Dutchman Nils Strik is sandwiched by Steve Dawes, left, and Anthony Jackson, who finished second and third respectively. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 1174388)

IT’S pretty much as flat as a proverbial pancake where Nils Strik comes from.

That’s a small town called Baarn near Utrecht in his native Netherlands, but the hilly first part of the Guernsey Marathon did not faze the 37-year-old painter who triumphed from local hope Steve Dawes in a course record 2hr 30min. 47sec. yesterday morning.

Strik pulled decisively clear just past halfway as he and Dawes cleared Crabby Jacks at Vazon, and once away there was no catching him.

It was his second victory in 12 marathons and on entry times it was a wholly predictable one. His best is 2-18 set only two years ago.