TRAVERSE CITY -- Kevin Smith and Laura Cooper needed rear-view mirrors to see their competition.
Both runners burst out to early leads and cruised the rest of the way, earning victories in the 10K race at the Bayshore Marathon.
"I liked it, except for weaving into the marathon people the first half hour," the 28-year-old Lowell resident said. "But it was nice and encouraging having people yell for you the second half."
The four-time track and cross country All-American at Aquinas pulled away from the field early, getting some separation about a half mile in and never looked back, winning with a time of 31:49.40 and coming in 26.6 seconds ahead of runner-up Donnie Richmond of Ortonville, who ended up with more on his plate than he bargained for.
"I missed the start," said Richmond, who will be a fifth-year senior at Central Michigan next school year. "They said five minutes to go and then three minutes later he had the 10-second countdown. I was trying to catch everybody all race."
He ended up catching everyone but Smith, finishing in 32:16.00.
Richmond was on the other side of the track watching his father, Don, start the marathon when he heard the call for the 10K.
"I was ready to run," he said. "I just wasn't there (at the starting line). ... I just ran six-and-a-half miles. It's so frustrating."
Michigan State student Aaron Bachman overcame an allergic reaction to finish third.
"I didn't even know if I was going to race this morning because I was as itchy as can be," Bachman said. "I just wasn't feeling great. But once I got going in the race, I felt great.
"I had poison ivy last week and had an allergic reaction to something at my hotel -- sheets, soap or something like that."
Mainly a triathlon competitor, Bachman coaches the triathlon club team at Michigan State.
Cooper, 47, didn't waste time getting into the women's lead.
"I started out front and stayed there," Cooper said. "I just kind of get up to speed and there I stay, hope for the best."
And the best happened.
The Kent City resident, whose mother, Blanche Herren, still lives in Frankfort, made up for lost time. She hadn't ran in the Bayshore for four years.
Nobody was able to catch the former Frankfort runner, who was first in her age group and the top female masters competitor at the 25K Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids on May 10.
Cooper was able to hold off a runner less than half her age for the 10K crown.
Rachel Fechik, 21, of Lawton, was the runner-up in 41:28.60, just over two minutes behind Cooper.
"I love the course," Fechik said. "It was flat and fast. It was beautiful looking out over the water and there were a lot of neighbors in their driveways cheering us on. It was really nice."
The former Mattawan prep star had a collegiate career at Aquinas derailed by a stress fracture. She was 12th in the River Bank Run 10K in 43:56.
"But I ran a faster time here," Fechik said. "The River Bank Run is all hilly. I felt better here.
"I started out a little slower, because I didn't want to die in the end. I try to maintain about a seven-minute pace."
Third-place finisher Tammy Taylor of Bay City is a relative newcomer to the sport.
The 39-year-old just got into running about a year ago and competed in the Boston Marathon last month.
"I just have a lot of fun running," Taylor said. "We travel all over the place to run."
"There's a lot of great spirit," Taylor said. "I've got a lot of friends from Bay City in the half and full marathon, and we came here to cheer each other on."
"I tried to hit 6:45s and ran with the same couple of guys the whole way through," Taylor said.
Traverse City had four women's age group winners -- Lauren Marsh (under 14), Emily Ritsema (15-19), Ali Hoxsie (30-34) and Bonnie Johnston (55-59).
The area men's runners won their age category -- Max Hogan of Cedar (40-44), Mark Payne of Interlochen (55-59) and Dave Cowperthwaite (65-69).
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