Courtesy of Running USA wire. By Jim Gerweck.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - (September 2, 2002) - For two dozen years, heat and humidity have been the constants at this ever-growing end of summer event. This year, as the race hit the quarter century mark, the heat was absent but the humidity, in the form of a steady drizzle that increased to a driving rain, pegged the 100 per cent mark all morning.

Dan Browne of Portland, Ore, and Kyle Baker of Mason, Mich. used the cool conditions to keep the pace hot as the two scorched the wet roads of the Elm City over the second half of the course to leave a field of the best distance runners in America far in their wake.

Browne, the defending champion, had all he could handle in Baker, who has been riding a hot streak on the roads since July, and barely edged the Michigan State assistant coach in the final meters. The official margin of victory was a single second, but it seemed even closer, as it had for most of the race. Browne's time of 59:21 was just eight seconds off the U.S. record of 59:13 set by Paul Cummings way back in 1987 during the New Bedford Half-Marathon. With their fast performances, Browne - the 2001 USARC Grand Prix co-champon - became the 5th fastest American all-time and Baker 6th.

"That was the hardest race I've ever run," said Browne, aware of how hard Baker had pushed him.

The two traded the lead no less than seven times in the final two miles, and each time it seemed one had delivered the knockout blow, the other responded with a counterpunch worthy of the "Rocky" films.

"You really needed TV for this one," said Browne, aware of the drama in which he had just participated. "If people saw this they'd know running can be as exciting as any other sport."

In its second year as a U.S.-only prize money event, New Haven drew one of the deepest fields in its history, as virtually every American man of note toed the line on the New Haven Green for the start. A pack of some two dozen, including 2001 USA Marathon champ Scott Larson, David Morris, Peter DeLaCerda, Keith Dowling, 2000 USA 20K champ Todd Reeser and Clint Verran, all gearing up for fall marathons, followed early pacesetter Jeff Campbell through a series of sub-five minute miles.

Then, just past five, Baker upped the ante by throwing in a 4:32 split that immediately shredded the pack, which strung out single file as the course turned into a brisk wind alongside Long Island Sound. Only Browne and Morris covered the move, and the latter quickly decided the pace was too brisk for his liking. Browne, just finishing a 120-mile week in preparation for the Twin Cities Marathon (his debut), nonetheless had enough in his legs to stay with Baker.

"The move might have been a bit early, but I knew it was my only chance of beating Dan," said Baker, who was the top American finisher at the Crim 10 Miler last week.

With Browne comfortably tucked in behind the taller man, letting him break the wind, it seemed as though a repeat of last year, when Browne pulled away from Morris in the final miles after responding to a late race surge, was in the offing.

But Baker, who ran a 3:57 road mile earlier this year, was better equipped to handle Browne's speed, setting up the finishing duel which Browne won with the last move less than 50 meters from the finish line.

Colleen De Reuck of Boulder, Colo. had a much easier time, catching defending champ Milena Glusac by the second mile and opening a lead that grew to more than a minute by halfway. De Reuck, who set a world and course record of 65:11 here in 1998, went unchallenged to the tape in 1:07:53 (#5 American all-time). Glusac, chilled right from the start, cramped in the closing miles and was passed by Libbie Hickman, running her longest and best race since giving birth to her daughter 10 months ago.

"I just laid back at the start and passed people over the second half," said Hickman, who like De Reuck is foregoing an autumn marathon. "I love running in the rain, so today was great for me. I felt like I had a little too much left at the end, but that's better than the opposite, for sure."

By the time the first women were finishing the rain had begun to intensify, and the masses of runners behind them really got soaked. There were plenty of them to get wet, as a record 4,800 showed up for the 25th running of the 20K and its accompanying 5K.

As a USA Championship, the New Haven 20K is also part of the USA Running Circuit (USARC), a USA Track & Field road series and thus, value USARC points also were at stake for the top 10 U.S. finishers. The 2002 USARC, the eighth edition for the men and seventh for the women, offers over $340,000 in championship prize money plus a $25,000 grand prix purse.

With her win (worth 15 USARC points), De Reuck increased her lead (49 points) in the Women's USARC, while 1999-2000 USARC Grand Prix champion Libbie Hickman (29 points) moved into second place in the standings as national runner-up.

The Men's USARC Grand Prix tightened up as Jim Jurcevich - with his New Haven third place performance - vaulted from third to first place (32 points), but he holds a tenuous lead over Abdi Abdirahman (31 points) and Meb Keflezighi (30) and also, Baker (29), Browne (27), Peter DeLaCerda (25) and Morris (21) who positioned themselves into the Grand Prix mix after New Haven.

The next Men's USARC race is CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5K in Providence, Rhode Island on September 15. USARC points will be doubled at the USA Marathon Championships hosted by the Twin Cities Marathon on September 29.

25th New Haven 20K: USA Men and Women's Championship
New Haven, CT, Monday, September 2, 2002

MEN
1) Dan Browne, OR 59:21 $5000
2) Kyle Baker, MI 59:22 $3000
3) Jim Jurcevich, OH 1:00:53 $1500
4) Clint Verran, MI 1:00:58 $1250
5) David Morris, NM 1:01:00 $1000
6) Keith Dowling, VA 1:01:16 $500
7) Peter DeLaCerda, CO 1:01:27 $300
8) Scott Larson, CO 1:01:30 $200
9) Ryan Meissen, WI 1:01:36 $150
10) Jeff Campbell, MI 1:02:00 $100

WOMEN
1) Colleen De Reuck, CO 1:07:53 $5000
2) Libbie Hickman, CO 1:09:02 $3000
3) Milena Glusac, CA 1:09:57 $1500
4) Chris Clifton, WA 1:10:13 $1250
5) Kelly Keane, NH 1:10:34 $1000
6) Jeanne Hennessy, NY 1:10:44 $500
7) Faith Byrum, CO 1:11:54 $300
8) Deeja Youngquist, NM 1:11:55 $200
9) Judy Johnson, GA 1:11:57 $150
10) Nicole Hunt, CT 1:12:03 $100

MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Dennis Simonaitis, UT 1:05:20

MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Linda Somers Smith, CA 1:12:39

For more race results and race information, go to: www.newhavenroadrace.org

2002 USARC Standings

MEN (after six races)
1) Jim Jurcevich, 26, Columbus, OH 32
2) Abdi Abdirahman, 25, Tucson, AZ 31
3) Meb Keflezighi, 27, San Diego, CA 30
4) Kyle Baker, 26, Mason, MI 29
5) Dan Browne, 27, Portland, OR 27
6) Peter DeLaCerda, 30, Alamosa, CO 25
7) David Morris, 31, Albuquerque, NM 21
8) Tim Broe, 25, Ann Arbor, MI 15
9) Todd Williams, 33, Knoxville, TN 12
10) Clint Wells, 27, Boulder, CO 11

WOMEN (after five races)
1) Colleen De Reuck, 38, Boulder, CO 49
2) Libbie Hickman, 37, Ft. Collins, CO 29
3) Jeanne Hennessy, 24, Mahopac, NY 28
4) Milena Glusac, 26, Fallbrook, CA 16
5) Deena Drossin, 29, Mammoth Lakes, CA 15
Marla Runyan, 33, Eugene, OR 15
7) Sylvia Mosqueda, 36, Los Angeles, CA 14
8) Elva Dryer, 30, Albuquerque, NM 12
Katie McGregor, 24, Minneapolis, MN 12
Beth Old, 27, Douglasville, GA 12