It was only one small step, but for champion Haron Toroitich the final step of the fourth Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach was the only one of thousands he took that counted. By nipping fellow Kenyan Joshua Chelanga with his last stride--both were timed in 1:01:55--the 26 year-old Toroitich earned the $12,000 first place check along with a $25,000 musical marathon bonus awarded to the athlete who wins both the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon (January 11, 2004) and any of the other three musical races staged by Elite Racing in 2004.

"I will put up a building in Kenya and call it Virginia," said the champion about what he'd do with his winnings.

In the women's competition, which began 15 minutes before the elite men and masses, Romania's Nuta Olaru used a disappointing 13th place finish at last month's Olympic Marathon in Athens to motivate her to a runaway win in Virginia Beach. She crossed the line in a time of 1:10:50.

"This was revenge for Athens and a great way to prepare for the Chicago Marathon in October," admitted Olaru (photo left), who placed third here in 2002.

"I broke the pace after the first mile, because it was too slow," said Olaru of her tactics. "From there I was following the watch."

Her lead swelled throughout the race, cresting to a 2:08 advantage at the finish, the largest margin of victory in event history. Japan's Ai Yamamoto, 1:12:58, took second with countrywoman Kiyoko Shimahara in third in 1:13:05.

The men began the competition even more hesitantly than the women. It wasn't until the fifth mile on General Booth Boulevard that they unfurled their sails in the following wind. From miles 9 to 11 the pack had been reduced to Toroitich, Chelanga, and Laban Kipkemboi. Down the boardwalk for the final two miles Toroitich and Chelanga broke free, setting up their final sprint.

"From the start I knew Joshua was a good runner," explained Toroitich. "The last two miles I was trying to get away from him, but he resisted. So I said, 'let the finish line decide.' The last 100 meters, that's where the game was."

In all, a total of $105,00 was awarded, the richest purse for a half marathon in the U.S.

Atlanta's Scot Hollonbeck won the wheelchair division in 50:24, a 3:50 per mile average.

A record 16,000 entrants joined the elite fields on an overcast but blustery day along the Atlantic shoreline, including 600 from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program who raised a total of $1.2 million (net) for this year's event.

Sixteen cheer squads and more than 20 bands lined the course to entertain and motivate the runners. The evening capped off with a double headliner concert featuring Sugar Ray and Collective Soul.

Top Ten Finishers

Men
1, Haron Toroitich, 26, Kenya, 1:01:55, $37,000*
2, Joshua Chelanga, 31, Kenya, 1:01:55, $7,000
3, Laban Kipkemboi, 26, Kenya, 1:02:25, $5,000
4, Yusuf Songoka, 25, Kenya, 1:03:22, $3,000
5, Christopher Cheboiboch, 27, Kenya, 1:03:32, $2,000
6, Paul Kosgei, 26, Kenya, 1:03:54, $1,500
7, William Chebon, 26, Kenya, 1:04:02, $1,000
8, Silvestor Mokeko, 34, RSA, 1:04:42, $750
9, Nephat Kinyanjui, 27, Kenya, 1:04:43, $600
10, Yoshihiro Yamamoto, 21, JPN, 1:04:51, $500


Women
1, Nuta Olaru, 34, ROM, 1:10:50, $12,000
2, Ai Yamamoto, 26, JPN, 1:12:58, $7,000
3, Kiyoko Shimahara, 27, JPN, 1:13:05, $5,000
4, Beatrice Omanza, 30, KEN, 1:14:03, $3,000
5, Miho Ichikawa, 31, JPN, 1:14:25, $2,000
6, Akane Taira, 21, JPN, 1:15:01, $1,500
7, Elena Orlova, 34, RUS, 1:15:29, $1,000
8, Anastasia Ndereba, 29, KEN, 1:15:30, $750
9, Gladys Asiba, 27, KEN, 1:15:51, $600
10, Anuta Catuna, 34, ROM, 1:17:17, $500

See our race-day report by Rick Platt, with local flavor and more photos.