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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW California man dies in I-5 rollover ... Medford man wins Megabucks jackpot ... Budget tops $339 million for 2016-17 ... California man dies in I-5 rollover ... Medford man wins Megabucks jackpot ... Budget tops $339 million for 2016-17 ... PEAR BLOSSOM RUN Victorious debut First-timer Watson cruises to Pear victory, but is shy of record Comment By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Follow @@MTsports MailTribune.com By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Follow @@MTsports Posted Apr. 9, 2016 at 5:15 PM By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Follow @@MTsports Posted Apr. 9, 2016 at 5:15 PM --> Men’s Race RECAP: Former Rogue River prep standout Cole Watson gets his first crack at the 10-mile race and wins in 51 minutes, 14 seconds. He comes up short of his goal ... » Read more X Men’s Race RECAP : Former Rogue River prep standout Cole Watson gets his first crack at the 10-mile race and wins in 51 minutes, 14 seconds. He comes up short of his goal of breaking the course record. TOP 10 1. Cole Watson, 51:14 2. Chris Platano, 53:31 3. Drew Jordan, 54:45 4. Daniel Lindstrom, 55:42 5. Sergio Morales, 56:16 6. Devin Rodman, 57:26 7. Jon Buel, 58:40 8. Neil Olsen, 59:00 9. David Pinsonneault, 59:06 10. Hal Koerner, 59:22 » Social News Cole Watson had an ambitious goal entering his first Pear Blossom Run: break the course record. He discovered that to be easier said than done in the 40th edition of the 10-mile race that starts and ends in downtown Medford. "I underestimated it," he admitted while doubled over to catch his breath moments after the crossing the finish line Saturday. The 24-year-old former Rogue River High and University of Oregon runner wasn't without achievement, however, as he won the race comfortably over Chris Platano of Portland. Watson's time was 51 minutes, 14 seconds. Platano came in more than 2 minutes later, in 53:31. Former North Medford High and Washington State runner Drew Jordan placed third in his debut in the race, clocking 54:45. Central Point's Daniel Lindstrom was fourth in 55:42, and Klamath Falls' Sergio Morales was fifth in 56:16. Watson is no stranger to records. He set his share while winning seven state championships in track and cross country before graduating from Rogue River in 2009. But chasing the Pear Blossom standard of 49:10, set by Max King in 2011, proved challenging. Watson's eagerness to go for the record was evident in his early pace, which was actually ahead of what he needed for the record. "I was ahead going out," he said, noting that he hit Hanley Hill before the halfway point in the time he was supposed to. "But," he said, "I came back way, way too slow. Hey, I'm a young runner. I feel like I can make mistakes, but I'll be back. We'll get it one of these days and put the bar low like Max did, something respectable that we all can chase." Watson's confidence grew in recent months. The former middle-distance runner turned to longer distances after leaving Oregon last spring. Earlier this year, he qualified for the Olympic marathon trials, which he ran in in Los Angeles in February. He took an aggressive approach to start the Pear, turning in opening miles of 4:48, 4:50 and 4:50 before slowing on the fourth mile. "I was trying to adjust," said Watson, who is the coach of the Rogue Community College cross country teams, which enjoyed their inaugural season last fall. "I slowed down to about 5:15, but I was still OK because I went out so hard." Platano noticed. The former Myrtle Point and Willamette University runner, who was fifth here a year ago, was with Watson "for about the first 50 steps," he joked. "Then he took off. He was just out. I was just watching him disappear. He ran great. He's a stud." Watson grew used to running alone in high school, then didn't have that experience in college. Now he's back to being well ahead in some of his races. "It might seem like minimal little variables," he said, "but I think it does make a difference when you're pushing that hard to have someone else there. I mean, I made it the race it was. I've got to own up to that." Watson realized by Mile 6 that his pursuit of the record was over. His splits had dropped to the 5:20 to 5:30 range and he "wasn't feeling very good." The last couple miles were a struggle. "It was pretty hard," he said. "I'm not going to lie. I may have overshot with some of my training. I'm still learning; you always are; you will be forever in this sport. The mistakes you make can really add up. It's so cumulative." Still, there was victory. And it was a chance to do something so many of the runners he admires had done before him. He rattled off the names: Frank Shorter, Ric Sayre, Leonard Hill, Stan Goodell, Bob Vaughn, Mike Barrett. "It was awesome," said Watson. "It has so much history. There have been so many great runners that have come here. They've been running all these, and I want to be a part of that. It's exciting." Platano improved his place and time of year ago, when he clocked 54:27. "I ran it last year and it didn't go as well as I would have liked," said Platano, who works for Nike and has a regular running group in Portland. "I wanted to give it another shot. It went a little better. It's a flat course, but it's tough. And that hill out there, it's difficult. But it's a good field and the weather was beautiful. There was good support from the crowd. It was awesome." Corey Hartgrave won the wheelchair race for the ninth time. His time was 41:22. It could have been better, he said. "I was shooting for between 40 and 45 (minutes)," he said. "I made a couple wrong turns back there. I probably could have gone a minute faster. With all these races going on, I forget which direction to turn." In the 5-kilometer race, Erik Olsen of Central Point finished more than 2 minutes ahead of the field. His time was 16:45. Rhino Prince of Cave Junction was second in 18:49, and Jon Theriault of Longview, Wash., was third in 18:56. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 541-776-4479, or email [email protected] By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Follow @@MTsports MailTribune.com By Tim Trower Mail Tribune Follow @@MTsports Posted Apr. 9, 2016 at 5:15 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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