PHILADELPHIA -- Derick 'Ringo' Adamson Sunday easily captured his second consecutive Philadelphia Independence Marathon.
Adamson, a track coach from Glassboro, N.J., covered the 26.2 miles in 2:18.27, to better his 1984 winning time of 2:16.3.
The course record is 2:14.59.
Adamson ran neck and neck for the first 15 miles with Frank Mello of Portugal and then pulled away. He finally won by a margin of 5 minutes and 13 seconds over David Antognoli of New Castle, Pa., who was second in 2:23.40.
Sandra Mewett, 36, a housewife from Bermuda, won the women's race in 2:38.30. Mewett finished 6 minutes ahead of defending champion Barbara Filutze of Erie, Pa., who was second in 2:45.06.
More than 2,500 runners competed in the race, which weaved through the northwest suburbs and Fairmount Park and ended at Independence Hall.
Adamson, 25, finished 51st for Jamaica in the 1984 Olympic Marathon at Los Angeles.
Chris Mason, of Ardmore, Pa., finished third in 2:27.01; Rich DiSebastian of Lansdale, Pa., was 4th in 2:29.34, and Fred Schneck of Bethlehem, Pa. was 5th in 2:29.37.
Mary Johanson, a Boston high school teacher, finished third for the women in 2:46.18. Sherry Mason of Cochranton, Pa., was fourth in 2:55.50. and Ann Wiehner of Princeton, N.J. was 5th in 2:57.15.
