ay Moorehead of Dartmouth and Karen Macdonald of Sydney were the winners of the Johnny Miles Marathon on Sunday in New Glasgow. (Contributed)

Dartmouth’s Ray Moorehead edged six-time champion David MacLennan of Scotsburn by 10 seconds Sunday to win the 33rd Johnny Miles Marathon in New Glasgow.

The 45-year-old Moorehead, the aquatics director at Cole Harbour Place, won in a chip time of 2:41:21 over the 42-kilometre distance in a field of 108 finishers.

It was the third win in 11 career marathons for Moorehead, whose only other marathon this season was the Boston Marathon in April. He had a past win in a Johnny Miles half-marathon, but Sunday marked his first full marathon run through the streets of New Glasgow.

Brendon Chrus of St. Andrews, N.B., was third in 2:45:33. Enfield’s Harry Neynens, last year’s champion, came fourth in 2:45:49 and Glace Bay’s Daniel McNeil fifth in 2:48.04.

Summerside’s Scott Clark (2:48:29), Mike MacKinnon of Miscouche, P.E.I. (2:51:23), Bogdan Barewski of Warsaw, Poland (2:51:48), Fredericton’s Ryan O’Shea (3:02:45) and Charlottetown’s Mark McCosham (3:02:51) completed the top 10.

Moorehead said it was a highly competitive race that produced an impressive six finishes under the 2:50 mark.

"It was perfect conditions, a great course and there was excellent fan support," said Moorehead. "It’s just a phenomenal venue. It was excellent competition with some really good runners and it was fun to be able to go head-to-head with some of these well-known and well-established runners."

MacLennan, a notorious fast starter, took the early lead with Neynens and Moorehead content to sit about 90 seconds back.

Moorehead moved ahead of Neynens early in the second half and caught MacLennan in an uphill section with less than two kilometres remaining.

"I asked him if he wanted to come with me and he didn’t say anything so I just kept going," said Moorehead. "From that point on I had it."

"I didn’t have a whole lot left," said MacLennan, who also has three wins in the Blue Nose Marathon in Halifax. "I just tried to hang on as much as I could at the end."

Sydney’s Karen Macdonald led the women in 3:33:39 with Calgary’s Heather Hayes second in 3:40:43 and Halifax’s Claire Barber third in 3:42.06.

Lunenburg’s Bill Roblee celebrated his 100th marathon in a time of 3:50:52, 58th overall. He wore bib No. 100 to mark the occasion.

Beechville’s Ian Holdway won the men’s half-marathon in 1:20:43 with Ontario’s Jeffrey Dembeck second (1:20:48) and Halifax’s Shawn Deleu third in 1:21:44.

Truro’s Lavinia Carreau led the women in 1:26:42. Halifax’s Gabrielle Riley was second (1:30:27) and Dartmouth’s Stacy Juckett Chesnutt third at 1:30:44.

Curtis Archibald of Halifax won the 10-K in 33:41 with Halifax’s Rami Bardeesy second (34:32) and New Glasgow’s Ivan Lewis third (35.17).

Bedford’s Robyn Erickson led the women in 37:37. Antigonish’s Gina Stewart was second (38:33) and Pictou’s Jesse MacKenzie third (39:54).

Ontario’s Cory Newell won the 5-K in 18:04 with Pictou’s Edward Hawkins second (18:57) and Antigonish’s Glenn Wallace third (19:06).

Antigonish’s Vicki Letourneau had a 22:36 to pace the women. Linda Atkinson of Hants County was second (23:11) and Enfield’s Patricia Cameron third (24:15).

Moorehead is considering one more provincial marathon this season and may also join a group of elite Nova Scotia runners for a marathon in California in December. He was part of a group to run in Berlin last fall.

The Miles weekend continues to grow by leaps and bounds with more than 2,000 runners competing in all weekend events, which included a youth run and leisure walk on Saturday. More than 1,400 runners hit the course on Sunday over all distances.

"We’re quite pleased," said race director Terry Curley. "We had 1,460 happy runners. Nobody got lost and nobody got hurt. So everything’s good."