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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 10, 2005 Max King crosses the finish line on Saturday to win the Pear Blossom Run. The Crater High graduate, who won the race for the third straight year, broke the course record by 20 seconds. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Maxed Out Max King blows away the field and the 15-year-old record in an impressive 10-mile performance By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune You need a calendar to see when the Pear Blossom Run record was previously set. A day planner might suffice for when it falls again. Max King, already the two-time defending champion and a clear favorite entering the 29th edition, surpassed even the grandest expectations in Saturday’s 10-mile race. For starter’s, the King’s reign continues as he became the first male to claim three consecutive crowns. And, man, did he do it in style. Advertisement King cruised to victory in 49 minutes, 29.38 seconds. It was 20 seconds better than the record 49:49 set by Matt Cato in 1990 — the year the race went from 20 kilometers to 10 miles. Ian Solof matched the mark in 2001. King, a 25-year-old Crater graduate, again wore the good-luck uniform of his alma mater over the course that starts at Medford City Hall, turns onto Jacksonville Highway and Hanley Road, then reverses. He negotiated a 7 mph head wind at the start, pulled away after two miles and, despite running alone, actually gained speed over the back half of the race. And here’s the topper: King, mindful of the big picture, didn’t go all out and still shattered the record. "I had a pretty good idea what I was running," he said. "I got my mile splits every mile. The last mile, I didn’t want to push it too hard and destroy myself for the rest of the week. I just wanted to hang in there, so that’s what I did." With plans to qualify for the June national track championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, he’s on a strict training regimen that isn’t to be trifled with. The talk leading up to the race was whether the weather would be conducive to a record run by King, who two weeks ago placed fifth at the 8K nationals. At 45 degrees and dry, the elements held up. Another key was whether anyone would push him. That turned out not to matter. Tim Julian of Ashland, a two-time winner, gave chase briefly but fell back, finishing second in 51:40.96. He was followed by Todd Braje of Eugene (54:16.75), Tony Hawkes of Klamath Falls (54:56.40) and Justin Loftus of Ashland (55:14.20). "I was in the lead going all the way out," said King, "and being in front is a lot harder than following someone. With help, the course record could be a lot lower; it could be run a lot faster." By him? Next year? "I don’t know, we’ll see," said King. "It depends on where I’m at next year." He referred to his fitness level but could have easily been talking about his whereabouts. On Saturday, for instance, King eschewed the 10-mile national championship in Louisville, Ky., to run in the Pear. Pete Julian, Tim’s brother and one of the runners King beat in the national 8K, did compete in it. Tim Julian said of King, "He could have been running for big money back there." A good showing would have earned him several thousand dollars. "You have to pick and choose the races you do during the year," said King. "A race like that takes a lot out of you, plus I like this race. It’s kind of fun to pick this one over that one. This is a good training run." King is a chemical engineer with a degree from Cornell. He returned Friday from a conference in Minneapolis to his home in Bend, then drove here. At the seminar, he learned about Phase Doppler Particle Analyzers, which, in part, ascertain the velocity of particles. Perhaps one should have been trained on King Saturday. He didn’t feel strong at the race’s start but managed to meet his goal of a 4:58 opening mile — the pace he’d need to break the record. He kept that average through the first five miles. Upon turning for home, the breeze was at his back and all was good. His running pace picked up with each mile. Remarkably, his heart rate, for which he monitors, did not. "My heart rate was actually going down," said King. He did Mile 8 in 4:52, Mile 9 in 5:00. The last mile, aided by a finishing kick, was even faster. Shortly after King zipped through the finishing chute, a woman snapped his picture. "My boyfriend graduated from Crater in ‘68," she said excitedly. "He’s out there running, too." Later, Loftus, the Crater cross country coach, crossed the finish line and, taking notice of King’s Comets outfit, said, "Represent!" "Yeah, Crater!" King replied. Tim Julian figured to be the only entrant that might push King, but he admitted the odds of that happening weren’t very good. "For a couple of miles, I hung with him," said Julian, the 1995 and ‘98 winner. "But when we came to two miles in like, 9:50, I was pretty much, ‘Well, you have fun.’ Max is phenomenally fit right now. He’s one of the best distance runners in the U.S. right now, and I’m not. "I’m happy he got the record." The next one might be just around the corner. 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. 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