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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 9, 2006 Max King crosses the finish line as he wins his fourth straight Pear Blossom Run on Saturday. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Max King wins race for a record fourth straight time By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Max King failed to achieve another Pear Blossom Run record Saturday, but the lean, running machine still established precedent. Wearing the same eight-year-old Crater High cross country jersey that he donned in high school, the 26-year-old chemical engineer won Medford’s crown jewel of running for a record fourth time. King, who now resides in Bend, had been tied with Portland’s Matt Cato with three victories apiece. And unlike Cato, who triumphed in 1988, ‘90 and ‘93, King’s wins have come in succession. King’s winning time over the 10-mile course that journeys out Jacksonville Highway and Hanley Hill west of Medford, then reverses, was 50 minutes, 5.67 seconds. That’s quite a bit slower than the record 49:29.38 clocking he registered one year earlier. But King, still a bit leg-weary from participating in the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan six days earlier, was plenty satisfied. Advertisement "It was easier than I expected," said King, who beat runner-up Damian Baldovino of Lakeview by about 2½ minutes. "I thought I’d be a little more fatigued after the worlds last Sunday. "But I didn’t go all-out. I just wanted to run it, feel good and have a good workout." Baldovino, Ashland’s Tim Julian and Eugene’s Todd Braje hung with King for the first 2½ miles, running at a 5:05 per-mile pace. "He was nice enough to tow us the first part of the race," Baldovino said. But on mile three King cranked into overdrive. By the race’s midpoint on the north side of Hanley Hill, his lead had swelled to several hundred yards. "I started feeling better, more relaxed, and felt like going at a faster pace," explained King, who ran the last seven miles at a 4:58 per-mile pace. Baldovino, 39, wound up second in a time of 52:38.70; Julian, 36, claimed third in 53:42.28; and Braje, 29, was fourth in 54:35.32. Rounding out the top five was Portland’s Chris Clancy, 23, who clocked 55:07.46. King, who finished 57th at the world cross country meet (out of about 150 runners) and third at the USA National Cross Country Championships in New York in February, has his sights set on the 2008 Olympic Trials steeplechase. His next competition will be the Oregon Invitational at Eugene’s Hayward Field on April 21. "That’s a prestigious meet with a lot of fast guys," King said. "I’m hoping to set a PR (personal record)." With King so far out in front Saturday, the real drama was the battle for second. Baldovino pulled away from Julian at about 4½ miles into the competition and inched away from Braje and Clancy while churning up Hanley Hill near the turn-around point. "I felt OK but this run is tougher than people think," Baldovino, 39, said. "It’s a flat course but there’s nothing to break it up except Hanley Hill. There aren’t hardly any corners or hills, where it’s easier to throw in surges. "You just try to put the hammer down and stay steady." Baldovino won Pear Blossom in 2002 — the year before King began his four-year reign. Baldovino was second in 2003 and third in 2004. He didn’t run the event last year and may bow out next year when his daughter, who is also a runner, begins competing in high school. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail Max King wins race for a record fourth straight time ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s