Olympic hopeful Lamont Marshall chalked up his first Fairmont-to-Fairmont road race victory yesterday as he stayed ahead of former World Marathon Champion Douglas Wakiihuri and seven-time event winner Jay Donawa.Deon Breary added another title to her collection, claiming the women’s trophy in the 35th running of the popular 7.2-mile race.In perfect running conditions, Marshall and Kenyan great Wakiihuri set the pace. Donawa completed the leading trio, which led the race field of around 400 athletes from the Fairmont Hamilton Princess to the Fairmont Southampton beach club.With this Saturday’s Bermuda International 10K his immediate goal, Marshall’s pre-race plan was to run at a consistent 5.30 mile pace and come home in around 40 minutes. Donawa and Wakiihuri, the 1987 World Marathon Champion and 1988 Olympic Games silver medallist, stayed with him.“I wanted to run at the same even pace. This is my first race of the season. It is always good to win a race for the first time,” said multi-national record holder Marshall. His winning time was 40 minutes and 14 seconds.His goal for 2012 is to achieve the Olympic Games qualifying B-standard for the 1500 metres, which is 3.38. “I will be dedicating everything towards that.”A year ago Wakiihuri chose the Fairmont race as his first competitive outing in 20 years and finished fifth. The 48-year-old was significantly faster yesterday and was strong enough to stay five seconds ahead of Southampton’s Donawa to claim second place.One of Kenya’s greatest long distance runners, this is the third consecutive year Wakiihuri has visited Bermuda, and each time he has championed the cause of the ‘Kibera Kids’, raising funds for children who live in the Kibera slum on the outskirts of Nairobi, and who have very little to call their own.Some of the proceeds from the Fairmont race will go towards the Kibera Kids, who train under Wakiihuri’s guidance. As he collected the men’s masters category prize, Wakiihuri said: “I thank you for the contributions and support for Kibera, which is one of the largest slums in Africa. When I came here three years’ ago the Mid Atlantic Athletic Club donated some T-shirts and tracksuits. Today we have about 50 children running. One of them won a 5K last year. That’s one of the things you have contributed to. I think in a few years we could see an Olympic champion (from Kibera).”Third-placed Donawa, was once virtually unbeatable in the Fairmont race, which he won over seven consecutive years. Yesterday, he used his knowledge of the course to stay in contention and, during the final mile, he went ahead of Wakiihuri, but was unable to reply to the Kenyan legend’s finishing speed.Having overcome a hamstring injury, Donawa, 39, said: “I’m just glad to be back. Today the goal was to finish and see how I felt. It was nice to get back out there. My immediate goal is to stay healthy because I’ll be going 40 this year. I want to do the New York marathon again this year for sure.”In the women’s race defending champion Victoria Fiddick took the early lead, but Breary soon forged ahead and after passing Fiddick on Harbour Road at the two-mile point, she was not headed again and won in 48.15.It was the first time the May 24 Half-Marathon women’s champion had run the Fairmont event. She was surprised by the big hill in the final mile, but said she enjoyed the race, saying: “I’m getting ready for next weekend when I’ll be doing the Front Street Mile and the half-marathon. The half-marathon is my main focus.”Second woman was Joanne Shillington in 48.50, ahead of Kristyn Robinson in 49.05.A special prize was awarded to 74-year-old George Jones, who has competed in all 35 Fairmont-to-Fairmont road races. The inaugural event in 1978 was one of his earliest road race outings, and he has turned up every year, rain or shine.“I’ve enjoyed every one of the races. It’s a race I’ve been doing since I started running and I like the challenge of the hill near the end,” he said.For the first time this year’s event included a three-person relay team competition. The winning corporate team was ‘Team Monty’, consisting of Paul Hopwood, Joe Barroso and Chris Harris, in 44.19. The first women’s team was ‘Victorious Secret’, consisting of Gemma Gowrie, Melinda Page and Tammy Hall, in 59.10.In the junior race, Daniel Otley was the fastest in 8.55, finishing ahead of Tyler Smith. Fastest girl was Laura Hope in 11.26, ahead of Alyssa Rose.Fairmont Hotels Bermuda laid on a breakfast for athletes after the race, with tables set out on the beach. Race directors were April Vesey and Chris Page.Vesey has been one of the event directors for the past eight years, but is moving to Canada later this year. She took the opportunity to run the event for this first time in almost a decade. Afterwards she praised the support of Fairmont Hotels for making the event one of the Island’s favourites.“This year we had a big prize draw, the anniversary T-shirts, breakfast on the beach and perfect weather. There was a record number of entrants, well over 400, which was increased by the relay event we held for the first time. The relay went well and I’m sure we’ll be doing that again,” she said.