CAPE ELIZABETH – From where he was standing, Eric Giddings didn’t like his starting position for Saturday’s Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K.

So he moved.

“I saw a bunch of other high school runners up with the elite people,” said the soon-to-be-junior at South Portland High. “I knew I could run with the top Mainers. So I just slowly walked into the elite

. I don’t think I was supposed to do that, but I guess it was a good idea.”

Making the stealthy move was just the first smart thing Giddings did in the race. The 16-year-old who did minimal training for the 6.2-mile race, set himself up to beat the top Maine competition and several of his high school rivals to win the in-state portion of the Beach to Beacon.

Giddings raced past such Maine standouts and former Beach to Beacon champions Andy Spaulding and Bob Winn, as well as schoolboy star Ben True, who attends Greely of Cumberland Center, to finish in 31 minutes, 16.6 seconds, the top Maine men’s time.

“I had a goal to run 31:30 and that was four seconds off what the top Maine time was last year,” he said. “So I knew I could be one of the top in Maine. I never thought I’d win it, though. I’m pretty happy right now.”

Bowdoinham’s Maggie Hanson knocked off two-time defending champion Christine Snow-Reaser to be the first Maine woman across the finish line. She finished with a time of 35:45.3.

Giddings was 17th overall and Spaulding was 18th. Winn of Ogunquit, Ethan Hemphill of Portland and Mike Caiazzo of Gorham rounded out the top five Maine men.

After Hanson, Jenna Richardson of China, Suzanne Hussey of Alfred, Snow-Reaser of Dayton and Beth Parker of Freeport were the top five Maine women to finish.

In the starting area, Giddings said, he was set up with a group that would go at about a 5-minute per mile pace. But he saw runners like True, Belfast’s Levi Miller and Falmouth’s Brendan Bonsey starting with Spaulding and Winn.

Giddings snuck up front (with a nudge from a couple of runners around him) and went out with True. Giddings and True made it up to Spaulding and Winn about two miles into the race, and then Giddings made his move.

“I noticed them slowing down a little so I just took it there and didn’t look back,” he said. “I had them by like 30 yards at mile five. … I knew they were steadily increasing but it’s a big bridge to gap in a mile, 30 yards. So I pretty much knew at mile five that I had it.”

The Beach to Beacon is the only 10K Giddings will do this year. And he did one day of speed work and just his regular distance work to train for it.

“I’d say it would be pretty out of the ordinary for someone who runs a 10K once a year to know how to pace themselves and how to run in certain spots,” he said. “I haven’t run a race over three miles since last year at this time. Doubling that is quite a bit difference.”

Giddings had never before beaten True, who broke the boys’ mile record at the Maine Distance Festival in July.

“It means a lot,” Giddings said. “It gives me some good confidence going into the season.”

Hanson will take home $1,000 but Giddings will have to be happy with glory rather than dollars. Taking prize money would make him a professional, and would likely disqualify him from any more high school or college competition.

“I was trying to look it up on a computer to see if I could accept it, but there’s no way,” Giddings said with a smile. “I’d rather run in college. I’ll find another way to earn $1,000.”

Hanson said got caught up in the excitement and fast layout of the first mile and went out a bit quicker than she planned.

“But I think that worked to my advantage because I continued the pace for the next few miles,” she said. “I slowed it down but my turnover was pretty good.”

Hanson said she passed Snow-Reaser at the third mile and just tried to stay strong, especially through the notoriously hilly fifth mile.

“I tried not to think of anyone behind me,” Hanson said. “I was looking ahead. There were some of the elite women runners not too far ahead, some strong high school runners.”

Hanson said she was aiming to run around 36 minutes.

“I thought was doable but challenging,” she said. “So I’m thrilled.”

Gov. John Baldacci was the 3,132nd runner to finish.