Perry make up over a minute on leader Colin Swan on the final leg? Those were the questions being asked as each took off for the fourth and final leg at the Deloitte & Touche Road Relay held yesterday at the US Naval Annex and the answer for both was a resounding, `Yes'.

Anna Eatherley had earlier in the week stated the women's team of herself, Maria Conroy Haydon, Jane Christie and Lynn Kynoch's intention of going for the record. And not only did they break it, they obliterated the old standard of 1:10:21 by over two minutes, clocking 1:07:51.

"I didn't expect it to fall by so much,'' said Eatherley, with a 16:56 for her part. "It really showed that we all put everything into it.'' Meanwhile, Perry with a time of 14:11 over three miles turned in the day's fastest leg and after trailing Swan by a minute and five seconds at the beginning of the final leg, overtook him on the final stretch to win by eight seconds.

In fact Perry's team, MAAC One, including Neil de Ste. Croix, Jeremy Ball and Brett Forgesson had trailed throughout to the powerful foursome of Manuel Lopes, Steve Caines, Kevin Tucker and Swan, who called themselves Nameless.

"It certainly wasn't easy,'' said Perry of the stunning comeback. "With such a gap I didn't think I would catch him (Swan).

"This was a good test for my fitness, but I think we all had room for improvement.'' Third overall were Hamilton Harriers Two, containing the likes of Sheldon Thompson, Gary Taylor, Tyler Hall and Neil Halliday. They weighed in with a time of 1:02:55.

Lopes (14:56) took off on the opening leg and led the field home, handing over to Caines ahead of Gearoid Shanley (15:17), de Ste. Croix (15:34) and youngster Sharif Taylor (15:44), representing Berkeley Panthers.

The margin jumped to 59 seconds after the second leg although Ball did manage to move his group into second place.

Still they continued to lose ground as Tucker, running the third leg against Brett Forgesson, surged even further ahead and Nameless looked to have the race in the bag.

But word in the crowd was that if anyone could make up that sort of distance, Perry was the one to do it.

"Yeah, well they knew more than I did,'' was Perry's response to that statement. "I didn't think it would happen.'' De Ste. Croix said that he also had his doubts about them pulling it off and was not terribly enthralled with his own performance.

"Mark was unbelievable out there.

"I was a little concerned after my leg that I had left a margin we couldn't make up and then we kept going backwards.'' Definitely headed in the right direction were the MAAC Women, who beat the next women's group MAAC-A-Dame'n Nuts (Margaret Young, Peggy Couper, Chris Sommerville and Debbie Butterfield) by a minute and 39 seconds. Third in 1:16:49 were Sticky Buns (Ann Feakins, Donna Tiffen, Claire Sousa and Mary Mowbray).

Conroy Haydon set the tone early with a blistering 16:26 for the opening leg and steady controlled running by the other three members spurred them on to the record.

Said Eatherley: "Maria's been training for a marathon and doing longer runs and still she was able to do that speed. She really got things going for us.'' The youngsters from Berkeley raised some eyebrows in their fifth-place overall finish in addition to topping the Junior Division (1:05:30).

Taylor (15:44) was once again the class of the field and was more than adequately backed up by Collin Anderson (16:51), Damien Ming (16:52) and Michael Donawa (16:03).

"The seniors better watch their backs in the future because the deadly foursome's definitely coming for them,'' said Donawa.

Among the Mixed Division, Hamilton Harriers crossed the line first with Ian Greatorex (16:17) breaking the tape at 1:10:54. He was preceded in earlier legs by Lesley Bosendorfer (16:41), Roddy Bassett (20:18) and Jennifer Fisher (17:38).

CHANGING OF THE GUARD -- Youngster Jelani Scott, right, hands over to Garry Wilkinson for the third leg. Both were members of the Father & Sons team also including Gavin Wilkinson and Donald Scott.

MAAC-NIFICENT -- Members of the record-breaking MAAC Women's team smile for the camera. From left, Lynn Kynoch, Jane Christie, Anna Eatherley and Maria Conroy Haydon.

OH DE PAIN -- Mark Perry grimaces after crossing the finish line first in leading his team, MAAC One, to victory at the Deloitte & Touche Road Relay yesterday.