A field of 2,700 runners turned out in a steady, cold drizzle for the 19th running of the 10-kilometer race through the town's historic district. Shielded under large umbrellas, characters from Joyce's works came to life as runners' feet and the rain hit the pavement.

Sugrue, an alternative program teacher at Dedham High School, walked a 4.5-mile course to raise money for the Dedham Savings Bank, in memory of Janice Stanley, who was a long-time bank employee. In its 9th year, the walk raised more than $10,000 this year she said.

"It was fun to see a lot of students from the high school volunteering," Sugrue said. "It was the captain's idea to get them out to do this. It's a nice local community thing to get everybody out to do."

Reminiscent of the Boston Marathon two weeks ago, Kenyans claimed the top honors in the men's and women's races. Zablom Mokaya finished with a time of 29:25. He started out in the head of the pack and stayed there throughout the race. The women's winner was Agnes Ngunjiri, who finished in 34:01.

The top local finishers were Norwood's Chris Teague at 32:06 and Shanna Nehiley, of Dedham, who crossed the line at 36:54.

Since 1989, the mission of the race has included bringing to the public's attention human rights violations inflicted on writers, artists and political free thinkers across the globe. This year's race was dedicated to the memory of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and killed earlier this year in Pakistan, according to the race's Web site. Activists will act on behalf of several Guatemalan journalists who, according to the Web site, have been subjected to unwarranted arrests, searches, kidnappings, assaults and death threats.

While yesterday's weather made for a less than ideal spectator sport, runners said the weather was not a factor. Race founder and director Martin Hanley said everything went off without a hitch in "good Irish running rain."

"We had our largest field of pre-registered runners," he said. "I'm very pleased with the outcome."

Hanley also tipped his hat to the police department for its work as well as Helen and Dick Smitley. Hanley said they had prepared for the "worst case scenario" - torrential downpours - but the heavier rains held off until later in the day.

The largest road race in New England without a major sponsor, the James Joyce Ramble, for the second year, also served as the host for the USA Track & Field Grand Prix 10K championship.

Ducking under the dry, protective eaves of Dedham Square businesses, lining the steps of Norfolk Superior Court and seeking shelter under umbrellas, a thinner than usual crowd turned out to cheer on the runners. Some like Jeanne Campbell lived " a stone's throw" from the race and braved the rain.

"We support anything that comes by the house," Campbell said, peering out from her black, hooded sweatshirt.

She was joined on the sidelines by her son, Scott, 9, and daughter Sunny, 4, who took in the race beneath a pink Barbie umbrella. The family was going to partake in the children's ramble in the morning, but their plans were derailed by the rain.

Steve Dagdigian watched from High Street with his wife and son. They come out every year.

"I just like the atmosphere of it," he said.

Local politicians also used the road race as an opportunity to splash their names around on T-shirts, with signs on the sides of trucks and working the water stops. Outside his campaign headquarters, state representative candidate Bob Coughlin and his workers helped out at one water stop while, down the street, volunteers in bright blue shirts that read "Running with (incumbent state Rep.) Maryanne Lewis" on the back also handed out water and doses of encouragement. A Steve Pascarella for state representative sign also marked another spot along the route.

As the runners made their way up High Street after the start of the race, many stopped for water and at least one runner stopped to listen to some of Joyce's work, read by a woman in a black hat adorned with a black silk flower. Beneath the High Street bridge, another reader, standing on a black box, read an excerpt about a field children used to play in.

"Then a man from Belfast bought the field and built houses in it," said the reader, his voice rich with an Irish accent echoing in the bridge as runners passed by.

Dedham High School teacher and girls' volleyball coach Marge Bohan was part of yesterday's field.

"It's so unique for this type of road race," she said of the Joycean literary element.

Sidelined last year by an injury, Ed Damish, known as "Walpole Ed" on the running circuit, turned out to cheer on his daughter Diane Culhane and her next-door neighbor Shari Hallas, both of Walpole. Damish participated in the race when it was first a 5-mile course that started at the Old Irish Ale House.

"The purpose of the race is a wonderful thing," he said.

Culhane and Hallas said the ramble was a "great" event. Shielded from the rain beneath a tent on the grounds of the Endicott Estate, a band played and runners snapped up pasta and beverages. Hallas particularly liked to drink in the readings from Joyce's works, stopping along the way and particularly at the top of the hill along the course at the Noble & Greenough School.

"People run to the sides to get water. I run to the side to see what they're saying. That's kind of my water," Hallas said.