the old one, coming home first in the annual Princess-to-Princess road race ahead of a record field of 222 runners.

Smith dominated Sunday's 7.2-mile race from the Hamilton Princess to its sister hotel in Southampton, finishing in a time of 37:49, nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest rival.

Second was Tracy Wright in 39:31 and third was 15-year-old triathlon prodigy Tyler Butterfield, less than half Wright's age, and just 12 seconds behind him.

Smith, who won the Island's annual half-marathon last month in a record-breaking time, declined to comment on his success afterwards.

Last year's winner Brett Forgesson came in fourth, in a time of 40:30.

The first woman to finish was Forgesson's wife, Anna Eatherley, who placed 15th overall in a time of 44:46.

"The conditions were just about perfect,'' she said. "The wind was in our faces for the first mile and a bit, but after that it was pretty well behind us.'' Her tactics for running the race had been simple, but effective. "Basically I ran it as a 10K with a big hill added on the end,'' she said, adding that she would be competing in the 10K on International Race Weekend in less than two weeks' time.

Eatherley finished two minutes ahead of second-placed woman Lynn Patchett, with Emily Ferguson third in 48:31.

Fourth-placed Jane Christie won the women's Masters division in 48:59, while Sylvester Jean-Pierre (41:11) won the men's Masters, beating Andrew Doble into second.

Another notable performance came from Harry Patchett, who won the 50-plus age group and finished seventh overall in a time of 43:04.

Just one second behind him was professional cyclist Elliot Hubbard, who proved his running prowess in finishing eighth. Hubbard heads back to the US to join his Navigators team in less than two weeks.

Of the 222 entrants, up 35 on last year, 192 completed the race.

Attention now turns to International Race Weekend which kicks off with the Front Street Mile on Friday, January 15 and follows with the 10K on Saturday, January 16 and the Half-Marathon and Marathon on Sunday, January 17.

Details of the elite overseas runners flying in are expected to be released by race director Phil Guishard this Thursday.

DIGGING DEEP -- Sylvester Jean-Pierre shows gritty determination on his way to winning the male Masters division of Sunday's Princess-to-Princess road race.

Photos by Ras Mykkal WINNING SMILE -- Kavin Smith's beaming face says it all after he finished nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest rival to make victory look easy in the Princess-to-Princess annual road race.