the US Naval Annex in Southampton yesterday to capture an unprecedented fourth Bermuda Triathlon title.

At the end of a gripping race that saw the pair swap the lead four times, the 38-year-old policeman surged ahead in the final quarter of a mile to pip Rex by a mere five seconds. Hopkins' winning time of 1:34:23 was just one second outside the record he set when he won the event for the first time in 1989.

"I hope you're paying for that for two days!''quipped the 32-year-old from Kentucky, a record-breaking winner here in 1986, as the exhausted pair embraced after the race.

Hopkins, who had been third to Rex six years ago, said: "This was the rematch I always wanted but I never thought it would come down to a finish like that.'' Hopkins' wife Mary had an easier time winning her fourth straight title. Ahead by almost six-and-a-half minutes after the bike segment, her winning time of 1:49:26 was well off her 1990 record of 1:46:36 but more than two minutes in front of fast-finishing road-runner Lynn Kynoch.

In cool, calm conditions Mary Hopkins led all 98 competitors out of the one-mile swim in 22 minutes and 41 seconds -- her best swim time in years -- and just three seconds ahead of Rex.

Greg Hopkins clocked his best-ever swim time (24:01) to emerge fourth out of the water and quickly set about reeling in Rex on the 15-mile cycle.

By the end of the first lap, Hopkins had cut the lead to 40 seconds and forged ahead on the third, eventually heading into the bike-run transition with a 32-second lead. Hopkins (35:27) was almost two minutes faster on the bike with Rex clocking 37:17.

A quicker transition by Rex (37 seconds to Hopkins' 56) put him within striking distance and by the end of the first lap had opened up a slim lead of nine seconds with Hopkins seemingly losing touch.

But Hopkins hung tough as Rex tried to break away on the final three-mile lap and with a mile to go, the two were shoulder to shoulder. Coming up the final hill, Hopkins stepped up a gear and surged past, taking one reassuring glance over his right shoulder before punching the air with his right fist and yelling "Yes! Yes!'' as he hit the line.

Steve Doyling, the impressive 20-year-old, consolidated his best-ever swim with a strong cycle to place third for the third successive year (1:39:06) and could even afford to walk at one point on the run as he beat out 23-year-old Kevin Tucker, who clocked 1:39:51 in his Bermuda debut. English visitor Peter Younghusband held on for fifth (1:41:13) with American visitor Carmen Monks sixth (1:42:35). Neil de Ste. Croix, who had been expected to challenge for a top-three spot, faded badly after a fine swim and placed seventh (1:42:36).

Hopkins said the win was among his most satisfying. "I had real bad stomach cramps for the first two miles of the run because I worked so hard on the bike. I kept saying to myself, `Relax, relax' and when he went past, I tried to keep within 10 yards of him.

"I caught him on the second lap, going up the hill. On the last lap he surged about four or five times and I just stayed with him. I left it to the last hill, which was a gamble because a guy with longer legs can usually out-stride you.'' Rex said: "Going up the first hill, I got up on his shoulder and I felt good and his breathing sounded laboured. I surged and he took a while to respond so I felt I was in control.

"I felt real comfortable at the start of the second lap but boy, he dug down deep with a quarter-mile to go.

"It might have been premature for me to do a race this distance so soon after an Ironman race (in Montreal three weeks ago) but that's not to say he wouldn't have beaten me anyway.

"I felt like I let a lot of my buddies here down but if I'm going to take second, it might as well be to Greg. On the last mile, he beat me like a running mule. He was great on the bike. I tried to follow his line through the back stretch but he's a maniac on the corners. I was scared to death!'' Mary Hopkins, never challenged for women's honours after a typically strong swim, survived a near-puncture to place 12th overall.

"At one point I ran straight over some glass but before the race Greg had pumped my tyres up really hard and it just bounced off. I spent a couple of anxious minutes looking down to make sure. I would have been really disappointed not to have won because of a puncture.'' Lynn Kynoch said she was "extremely surprised'' to take second place ahead of Jane Christie (1:54:59) and Melanie Claude (1:56:51). A solid swim and a strong cycle left the 25-year-old Canadian third, just 31 seconds behind Jeana Jones after the bike but her superior running speed saw her surge into second and slice some four minutes off Hopkins' lead.

Foot speed also paid off for top road-runner Jeremy Ball. He overtook leader Steve Petty on the run to knock four minutes off his personal best time and win the masters title in 1:44:03, good enough for ninth overall.

Midge Oliver won the women's masters event in 2:18:08 and husband Bob was the lone veterans entry, clocking 2:12:00.

NO STOPPING HIM NOW -- Greg Hopkins approaches the finsih line after a gruelling battle with former winner Brad Rex, in background, in the Bermuda individual Triathlon yesterday.