The 30th annual Columbus 10K drew another outstanding field to downtown Columbus as the runners toed the starting line by the Ohio State House for "The Oldest Road Race in Columbus." Inaugural race winner Matt McGowan started the race on a perfect June morning. As the race unfolded, the women's race proved to be one of the most competitive Ohio women's races in recent memory.

This year's race again served as the Ohio USATF Ohio 10K Championship. A pack of ten runners took the pack out early and seven runners were still together by the mile mark. 2004 Columbus 10K winner Matthew Folk was surrounded by Columbus Running Company team members Jim Jurcevich, Josh Ordway, Nate Ritz, Mike Sawacki and Matt Deleon as well as Joe Purpura, Victor Gras and Cory Scheadler. The race was still anyone's to win as the runners reached German Village's Schiller Park just after the two mile mark. Folk, Ordway, Jurcevich and Purpura started to break away from the pack as the runners passed the 3 mile mark and entered the bike trail along the Scioto River. Canfield's Folk, Ordway a first year medical student from Wright State, and Columbus's Jim Jurcevich (who have all qualified for the 2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials) made it a three-man race by the 4-mile mark. However, as the runners exited the bike trail, Folk started to pull away as he made the climb up the Main Street hill by the Columbus Arts Festival. Folk continued to open his lead as he ran up High Street and by the Nationwide Arena before finishing in front of the Columbus City Hall in 30:23. Ordway finished a strong second in 30:37 while Jurcevich took home the bronze in 31:21. Pataskala's Joe Purpura (31:40) and Westerville's Nate Ritz (32:20) captured the final two U.S Saving Bonds awards. Cleveland's Mike Sawacki (32:20), Ann Arbor's Victor Gras (32:22), West Jefferson's Robb Kestner (32:24), Columbus's Cory Scheadler (32:38) and Reynoldsburg's Dustin Whitehair (32:58) rounded out the top ten.

Two-time defending champion Lyndsi Benedict took the lead before the mile mark while her former Ohio State University teammate Nicole Gliem followed close behind. Benedict, a former state champion from Reynoldsburg, held onto a slight lead through the first four and a half miles and pulled away on the Main Street hill just after the bike trail part of the course to make it a three peat with her impressive time of 34:26. Gliem, who started her running career at Bishop Watterson High School and now lives in Beech Grove, Indiana, took home the silver in 35:03. Ashland University cross-country coach Leigh Danile captured the bronze in 36:07 while Blacklick's Melissa Converse finished a close fourth in 36:15. Russia's Larisa Mikhaylova (37:10) captured the fifth place prize money. Columbus's Kelly Newsad (39:05) edged Upper Arlington's Elaine Binkley (39:07) for sixth making this one of the most competitive women's field ever in the Columbus 10K and one of the top all Ohio women's races. Bridget Baldwin (39:26) and Sara Whitis (39:35) would round out the top nine.

Reynoldsburg's David Mirth (33:36) finished thirteenth overall on his way to the top master's prize money. Hilliard's Todd Kelleher (34:49) and Brunswick's Ron Dorfeld (35:30) captured the next two master awards.

Powell's Sheri Scaglone (45:31) took home the women's top master award. Gahanna's Elizabeth Gleason (46:53) and Columbus's Miki Porte (47:19) captured the next two U.S. Saving Bonds.

Jackson's George Sellers (36:30) edged Columbus's Tom Bachtel (36:44) and Toledo's Sam Torres (37:06) for the grand master gold.

Granville's Kitty Consolo (49:39) won the women's top grand master award and Westerville's Marilyn Hundley (51:44) finished second.

Granville's Jim Cooper (47:41) held off Reynoldsburg's Paul Wise (48:02) and Shelby's Bill Zehner (48:07) for the top senior award.

Hilliard's Velma Matuszewski (58:37) won the women's senior crown.

Reynoldsburg's Don Hammond (55:37) won the 70 and over category.

Heath's 81-year-young Kenneth Alpeter (1:01:59) was the oldest finisher.

The race was sponsored by: RUNOHIO, The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, NetJets, Runtimesystems, Great Harvest Bread Co., The Other Paper, CD 101 and the Arnold 5K Pump and Run.

Check out the COLUMBUS 10K slide show of photos under RUNOHIO's Regional News - http://www.runohio.com/archive

Check out Steve Blackledge's article in the Columbus Dispatch &-
http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/spo rts/stories/2007/06/11/columbus_10k_11.ART_ART_06-11- 07_C6_2L70212.html

Also, race pictures from this year's COLUMBUS 10K are available to view and order from Fairfield Photography - www.FairfieldPhoto.com - Look for the "COLUMBUS 10K" link on Fairfield Photography's site to take you to all the pictures, which are organized by each racer.

If you didn't pick up your awards they are available at the FrontRunner Running Store from June 10th - 17th.

The future of the COLUMBUS 10K is up in the air as race director Matt McGowan plans to step down as the director of the event. He said he would like to help someone next year as the assistant race director. Difficulties have been posed by the increasing cost of staging the race downtown as well as construction by the Scioto River which will force the Columbus Arts Festival to be moved.

***If you or your business would like to help sponsor the Columbus 10K contact: Matt McGowan, PO Box 238, Granville, OH 43023, runohio@ee.net