Even at his peak Brett Forgesson says he would not have been able to hang on to the coat tails of the leaders in yesterday?s marathon.

The thing is, he doesn?t have to.

For 39-year-old Forgesson has already written himself into Bermudian road-running lore with his domination of the local scene. As far as Islanders are concerned whether he comes first, second or third, as he did yesterday, he is still number one.

Forgesson, husband of another top local, Anna Eatherley, has been the first Bermudian across the line for all but one of the races in the last decade and ten out of the last 11 ? no mean feat for someone who openly admits that he is nearer the twilight than the dawn of his running career.

Yesterday he clocked 2:49.14 for the 26.2 miles, coming in some 27 minutes behind the winner El Afoui Boubker of Morocco (2:22.38), who now has a hat-trick of titles, and runner-up Wilson Komen of Kenya (2:25.57).

The latter two left the rest of the field for dead, the North African breaking his rival?s resistance at the 17 mile mark.

Forgesson, meanwhile, was happy to leave them to their duel, concentrating instead on his own mission.

?I think this is like nine in a row,? he said of his ?triumph?, adding that each year was a challenge. ?Every time you put your foot on the starting line there?s a risk that you?ll get beaten and in the marathon you never know how you are going to feel on the day.?

Admitting there was no chance he could have challenged the lead pair, he said: ?2:22 is way faster than I used to be able to run, even at the peak of my fitness and that was some nine or ten years ago.?

Forgesson said he preferred to feel things out rather than attempt to keep to someone else?s pace.

?I like to get into a nice groove and after the first five or so miles try to maintain that until I get over McGall?s Hill and then try and push home,? he said. ?I felt very strong the whole way, but obviously the last five or six miles are tough work.?

As for his time, he said it was nothing to write home about, but he was happy nonetheless.

?It?s a couple of minutes slower than last year, but last year I really had a hammer and tongs battle with Sylvester (Jean-Pierre). This year I ran basically the whole race by myself so it?s always going to be harder to maintain that pace,? he said. ?A lot of my training, a lot of 20 milers, have been by myself so, mentally, once you are over that hurdle it?s OK.?

Boubker, meanwhile, said he had only one thing on his mind when he first signed up for the event ? winning.

The 2000 and 2003 champion, the latter coming after he was promoted when ?winner? Luiz Carlos Ramos was exposed as a drug cheat, was never threatened after breaking Komen?s resistance at McGall?s.

So relaxed was he that he even found time to wave nonchalantly to the crowd who cheered his every stride.

?I feel good,? he said. ?As you saw, I won the race easily. We were lucky today with the weather and so I am very happy to win.?

Boubker said there was never any doubt in his mind that he would be first across the line.

?I was with the Kenyan athlete but after 16 miles I felt good and I went and he did not succeed in following me. I was not surprised because I came to win,? he said.

The lanky Komen, whose lolloping run was in complete contrast to the fluid style of the more compact Moroccan, said he could not compete on an even keel with the winner.

?I was running for myself,? he said. ?I had to run at my pace.?

Fifth overall in only his second marathon in 2:51.20 was Irishman Michael Downey, a terrific accomplishment for the runner new to the Island considering he also ran the 10K on Saturday, coming 24th and the men?s mile on Friday.

On the women?s side, Anna Pichrtova of the Czech Republic made it a one-horse race, crossing the line the proverbial country mile ahead of second-placed Canadian Stephanie Hodge and fourth overall.

Both women were late entries for the event, Pichrtova (2:49.35) switching from the half to the full and Hodge (2:59.51) signing up after arriving on Saturday.

Bermuda?s Lynn Patchett, another one who left it late, was a highly commendable third among women and tenth overall in a time of 3:07.44.

?I started very well. I started slow and enjoyed the first loop and then on the second loop I pushed a little bit and it was fun,? said fluent English-speaker Pichrtova, adding that she didn?t plan her race in advance. ?I just go how I feel. I know I have a very good engine so I can go for a long time, my problem is more speed. I knew after the first loop if I just kept going I would be fine.?

Hodge, who was third in 1994, said she was disappointed with her time, but could not match Pichrtova?s stride pattern.

?I was first until halfway but she got me and I couldn?t maintain the pace,? she said. ?I tried but her pace was too much. There?s only so much you can do. I need to be more strategic about going slow and building up. This is where I probably failed.?

The fact that Hodge has a packed running schedule probably didn?t help either.

?This is training for me because I am doing Boston and Ottawa,? she said. ?There are so many challenges, it humbles me. I did 2:54 in New York and then I did 2:58 in Philly ? I am doing too many, every month I have done one now, since October.?

Asked why she was punishing her body this way, she said: ?This is my year. I am 38 and so it has to be this year. I am pushing everything.?

Patchett said she was very happy with her time.

?I expected it to be tougher because I didn?t anticipate participating in a marathon at this point in my running,? she said. ?I took it rather conservatively. Anna (Eatherley, half marathon competitor) and I ran together for the first ten miles and I just wanted to see how I would go. I ran within myself and was really surprised ? I was going to be happy if I went under 3:15. I just felt stronger and stronger as I went along North Shore Road, it was just one of those days.?

One of the predicted stars of the event, Russian Fedor Ryzhov, was forced to pull out at half distance with an injury to the sole of his left foot.

Clearly disappointed as he stood with half marathon winner Dmitry Maximov watching his fellow competitors file by, he said: ?Ten days before I came here I had a small problem,? adding that the longer he went on the more pain he felt. With the Boston Marathon coming up, Ryzhov said he felt it would be better to pull out, rest up and travel to Massachusetts in better shape.