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50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, April 8, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 8, 2005 Pear Blossom records within King’s reach Two-time defending champion is in prime form to win a record third straight and challenge the all-time mark By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Running 10 miles is difficult enough. Max King will do it under the weight of burgeoning expectations as Saturday’s 29th annual Pear Blossom Run approaches. King, a former Crater High and Cornell University runner, is in position to become the first male to win the 10-mile event three consecutive years. Moreover, recent results indicate he could threaten the 15-year-old record of 49 minutes, 49 seconds. Advertisement King, 25, finished in fifth place two weeks ago at the U.S. 8K championships in New York. He came in ahead of two members of last year’s U.S. Olympic team, and his time of 23:07 for the five-mile event equated to a 4:39-mile pace — well under the 4:58 it would take to break the Pear Blossom record. "We know he’s in shape," says race director Jerry Swartsley. "We know he’s got the ability. Now we need help from the weather." The record was set in 1990 by Matt Cato and matched in 2001 by Ian Solof. Both live in Portland. "It would be nice to see someone local take it and keep it," says Swartsley. "And it’s a good, solid record. If he can get it, I think it will be a while before someone breaks it." The race begins at Medford City Hall at 8:35 a.m. It heads out Jacksonville Highway, turns onto Hanley Road, then reverses and returns along the same route. King, a chemical engineer for Bend Research, a pharmaceutical facility, won the event last year in 51:07. It was 20 seconds faster than his 2003 time. In both instances, he beat out runner-up Damian Baldovino, the 2002 winner from Lakeview. Baldovino had not entered the race by midweek, meaning King’s most serious challenge — and motivation to keep up a brisk pace — could come from Tim Julian, himself a two-time winner. King is only the fourth runner to have won consecutive Pear Blossoms. The others were Leonard Hill (1979-80), Ken Hunter (1986-87) and Solof (2000- 01). King stops short of guaranteeing a win and a record, but he likes his chances, at least for the former. "I’m definitely in pretty good shape, definitely more fit this year," says King, who was to return to Bend today from a business conference in Minneapolis, then make the drive to the Rogue Valley. "I’ve been running more seriously, and I’m in better shape than the last couple of years. "I feel like I should be able to win it, and maybe more (in coming years). I know Deanna’s (O’Neil) won (the women’s) nine times. It keeps getting better every time you win it." As for a record, there are a number of factors that come into play. Cool temperatures with low humidity would be ideal, says Swartsley. A potential record-breaker would also benefit from having someone push him, and if all that comes together, he’d still have to have a good day. "We’ve got to see what happens," says King. "It depends on how the race works itself out. It wouldn’t be easy, that’s for sure." Julian, the 1995 and ‘98 victor, could play a role. He and King ran against each other in the cross country national championships in February and have dueled on other occasions. "I know he’s in pretty decent shape," says King. "He told me he was going to give me a run for my money in this race." King and Julian both belong to Team XO, a track club out of Eugene. King’s goal is to qualify for the U.S. track championships in June in the 3,000- meter steeplechase. Last weekend, he won the event at the Willamette Invitational in Salem in a time of 8:54.55. But that achievement pales in comparison to the national 8K, in which he finished 20 seconds behind winner Jorge Torres. "There were a lot of top guys from around the country," says King. "It was a pretty impressive field. I went into it kind of thinking that if I do well here, it could be a really good thing for my career. I just went out, had fun and raced hard." He was in the top 20 at about the one-mile mark, then gradually worked to the front. He got to fifth with about 1½ miles left and "hung on." "It ended up being a really good race for me," he says. Now he hopes to have another one. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s