it and not going anywhere.

"But for my first time here it was pretty good.'' On the local side, Anna Eatherley topped the list, clocking 37:48 with Maria Conroy Haydon second in 41:17 and Front Street Mile winner, Ashley Couper, third at 42:21.

It was Eatherley's fifth time as the leading local female, having accomplished the feat previously in 1991, '94, '99 and 2000.

First home: Moroccan Mohamed Amyn strides into the National Sports Centre to win Saturday's International 10K.

Three-peat: Canadian Courtney Babcock is all smiles as she crosses the finish line for her third successive Bermuda 10K victory.