BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Philip Lagat captured the Nature Valley 10-kilometre road race Saturday afternoon as Kenyans dominated the event and Guyanese runners delivered the most prominent Caribbean efforts in the first major event of the 2009 Powerade Run Barbados Series.

Lagat clocked 30 minutes, and one second to win ahead of fellow Kenyans Robert Letting and Simon Sawe.

Guyana’s Cleveland Forde chased the Kenyans for fourth place and his teammate Alika Morgan was also the No.1 Caribbean finisher in the women’s category, placing third as Kenya’s Penina Sawe emerged champion.

Lagat, the 2007 winner of the event, who missed last year’s running, admitted being bothered by a stiff wind in the run to the finish but declared himself satisfied with the run.

“The race went well,” Lagat said.

“There was a bit of wind on the way back and it was tough but and I enjoyed it,” he added.

Letting was a distant second in 30:25 and Sawe was almost a minute further back in third, clocking 31:20.

Forde, a recent South American 10K winner, was fourth in 31:38 and fellow Guyanese Kelvin Johnson was fifth in 32:28.

Matthew Wright was the first local runner home, the Barbadian teenager clocking a personal best 34:37 for the 10K run.

“I wanted to go 33 minutes today but I was hurting and I am satisfied that I took about 10 seconds off my best time, so it was okay,” said the local triathlon star.

Sawe won the women’s section in 38:29 ahead of American Erin O’Mara (38:43).