There was no way that guy in the yellow jersey was going to beat David Eagar.

Eagar, the 48-year-old CEO of DME Construction on O'ahu, was blazing past the 22-mile mark of this week's Boston Marathon at personal-record pace when a police officer told him to move aside.

Though a bit mystified, Eagar did just that as a cameraman on a motorcycle passed by, his attention focused on a small pack of runners surrounding a person of apparent import.

"I didn't know who it was at first," Eagar said. "Then I looked over, saw the yellow jersey, and I realized it was Lance Armstrong."

Not one to let a good Kodak moment pass by, Eagar briefly joined the pack to get a little face time then returned to his order of business.

"I wasn't going to let him beat me," Eagar said of the Tour de France icon turned marathoner. "I just took off from there."

As he approached the finish line, Eagar realized that he had 10 seconds left to still finish in the 2:40s. He hurried as best he could, but wound up finishing exactly at 2:50, a fact ruefully confirmed by the official timer.

At an age when many distance runners are polishing the finer points of their best I-remember-whens, Eager keeps finding new tales of athletic achievement to add to his archive of memorable marathon moments.

Eagar saved his latest greatest performance for Boston, completing the 26.2-mile race in a personal best 2 hours and 50 minutes-even. In fact, Eagar proved the swiftest of the already-impressive contingent of 41 Hawai'i runners who finished the storied race.

Dan Goltz of Volcano and Jason Florimonte were not far behind at 2:56:38 and 2:56:45, respectively. The other Hawai'i runner who managed a sub-3-hour marathon was local race fixture Lyman Perry (2:59:39) of Volcano.

Eagar's five consecutive Boston Marathons have proven nothing if not unpredictable. His first appearance came in the "horrific" heat of 2004. The next year, under much more favorable conditions, he posted a speedy 2:53 finish. A sciatic nerve injury prevented him from improving on that time in '06, and a devastating Nor'easter, the worst in 30 years, turned last year's race into "a training run," he said.

Through his experiences, and with guidance from running coach Jonathan Lyau, Eagar has become finely attuned to Boston's unique challenges. He is careful not to head out too quickly, as many Boston neophytes do, during the initial downhill run out of Hopkinton. He is aware that it's the short but frequent bunny hills along the course that ultimately prove more taxing than the notorious Newton Hills or the even more infamous Heartbreak Hill.

"I just try to stay disciplined and run my own race," he says

While Eagar was satisfied with his impressive performance on Monday, he said the race didn't seem as easy and effortless as it had in other years. He attributed that to the busy work schedule that interfered with his training in the months leading up to the race.

Still, Eagar has been on an impressive run of late.

Six months ago, Eagar arrived at the Chicago Marathon in perhaps the best shape of his running life. A finish in the low 2:40s well within reach through the first 35 kilometers, but the rising temperature, which would eventually peak at a humid 88 degrees, derailed the effort. Still, Eagar left Chicago with a new personal record of 2:51:52.

Eagar credits his high-quality, low-mileage training and his conservative approach to selecting road races for his performances.

Eagar runs on the hilly terrain near his home in Mililani Mauka, perfect preparation for the hilly approach to Boston. He maintains a base of about 35 miles per week, which allows him to ramp up for specific races with minimal lead time. He maintains strong leg turnover with regular, intense speed work, including 6x1-mile and 3x2-mile striders at a 5K pace during 12 to 13 miles runs.

Eagar, who has completed nine marathons, is also careful not to stack races too closely together. He typically runs just one marathon a year, although he is scheduled to run both Boston and Chicago again this year.

"Some guys do one race after another," he says. "They'll do a marathon, then run another marathon or an ultra right after. I run fewer races and I go longer and slower in my training. I try to do lower mileage but higher quality.

"I know I don't have too many chances left to get down (in time) to where I think I can run," Eagar says. "But I seem to run well in Boston. It still has that allure. It's a tough race, but it keeps bringing you back."