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Reggae Marathon winner Andrew Gutzmore (centre) poses with JAAA president Howard Aris and race director Alfred Francis after winning the Bob Marley Trophy in 1: 45.00 seconds on Saturday, December 2, 2006.	Guyanese-born Euleen Josiah-Tanner (left) poses with Race Director Alfred Francis after her Reggae Marathon victory on Saturday, December 2, 2006 in Negril.

Jamaica's Commonwealth Games representative Andrew Gutzmore and Guyanese-born Euleen Josiah-Tanner on Saturday crowned themselves 2006 Reggae Marathon champions.

The winners pocketed US$1 153 and the Bob Marley and Rita Marley Trophies respectively.

Gutzmore finished the 26.2-mile course in two hours, 45 minutes while Josiah-Tanner, who now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and ran under the United States flag, finished her journey in three hours, 14 minutes and three seconds.

Colin Graham made it one-two for the host country by crossing the line in 3:05.07 hours ahead of Ralf Klein of the USA (3:06.06) and Maxwell Smith, another Jamaican, who was later taken away on a stretcher after his 3: 11.05 clocking for fourth.

"I am glad defending champion Pamenos Ballantyne was not here," Gutzmore said after his victory, even though he admitted that the slow time of the race was as a result of Ballantyne's absence

"Without Pamenos and Phillip Edwards (Jamaica), I think the time really dropped," Gutzmore conceded.

"I feel proud, a win is a win but I think if I had the competition I would get a better time.

"I was trying to push [in] the first half … but when I found out that the competition was not there, I decided, 'why kill yourself? Just try and finish because I have the Trinidad Marathon to go next month.'

"It wasn't difficult. The only difficult part of the marathon was the cash prize. (It was) little bit low."

In the women's section, Terri Rejimbal of United States (3:27.59) and Carla Arnold of United States (3:30.27) prevented a Jamaican top-three finish after they took the minor places in the women's event.

Winner Josiah-Tanner described the race as challenging and noted that she failed to beat her personal best of 3:08 hours.

"It was very hot and humid," she explained. "I was trying to run under three hours but unfortunately due to the weather, it kind of slowed me down but I am still grateful for the win."

In the Half Marathon, Jamaican entries, Wainard Talbert and Tamica Thomas won the men's and women's sections.

Talbert secured victory in 1:10.31 hours while Thomas (1:28.20) led home a Jamaica top-three finish in the women's category.

Rosemarie Aldridge (1:30.06) and Keneisha Jones (1: 32.27) rounded off the podium finishes.

Talbert described the win, his third in four years, as "It was a nice victory".