BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (2/7/04) - How many times do the 1-2-3 favorites come in 1-2-3? Not often, in any sport. But on this special day, when even a little snow fell on the place they call "Magic City," the big three became the best three at the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials.

Sure enough, pre-race favorites Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi and Dan Browne stood on the winners' podium after a cold, blustery run on the streets of Birmingham. Say hello to the 2004 U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon team.

But the trio was tested by Michigan's Hansons-Brooks Distance Project athletes, start to finish. Brian Sell, a member of the Rochester Hills-based training team, led by more than a minute at 16 miles.

Teammates Trent Briney and Clint Verran, fourth and fifth overall, made superlative efforts too.

Culpepper broke the tape in 2:11:42, followed by Keflezighi in 2:11:47 and Browne in 2:12:02. But there was much more to this unusual race with the unlikely finish.

Culpepper, 32, of Lafayette, CO; Keflezighi, 29, of San Diego, CA and Browne, 29, of Beaverton, OR, were in a pack 57 seconds behind Sell, 26, at Mile 15 when things started to happen.

While Sell kept maintaining his strong sub-5-minute pace, the "Big Three" and race surprise Briney, 26, were slicing into the lead as each mile went by.

Between official mile splits, the lead even went over a minute for a few moments.

"Everyone on the course was yelling how far ahead of us (Sell) was," Culpepper said. "We knew where he was. But there was a moment when I was a little concerned.

"Ultimately (we knew), we'd have to take the brunt of the wind (to catch up). It was kind of a weird dynamic. But the three of us looked at each other and we knew we were going to catch him."

Sell, who had passed early leader Teddy Mitchell around seven miles, stuck to his plan to run around 5:02 pace. But as he entered the third of three loops through the Birmingham downtown area, the four pursuers went by just before the 19-mile marker.

"I was worried the whole time," said Sell. "I was really feelng good until that last loop. The plan was to run 5:02s and I stuck to it.

"The wind got to me, I guess," he added. "Those guys went by me fast. I couldn't respond.

"I don't have any regrets. I just went with the race plan. I did learn a few things," Sell said.

After they got by Sell, Culpepper and Keflezighi surged a couple of times, breaking from Brown, who in the meantime had moved ahead of Briney. It stayed that way until the final 200 meters, when Culpepper found some life in his cramping legs and mustered a sprint to the finish to beat Keflezighi, who was battling tight quads. Browne held third while also battling cramps.

The combination of a controlled pace early, more wind on the first nine-mile section of the course and next-level racing on the latter half, contributed to impressive negative splits for the top three. All went through the half-marathon in 1:07 or 1:08 and did the second half in 1:04:34 (Culpepper), 1:04:40 (Keflezighi) and 1:04:54 (Browne). Actually, the first 16 finishers posted negative splits despite tough conditions.

Culpepper summed up running at any level when he explained his thought process when Sell had the big lead.

"Let your fitness and all the training you've put in take over," he said. "Don't let your head hold you back."

Browne, looking like he was working harder than the others, gamely fought to hold his position in the late miles. With Briney still pushng from behind, the 2003 Fifth Third River Bank 25K champion knew it was gut-check time.

"That was the critical portion of the race for me," Browne said. "My body was full of cramps. I've got to be honest. I ran with a purpose. I ran it to make the team. I also ran for my West Point classmates who have died in Iraq. I thought of them and and I knew I wouldn't quit."

Dark-horse Briney crossed fourth in 2:12:35. He had entered the race with a personal best of 2:21:10. His time was the fastest ever run in the Trials by a runner who didn't make the top three. Teammate Verran moved up to grab fifth in 2:14:37.

Briney was on the closest thing to Cloud 9 after improving his PR by nine minutes.

"Ever since Chicago last fall (2:21:10), my running has really taken off," Briney said. "I had been gearing to run with the other Hansons guys at a 2:18 pace, but I had been feeling so good, they moved me up where I would try to hang at the back of the lead pack. We really didn't know where my fitness was.

"That's not much of a race plan," admitted Briney. "It was a scary plan, but that's the way it was."

Sell, who had set the pace needed to keep the leaders on a sub-2:12 pace, faded to 13th place, finishing at Linn Park in 2:17:21. As disappointing as it was for Sell, he improved his PR from the 2:19:59 he ran at Chicago last fall to qualify for this race.

"Sell ran a great race," Keflezighi said. "Strategy-wise, I don't know if that was the smartest (plan) for making the team."

Keflezighi, who had dealt with a knee problem and a bout with the flu, said he never ran more than 100 miles a week to prepare. Not much slowed him down on this day, except the wind.

A total of 71 runners, all of whom had qualified with times of 2:22 or better, completed the race. There were 86 starters.

All told, the Hansons-Brooks team placed seven runners in the top 42. It had more qualifiers, 10, and participants, eight, than any team in the country. And all eight finished.

Also crossing were team members Carl Rundell, 25th in 2:21:08; Ben Rosario, the Trials' youngest finisher, 38th in 2:23:42; Mike Franko, 42st in 2:24:31; Terrance Shea, 42nd in 2:24:32; and Bob Busquaert, 71st in 2:35:29.

Defending U.S. marathon champ Ryan Shay, 24, of East Jordan, MI, was part of the chase pack trailing Sell through the 15-mile mark, then pulled a hamstring. Shay gutted it out to place 23rd in 2:19:20.

Three-time Michigan Runner of the Year Paul Aufdemberge, 39, of Redford, finished 52nd in 2:26:43.

The weather was not typical for Birmingham this time of year. Temperature at race time was 37 degrees, with a wind chill of 32. Many runners wore singlets with hats and gloves, which appeared enough. Snow flakes really did fall here in central Alabama at the start and right before the finish.

"I did consciously try to use the wind when it was our backs," Culpepper said. "It was the only time we were going to gain on Brian."

The one question left partially unanswered is, will the three marathon team members run the marathon or opt for the 10,000 meters at the Olympics. Trials for that event aren't until July. Culpepper was the only one of the three who gave a qualified "yes" to the question, "Will you run the marathon?" Keflezighi and Browne said they strongly expected they also would run the marathon, but hedged a bit in their answers.

In the meantime, Briney and Verran will wait in the wings and stay in shape, just in case. Having both broken the Olympic "A" standard of 2:15 along with the top three, both could run in Athens.

No matter what, big crowds of running fans were treated to some of Magic City's finest this day. On to Athens! MR

Caption: Dan Browne (l), Alan Culpepper (c), and Meb Keflezighi celebrate at the Men's Olympic Trials' finish line.