Luiz Carlos Ramos and Elena Makolova are still the marathon king and queen of Bermuda.

Both athletes withstood driving rain, chilly conditions and - towards the end - radiant sunshine to retain their hold on the International Marathon yesterday as the curtain closed on International Race Week.

In the men's race, the slim, well-toned athlete from Brazil turned on the pressure in the last six miles of the 26.2-mile course to dismiss Moroccan El Afoui Boubker's challenge in two hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds. Boubker clocked 2:21.46 and Russia's Fedor Ryzhov was third in 2:24.33.

About half-an-hour later, Makolova ensured the top two names would be the same as last year when the Belarussian was the first woman (and fifth overall) across the Front Street finish in 2:50.22. Zinaida Semenova of Russia was second among the females in 2:53.20 and American Edie Perkins was the third woman in 3:30.35.

"I am very happy to win for the second time. The rain made it a bit difficult but I wanted to win and I was confident," said Ramos via an interpreter.

The 37-year-old admitted some concern about Boubker's form but said he was sure his two months of training for this race would stand up to the test.

That it did robustly as the two-time champion pulled away from his north African rival coming through Flatts on the second lap. Prior to this, the two had been shoulder to shoulder, their feet in rhythmic tandem as they tackled the varying terrain of South Road, Harrington Sound Road and North Shore Road twice.

The rain, which poured for a full hour, had abated as the marathon leaders headed onto the coastal stretch of South Road for the second time. Still, the sun never managed to breach the grey clouds until Ramos - spurred on by roadside spectators and other race participants whom he lapped - entered the dying stages of his mission.

Boubker, 32, was relieved more than anything to complete the event which he won in 2000, noting that he was beset by "stomach trouble" early in the second lap.

"I tried to fight (it). Maybe if I didn't have this problem I would have won but Ramos is a very strong athlete and I would like to congratulate him," said the runner-up.

He and Ryzhov, 42, decried the weather, terming it "very bad for a marathon". The latter, who won in 2001, was disgusted with his result and time.

One bitterly disappointed runner was Fred Getange who was looking to continue his country's good showing in the three-day festival. The Kenyan was well placed in third after one lap but pulled up shortly afterwards on Crow Lane with cramp.

"Not far from here I got injured. My left calf was pulling so I stopped," he explained sadly.

The 25-year-old surmised that he suffered cramp because his feet and legs were cold from being soaked. He vowed to return to the Island for another crack at the race.

For Makolova it was a mixture of joy and relief as she took her second title in Bermuda. Happy to have repeated success, the 35-year-old joined the chorus of complaints about the massive downpour and resulting chill.

"The race was very hard . . . very bad," she said in her limited English, making a gesture of falling rain.

Meanwhile, Semenova - unlike most who would likely have been pleased to be second - was cursing her luck.

She suffered a setback at the end of the first lap when, instead of turning onto Bermudiana Road from Pitts Bay Road, she continued straight onto Front Street where officials redirected her back down to Bermudiana Road and onto the correct route.

Clearly irritated, she gesticulated wildly at the finish, explaining the mix-up which perhaps cost her first place.