Just like the sun prior to the race, Lynn Patchett emerged from the shadows in grand style yesterday to shatter her previous best Marathon Derby time by more than three minutes on a longer 13.3 mile course, clocking one hour, 31 minutes and 50 seconds en route to her maiden title.

Last year's champion Anna Eatherley placed second in one hour, 29 minutes and six seconds, while top triathlete Karen Smith finished in third with a time of 1:32:48.

Maria Conroy-Hayden was the first women's Master (over 40), finishing in 1:40:21 while Annette Hallett topped the Senior Masters in 1:43:19. Patrina Swan ran away with the junior category in 2:11:20.

But yesterday was all about Patchett, for so long the bridesmaid of women's road running .

Opting for a conservative approach over the first four miles, Patchett decided to "feel out" the rest of the field as she neared the five-mile mark and threw down the gauntlet at Five Star Island.

Surprisingly, neither Eatherley nor Smith could mount any real challenge while remaining nearly a minute adrift of the leader.

After increasing her already sizeable lead along Harbour Road, helped by a refreshing south-westerly breeze, Patchett was able to maintain a steady pace through Hamilton before excitedly making her way to the National Sport Centre finish line.

"It feels wonderful," she exclaimed afterwards. "I had a specific pace in mind and I know the course, living in Somerset. The beginning is extremely tough, I know the second mile is the hardest.

"My breathing was good and overall I felt strong. I really tried to run conservatively throughout the race. I just took it from there and gave it my all to the finish."

Patchett downplayed her surge near Five Star Island as nothing more than `dangling the carrot'.

"I took in some fluid and just tried to get my legs moving a little faster," she added. "I tried to push it on Harbour Road a bit from between the seven to eight mile mark because I know that's an easy mile and I just kept up the pace and remained strong on the hills.

"I really was just trying to get a feel for things. The race hadn't even started until Inverurie hill, which is a critical part of the race course. You have to save a little bit because that's the hardest mile on the course.

"It was really nice weather conditions out there today. The humidity was lower and although it was a bit hot, it was nothing like the humid conditions we had last year."

Despite competing with remnants of the `flu bug and relinquishing her reign on the proceedings, Eatherley was happy in the knowledge that she had stuck to her original game plan.

"It's no big deal for me," she said after the race. "I've won a lot of races in my time.

"I did exactly what I had planned to do and that was go out steady and just hold it. I was just running at a level where I wasn't coughing too much while keeping up a good pace. So I am quite happy with my run.

"I didn't find it hard or hot. I had a great time and really enjoyed it."

Smith, meanwhile, was delighted with her top three finish.

"I am absolutely thrilled," she said. "I tried to go a little bit easier on the first half, but the last half of that course knocked me off a bit.

"But I am just thrilled to be in third place because the two people ahead of me are just fantastic. So to be up there in the top three is just awesome."