Kenyan David Korir wins by two seconds over Russian Alexy Khokhlov, both outlasting last year's winner Wilson Komen "fresh" from last Monday's Boston Marathon

Photo left is Tom Matzke (#1504)

With only the 500-meter downhill finish remaining at the 10th Pike's Peek 10K in Rockville, the title was up for grabs among Russian Alexy Khokhlov, Kenyan David Korir, and Korir's countryman and last year's winner, Wilson Komen. For nearly six miles, the three men had traded the lead and were never more than a stride or two apart. But, with a decisive kick as he crested the final hill, Korir (23) established a slight gap and broke the tape in 29 minutes 24 seconds, edging Khokhlov by two seconds. Komen (27) finished third in 29:35.

Their fast times provided smiles all around. Fourth and fifth place finishers Jason Long (26) of Edenberg, VA, and Philippe Rolly (32) of Fairfax, VA also broke 30:00.

As he churned toward the tape, runner-up Khokhlov thought not about winning but ahead to the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, six days away, where he is scheduled to run the marathon. "I wanted to preserve my legs," he said through an interpreter. Third-place finisher Komen was also thinking about marathons, Boston specifically, where he finished 16th just six days earlier.

"But I felt okay today," Komen said. "My legs were not sore, I just could not keep up."

Jackline Okemwa from Kenya ensured that the women's race was not as close. Okemwa (22) and third in 33:00 at the Sallie Mae 10K one week earlier, won easily at Pike's Peek in 33:11. Susannah Kvasnicka (33) of Great Falls, VA extended her string of fine races by finishing second in 34:39. Tatiana Belovol (35, photo left) of Ukraine, was third in 35:13.

"This was just a training run," Okemwa said through an interpreter. "This was an easy day for me."

Kvasnicka, seventh at Sallie Mae, where she was 2:09 behind Okemwa, however, was running all-out and unwittingly closed the gap with Okemwa to 1:28.

"I never saw her," Kvasnicka said. "I thought I was taking the lead when I passed [Belovol]."

Just over 2,000 finishers (1,093 men, 916 women) took advantage of the cool, dry conditions on the relatively flat point-to- point course. The swirling wind was more a help than a hindrance as the runners proceeded south on Rockville Pike after a wave start near the Shady Grove Metro station.

Patricia Zerfas (43, photo left) of Kensington, MD was the top masters runner and 16th overall in 39:25, narrowly besting fellow Kensingtonian Cindy Conant (44) 17th overall in 39:43. Jim Hage (47) also of Kensington, was first among the men's masters and 14th overall in 32:39. [Editor's note: Hage's time just missed the age group course record of 32:37 set the first year (1996) by Steve Ruckert.]

Sandra Adams (55, photo below) of Winchester, VA was the 29th woman in 42:24, and Alice Franks (56) of Rockville, MD was 44th in 44:42, two fine age-group times.

Priscila Prunella (61) of Rockville, MD, a Montgomery County Road Runners regular and the D.C. Road Runners Club's master of the year, ran 48:47 and is returning to the roads after plantar fasciitis significantly curtailed her racing last year. The nearly indestructible Pat Griffith* (60) of Alexandria, VA was the 56th man in 37:06.

Frank Pierce (83) of Silver Spring, MD was the oldest finisher in 69:02 (chip time 66:58). Walt Washburn* (82) of Vienna, VA, ran 61:49.

*Established New Age Group Bests for 2005

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Mohammed Ar-Ar       35            30:05  
Jim Wright           55            38:36 
Patrick Griffith     60            37:06
John Elliott         66            41:46
Nianxiang Xie        77            53:26
Walt Washburn        82            61:49
Michelle Levy        17            39:08 
Sandra Adams         55            42:24
Tami Graf            68            55:38

Photos by Kathy Freedman

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