Cool temperatures and an increased prize money purse helped Juan Camacho Pina of Mexico and Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Russia win the 19th edition of the UPMC/City of Pittsburgh Marathon in fast times.

Camacho, 30 (photo left, by Victah Sailer), who also makes bricks to help to support his wife and 9 month-old son, ran the fastest winning time on this challenging course since 1996, crossing the finish line at the 50 yard line of Heinz Field in 2:12:05. His performance was five seconds short of the Olympic Games "A" standard which would have delivered an extra $2,500 bonus to the Mexican, who won $12,500 and bagged his first marathon victory.

"For me, personally, the important thing for me is to get qualified for the Olympic Games," said Camacho who said that his winnings would help him buy land and a house in Zacatecas where he lives.

Led by pacemaker Scott Strand of Birmingham, Ala., Camacho, along with Andrey Gordeyev of Belarus, broke away from the rest of the field and built up a 15 second lead only four miles into the race. Urged on by Gordeyev, Strand kept the pace high and through the 10 mile mark (49:48) the leaders were running right at course record pace (2:10:24).

"I kept looking back to get a feel for whether I'm pushing it too much," said Strand, a former steeplechaser. "He (Gordeyev) said, 'OK, OK.' I tried to stay relaxed but keep my foot on the gas a little bit."

Camacho and Gordeyev actually overtook Strand in the 12th mile, and went through the half-way mark in 1:05:45, still on a sub-2:12 pace. But two miles later Camacho surged and quickly opened a gap on Gordeyev and by the 16 mile mark the Mexican had a 15 second lead.

"I knew the course would be difficult, but not this difficult," admitted Gordeyev, a two-time winner of the Hannover Marathon.

Camacho quickly gained complete control of the race and the only suspense remaining was whether he would get the special bonus for running at least 2:12:00. He hammered the downhill 22nd (4:58) and 23rd (4:43) miles, and was on pace to get the bonus as he made the left hand turn into the stadium tunnel. Urged on by the cheering crowd, Camacho tried mightily to get under the time but fell five seconds short. Nonetheless, he was pleased and did not mind running most of the second half alone.

"I did not find it too difficult because I trained alone," said Camacho who became the first Mexican winner of the race since the legendary Rodolfo Gomez in 1987.

Gordeyev won a tough battle for second place over Andrej Naumov of Ukraine. Gordeyev pulled away in the last 10 kilometers to earn the runner up position in 2:14:07, 40 seconds ahead of Naumov.

Kortchaguina Nearly Makes History
The 2:29:50 course record of American Margaret Groos stood up for the 15th straight year, but only narrowly. Kortchaguina, 31, (on left in photo, by Victah Sailer) who makes her home in Toronto, slipped away from defending champion Magdalena Lewy from Oakland, Calif. (on right in photo) early in the second half of the race, and latched onto a male runner, Dzmitry Sivou of Belarus, who became her de facto pacemaker. Running just a step behind Sivou, Kortchaguina plowed through the second half of the course, fully confident that she would break the Olympic Games "A" standard which would give her the special $15,000 winner's check.

"This race is very, very difficult," said Kortchaguina in her best English after the race. It didn't look like the course map."

Still accompanied by Sivou, Kortchaguina turned into Heinz Field with Groos's record still a possibility. She simply ran out of steam and finished in 2:29:53, just three seconds off the mark.

"This was my personal best time," said Kortchaguina with pride. She was especially pleased with the $15,000 winner's check. "It's not bad," she joked adding, "that's good money!"

Lewy enjoyed an important personal victory. By finishing second in 2:31:38 she got her 2004 Olympic Games "A" standard time, the fourth U.S. woman to do so, easing the pressure on her in next year's U.S. Olympic Trials in St. Louis. "That was actually my main goal for today," said the Polish-born Lewy. "It allows me more freedom to choose my fall marathon."

Tatiana Gladyr of Ukraine, running her first race in the United States, finished third in 2:38:04.

Schabort Sets Wheelchair Record
Krige Schabort, a South African who lives in Cedartown, Ga. won the wheelchair competition in a course record 1:30:17, upsetting defending champion, course record holder and countryman Ernst Van Dyk. Schabort, 30, who lost his legs in a military battle in 1987, pulled away from Van Dyk in the 11th mile to get the win. He cited his lighter weight as helping him tackle Pittsburgh's hills. Van Dyke also dipped under the previous record in 1:33:02.

6,119 Runners Take Part
The marathon, including the Mellon Relay and the UPMC Health Plan 5K Run/Walk, attracted 6,119 entrants, the second highest total in the 19 year history of the event. Only the Olympic Trials year in 2000 had more. There were a total of 2,622 entrants in the marathon, 2,315 in the Mellon Relay and 1,182 in the 5K.

"We were certainly pleased by the participant numbers," said race director Larry Grollman who is in his seventh year at the helm of this event.

Top Finishers
MEN -
1. Juan Camacho Pina, 30, Mexico 2:12:05 $12,500
2. Andrey Gordeyev, 29, Belarus 2:14:07 $7,500
3. Andrej Naumov, 29, Ukraine 2:14:47 $3,000
4. James Karanja, 24, Kenya 2:16:13 $2,000
5. Kassahun Kabiso, 19, Ethiopia 2:18:56 $1,000
6. Wesley Chelule, 28, Kenya 2:21:01 $500
7. Amos Gitagama, 24, Kenya 2:22:11 $250
8. Retta Feyissa, 27, Ethiopia 2:24:24
9. Edward Callinan, 28, Haddonfield, N.J. 2:26:16
10. James Hamilton, Imperial, Pa. 2:28:03

WOMEN -
1. Lioudmila Kortchaguina, 31, Russia 2:29:53 $15,000*
2. Magdalena Lewy, 29, Oakland, Calif. 2:31:38 $7,500
3. Tatyana Gladyr, 28, Ukraine 2:38:04 $3,000
4. Volha Yudziankova, 36, Belarus 2:38:18 $2,000
5. Leteyesus Berhe, 24, Ethiopia 2:43:11 $1,000
6. Tammy Slusser, 37, Monroeville, Pa. 2:56:41 $500
7. Jill Knesh, 29, Homer City, Pa. 2:59:30 500p
8. Lynn Johnson, 29, N. Attleboro, Mass. 2:59:57 $250

*Prize money includes special bonus for 2:32:00 or better
p= Earned $500 for first Pennsylvanian

See complete results of the UPMC/City of Pittsburgh Marathon, Marathon Relay, and 5K.