Courtesy: Ray Lapinski, Running USA wire

At the USA Half-Marathon Championships hosted by Parkersburg, Dan Browne of Lafayette, Colo. and Milena Glusac of Fallbrook, Calif. won national titles in 1:03:55 and 1:12:13 respectively. Browne used a strong finishing surge for the victory, while Glusac led from start to finish. For Glusac, it was her second USA road title of the year; the Team USA California member also won the 25K crown in May. Under cloudy skies and 68 degree temperatures, a deep U.S. field took off at 8:00am. The humidity was still a factor, but not nearly as oppressive as it had been all week. The men went through the first mile in a pack of 25 in 4:52.

Three miles passed in 14:48 with a group of 15 that included defending champion Rod DeHaven, Scott Larson, Jeff Campbell, Mike Donnelly, Keith Dowling, Dan Browne and Teddy Mitchell.

As the group approached the four mile mark, Donnelly hit the pavement, victim of a heel clip. He gamely fought to get back up but later admitted that he "saw stars for the next 2 miles."

At mile 5, Browne, Larson, DeHaven and Dowling threw in a 4:42 mile, leaving Campbell 13 seconds in arrears. Jimmy Hearld joined Campbell as they tried to maintain contact with the lead group. The leaders passed 8 miles in 38:45 with a 25 second lead over places 5-6. Larson made a small break that was immediately covered by a very comfortable and confident looking DeHaven. Browne and Dowling regrouped and the four again ran as one.

At the water stop just past the nine mile mark, DeHaven, a 2000 Olympic marathoner, grabbed his side in obvious pain and immediately dropped off the pace.

By 10 miles the leading trio had opened a 30 second lead. Browne, 26, pushed the pace up the infamous 13th Street hill as Dowling covered every step and Larson began to fade. On the downhill, Larson made up a few steps but his efforts were in vain as Browne and Dowling accelerated away. Browne, the 2000 USA 15K road champion, was looking distressed, arms flailing, eyebrows arched high in his forehead, while Dowling looked comfortable.

At this point, a betting man would have gone with Dowling for the win, but in racing, style points don't count - just who crosses the finish line first. And on Market Street - a long gradual down hill finish - Browne, a U.S. track champion at 5000m and 10,000m, dug deeper and used his superior leg speed to pull out a 4 second win over Dowling, 1:03:55 to 1:03:59.

Scott Larson followed in 1:04:22 for third as DeHaven hung on to finish fourth (1:04:38). With his fifth place performance (1:04:46), Chad Johnson, the 2001 USA 25K champion, moved into first place in the Men's USA Running Circuit with 21 points. The top five men also earned automatic berths on the USA team for the 10th IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships in Bristol, England on October 7.

Browne, who pocketed $6000 for the win and runs for the Army as a part of their World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), proclaimed he was excited about the World Championships and "always takes great pride in representing the USA."

Milena Glusac, 25, controlled the race from the start as she passed the 4 mile mark in 21:18 and ten miles in an impressive 54:37. The 2001 USA 25K champion went unchallenged to the tape in 1:12:13, a 1 minute and 40 second personal record.

"I felt strong over this challenging course, and I'm looking forward to returning to the World Half-Marathon Championships," said the Oregon graduate who placed 10th last year (1:13:53, her previous PR) at the World Championships in Veracruz, Mexico.

Los Angeles native Sylvia Mosqueda - her blood soaked left shoe evidence of the painful experience she just endured - finished second in 1:13:21. Eugene resident Susannah Beck, who will join Glusac and Mosqueda on the World Championships team (top three women are guaranteed spots) also ran an impressive PR, lowering her previous mark by 1 minute 30 seconds in running 1:14.29.

With their top performances at Parkersburg, the trio hold the top three positions in the Women's USARC with Glusac taking over the lead (37 points). The next USARC race for men and women is the New Haven 20K on Labor Day, September 3.

Eddy Hellebuyck, 40, from Albuquerque won the master's title in 1:07:27 from U.S. half-marathon record holder Mark Curp who ran 1:10:57. Curp will be the men's team leader for the World Championships. Browne, greeting Curp after his finish, said "1:00:55 wow!!" a reference to Curp's long standing record set in 1985.

Gordon Bakoulis, 40, from New York City won the women's masters race in 1:19:38, besting Lee DiPetro (1:22:28).

15th Parkersburg Half-Marathon: USA Championships

Parkersburg, WV, Saturday, August 18, 2001

MEN

1) Dan Browne, CO 1:03:55 $6000

2) Keith Dowling, VA 1:03:59 $4000

3) Scott Larson, CO 1:04:22 $3000

4) Rod DeHaven, WI 1:04:38 $1500

5) Chad Johnson, MI 1:04:46 $1200

6) Clint Verran, MI 1:04:50 $850

7) Jeff Campbell, MI 1:05:10 $700

8) Michael Donnelly, RI 1:05:49 $500

9) Steve Spence, PA 1:06:15 $400

10) Jimmy Hearld, KY 1:06:34 $325

11) Chris Wehrman, MI 1:06:42

12) Jim Jurcevich, MI 1:06:50

13) John Sence, OH 1:07:01

14) Chris Lundstrom, MN 1:07:14

15) Kevin Collins, NY 1:07:20

WOMEN

1) Milena Glusac, CA 1:12:13 $6000

2) Sylvia Mosqueda, CA 1:13:21 $4000

3) Susannah Beck, OR 1:14:29 $3000

4) Monica Hostetler, NY 1:14:42 $1500

5) Alison Holinka, VA 1:15:14 $1200

6) Kelly Keane, MA 1:15:19 $850

7) Heather Burroughs, CO 1:16:51 $700

8) Laura Baker, MA 1:17:11 $500

9) Michelle LaFleur, GA 1:17:23 $400

10) Kelly Cordell, CA 1:17:46 $325

11) Emily Nay, UT 1:18:29

12) Debbie Arzola, TX 1:19:30

13) Gordon Bakoulis, 40, NY 1:19:38 $1000

14) Nadia Prasad, CO 1:19:40

15) Debbie Kilpatrick, OH 1:20:23