Photo above by Alan Penberg: Chris Banks defended his Saint Patrick's Day 10K title in 2003 with a winning time of 31:16.

Team USA's marathoners were able to survive the scorching heat of the streets of downtown Santo Domingo Saturday morning to finish the men's and women's marathon on the final day of track and field competition at the Pan American Games.

Chris Banks (Alexandria, Va.) led all American finishers by placing seventh in the men's marathon in 2:29.37, while Jeff Campbell (Rochester, Mich.) was ninth in 2:35.43.

Brazil's Vanderlei Lima won the men's race that started at 6:20 a.m. (EST) in 2:19.08. Nineteen runners started the race but six dropped out.

Stacie Alboucrcek (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) finished ninth in the women's marathon in 2 hours 55 minutes 14 seconds. Kelly Flathers (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was tenth in 2:59.05.

Fifteen runners competed in the women's marathon that started at 6 a.m. (EST). Brazil's Marcia Narloch captured the gold medal in 2:39.54.

Quotes from Team USA Marathon Athletes:

Chris Banks (Alexandria, Va.)(2:29.37): "Pollution was a problem, but everyone had to deal with it. I was pretty fit going into the race. The key was to be disciplined and even at the start because we knew the conditions would be brutal and unpredictable. Looking at the past history in the Pan American Games, I thought running around 2:20 would put you in contention for a medal.

"I didn't want to get out too quick. So Jeff (U.S. teammate Campbell) and I ran together. We were right on pace through the first 16 miles. Then once we hit the 18-mile mark there were some tough hills and it started getting a little tougher."

Jeff Campbell (Rochester, Mich.),(2:35.43): "I thought I had a good shot to medal. I was coming off a personal best (2:18.52) at the USA Championships and didn't think I was going to run another race until I was invited to compete here. I felt like I was even in better shape than when I competed at the USA Championships.

"Chris (U.S. teammate Banks) and I had the perfect plan and went out slow. I thought the leaders went out too fast and we were right in halfway through the race. But then I had a bad patch and started running at a seven-minute pace. There were tons of turns. There were steep hills toward the end . . . It was really hot. I was definitely looking for water bottles every 2K.

But right at the 16 1/2 mile mark I got dizzy. I stopped for 2 1/2 minutes. Then I started going but I had a problem around the 17-mile mark. An ambulance picked up a couple runners and even tried to pick me up. But I wanted to finish the race. I have never dropped out of a marathon before."

Stacie Alboucrek (Fort Lauderdale,Fla.),2:55.14): "Coming from Florida, I was used to the heat but not the pollution. I wasn't breathing well the whole race. I was sick before and on antibiotics so I have only been training for two months. But under these conditions I am happy with my performance. This was my first international experience and I was happy to be a part of it. I was motivated to finish the race.

"I had no idea about my pace or the distance marks on the course. I wish I would have learned Spanish so I could ask people during the race. This course reminded me of the Tour de France. There were a couple cars that came close to hitting me. They were coming in and going out."

Kelly Flathers (Huntington Beach, Calif.),(2:59.05): "I came here to compete, gain confidence, and run with pride in representing my country. I came to Florida ten days earlier to train for this race in this type of weather. The race was exactly what I expected. I was quite stubborn and determined.

"The Dominican Republic race officials were very supportive during the race. I even had my own vehichle with an attendant right beside me. "This was the first time I had run on a U.S. national team. My next marathon will be next April at the Olympic Trials."

Results of the Pan Am Games Marathon

Men's Marathon
1. Vanderlei Lima, Brazil, 2:19.08
2. Bruce Deacon, Canada, 2:20.25
3. Diego Colorado, Colombia, 2:21.48
4. Aquelmis Rojas, Cuba, 2:23.18
5. Francisco Bautista, Mexico, 2:25.50
6. Pamenos Ballantyne, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, 2:28.21
7. Chris Banks, USA (Alexandria, Va.), 2:29.37
8. Leonso Jimenez, Colombia, 2:34.45
9. Jeff Campbell, USA (Rochester, Mich.), 2:35.43
10. Cristian Villavicencio, Nicaragua, 2:36.31
11. Daniel Simbron, Argentina, 2:37.28
12. Larryn Sanchez, Venezuela, 2:42.02
13. Jose Paulino, Dominican Republic, 2:43.11

Women's Marathon
1. Marcia Narloch, Brazil, 2:39.54
2. Mariela Gonzalez, Cuba, 2:42.55
3. Erika Olivera, Chile, 2:44.52
4. Iblandini, Colombia, 2:47.40
5. Maria Guimaraes, Brazil, 2:51.58
6. Maribel Burgos, Paraguay, 2:53.03
7. Angelica Sanchez, Mexico, 2:53.56
8. Emperatriz Wilson, Cuba, 2:54.16
9. Stacie Alboucrcek, USA (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 2:55.14
10. Kelly Flathers,USA (Huntington Beach, Calif.), 2:59.05
11. Lourdes Cruz, Paraguay, 3:04.12
12. Pascuala Beras, Dominican Republic, 3:04.47
13. Adelaide Carrington, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, 3:55.02