The Leesburg 10K is already a legend. During its first year, a cow wandered onto the course and stood chewing a shank of Virginia mayapple, staring insouciantly into the oncoming stream of mid-packers. By comparison, the Boston Marathon has required 100 years of scandals and world-class records to gain its reputation.

In its seventh running on August 20, 1995, the Leesburg 10K retained its affinity for things bovine. The T-shirt, which many of the returning runners will swear is alone worth the price of registration, always features an image in remembrance of that unregistered 700-pound herbivore from the earlier event. No meadow muffins, however, but plenty of bagels and fruit.

The course begins and ends in the middle of historic Leesburg, Virginia. Hills bedevil the runners until the mile four mark is passed, when it's virtually a straight shot to the finish line. "It's four miles up, then two miles down, with a killer hill during mile four," said Scott Maker of Centreville, VA. About half the course is on an old railbed converted to a trail, where runners can consider their pace and prospective finishing times while meditating on fields, trees, and other things pastoral--and, of course, the cows. "There are few other courses like it, since it's in such a rural setting," adds Mark Baldino, who came from Mason Neck, Virginia to run the event.

Hometown Leesburg resident Ken Halla, age 31, literally ran away with the men's title in 32:12, leaving his closest challenger behind about a half mile into the race. A few of the women took their turns trading the lead, but eventually Barbara Wigle, 28, of Reston, came to the finish in downtown Leesburg first in a time of 40:41.

The Leesburg 10K is acquiring a fan club; many of this year's entrants are race veterans. Scott Maker, already quoted above for his opinion on the course topography, calls it "an ideal small race, where you don't get lost in the shuffle." Many repeat entrants have found its location a convenient excuse to get out of D.C. or the crowded Maryland and Virginia suburbs for a day. Mary Jo Krolewski, who came in third just one second ahead of the fourth place women's finisher, hung around town for a bit and then went nearby for peach-picking.