Two-time former champion Katie McGregor held off one of the best elite fields assembled in Bermuda in years to claim the women’s International 10K title at a sun-drenched National Sports Centre on Saturday.

Having spent the first four miles of the race running virtually neck-and-neck with her two main rivals — defending champion Silvia Skortsova from Russia and fellow American Victoria Jackson — the 2003 and 2005 10K champion produced a powerful kick on North Shore which the others simply could not match.

And though a sharp pain in her side as she charged up Palmetto Hill in the race’s latter stages gave her cause for concern, the former US 10,000 metres champion gritted her teeth through the discomfort to triumph in a time of 34 minutes and one second — over two minutes and twenty seconds outside the race record.

Skortsova, whose final preparations for the race were interrupted by an eight-hour delay in New York en route from Russia due to visa problems, claimed second place from Jackson at around the five mile mark and held on to finish in 34:12, with former Arizona State athlete Jackson not far behind in 34:19.

Afterwards, the red-haired McGregor said that despite running the first two miles at record speed, the pace had “not felt too demanding” — leaving her with plenty left in the tank when she made her decisive break.

“It really didn’t feel that quick to begin with and I was very comfortable from the start,” said McGregor, who ran the New York Marathon last November in a time of two hours and 32 minutes to place ninth.

“It’s very early on in the season for me and I haven’t done a lot of work on the track so I don’t really have a good idea of pace right now. The start is downhill for at least a mile, so maybe that’s why it felt relatively easy at the beginning.

“All three of us were together for the first part of the race and it was a good battle, and at around mile four I felt strong enough to go for it.

“I was a little nervous though because when I hit the last mile I started to get a little pain in my side and I was worried it might get worse and slow me down.

“It can be a little bit unnerving when you’re out at the front by yourself as well because you have no idea how the girls behind you are feeling or whether they’re going to catch you.

“But luckily the pain was OK and I was able to hang in there at the end. This is definitely a tough course, particularly at the end with the hills.

“It was my first race since I ran the marathon in New York and it was a good opportunity to see where I am fitness wise. So to win the race gives me a lot of confidence about the season ahead.”

Meanwhile, Skortsova admitted that the calibre of leading runners was higher than it had been last year, though she blamed her travel difficulties for her inability to respond to McGregor’s surge.

“This was a very tough race because there were three of us who are all very close in standard and in the same sort of shape right now,” said the Russian.

“The start was quite quick but I felt OK with it. But when she (McGregor) went I was just a little slow in responding and I ended up losing contact with her and was in third place for a while.

“I managed to get into second place by mile five but I left myself a little too much work to catch up. It was a good race, though, and I am very impressed with the quality of the field this year. But the journey from Russia to here was very long and tiring and maybe that is why I did not respond when I needed to.”

The top local female performance came from the 39-year-old Alison Harvey, who finished fourth overall among the women in 42:18 while Joanna Shillington placed fifth in 43:11.

Georgia Wharton was the third-best local finisher, crossing the line in 43:44.

Harvey, who had run the race twice before, was pleased with her winning time. “I had no race plan — I started too fast and hung on up the hill. It was hot, but I felt good and along North Shore there was no wind this year, if anything it was a slight tailwind,” she said. “I ran on my own all the way and didn’t look around. It’s a hard course, so I’m happy with my time and being first local woman, although there are a few of the others missing (like Ashley Couper and Victoria Fiddick) this year.”

McGregor

surges to

third win