Photo by Carter Sherline, Frog Prince Studios: Ann Boyd Stewart finished first in the Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon."

ANN ARBOR (6/2) - When she won the Dexter-Ann Arbor half-marathon in 1992, 1994 and 1995, Ann Boyd Stewart always finished more than minute ahead of her closest rival. This year, victory didn't come as easily for the 38-year-old Ann Arbor resident.

"I got dehydrated and was wheezing from about five miles on," said Stewart, who took the lead at about the one-mile mark and won in 1:21:52. Stewart had Laura Murphy in her "rear-view mirror" for most of the race. "I knew Laura was back there," Stewart said. "I know she finishes strong. I was running scared!"

She finished 21 seconds ahead of Murphy, 38, of Rochester. Laurie Decker, 42, of Cadillac, took third (1:24:32).

The men's half-marathon was hotly contested also. Kyle Baker, 26, of Mason, ran much of the race with Naftail Mayoyo, 33, of Ypsilanti.

"We were next to each other the whole way. I tried to run off his shoulder," Baker said. "I let him determine the pace."

Baker broke the race open at 12 miles. "We were going about 5:20 pace," he remembered. "I decided to run about 4:50 and he didn't go with me." Baker won in 1:09:22. Mayoyo took second in 1:09:45.

Baker's victory ended the three-year winning streak of Paul Aufdemberge, 37, of Redford. Aufdemberge took third in 1:10:41.

The Feifer & Harley team (Britt Michel, 37, of Ypsilanti, and Olympian Sheila Toarmina, 33, of Livonia) won the first-year half-marathon relay in 1:19:30.

"This is one of the most beautiful races I've ever run," said Toarmina, a swimming gold-medalist in the '96 Atlanta Games and sixth in triathlon during the Sydney Games four years later.

Ann Arbor Pioneer High School senior James Naughton, 18, won the men's 5K in 15:54. Rachel Scoles, 25, of Monroe - who had had a baby just two months earlier - captured the women's 5K in 18:54.

The 29th-annual event drew some 3,250 runners and walkers. Proceeds from the runs went to the Coach Carr Cancer Fund, founded by University of Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr and his wife, Laurie, in tribute to Lloyd's mother, Pauline.

For complete race results, go to http://www.dexterannarborrun.com. Charles Douglas McEwen can be reached at cdmcewen@aol.com.