No one has ever accused Robin Sarris, one of the top age-group runners ever to lace up a pair of running shoes in Michigan, of being a tortoise. Until now. Who's making such an accusation? Sarris herself, Michigan Runner's Women's Master Runner of the Year. "I was telling Peter, this year I felt like the tortoise in the tortoise and the hare," she says. Peter is Peter Hallop, Sarris's husband, coach and training partner. Her season started slowly, by her standards, but she kept plugging away and by season's end was back at the top. Sarris was MR's Master of the Year in 1998 and overall Woman Runner of the Year in 1999. Her success over the years has come despite -- or, rather, probably because of -- relatively low mileage for an elite runner, about 40 miles a week year-round, including a long run of 10-15 miles on Saturdays and one or two speed workouts on the road mid-week. For years, she has worked long hours as a manager at the University of Michigan, being promoted this year to director of human resources for the huge College of Literature, Science and Arts, with some 15,000 undergraduates and 850 employees to oversee. The first race in the MR series was the Spectrum Health Irish Jig 5K in Grand Rapids in March, where Sarris ran a 19:58: a fine time, but only good enough for fourth master and zero --zip -- points. The hares were off and running. For the first time in two decades of running, Sarris didn't keep a training log for 2002, trying not to worry too much about mileage or results. And she decided not to run every race in the series, but to do the ones she particularly liked or that appealed. After missing a few races in the series, she finished third master at the Dexter-Ann Arbor half-marathon in May, crossing in 1:28:43 and grabbing her first points. She popped a 31:40 at the Zanglin 8K in June and was first master. The tortoise was gaining ground. Or, more accurately, beginning to morph, growing longer ears, longer feet, finding more hop in her stride. She was second master at the Volkslaufe 20K in July, second master at the Crim 10-miler in August, and second master at the eight-mile run around Mackinac Island in September -- an annual highlight for Pete and Robin because that's where they were married in 1990. By the time she had finished her loop of Mackinac, she was in the hunt for Masters Runner of the Year, thanks to Laurie Decker, another female master who was piling up so many points she was a shoo-in to be MR's overall Runner of the Year. "I'm proud to be included among the awardees," says Sarris, "especially with Laurie. She's just awesome. I'm really glad to see her do well." By then there were just two races left, the tough and wacky Mt. Baldhead Challenge 15K in Saugatuck, with its sandy trails and 282 steps up the sand dune that gives the race its name, and the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank International Marathon. And that's where the beauty of the race series kicked in. Mt. Baldhead was not a race the Hallops would have done otherwise. "I'm not someone who enjoys training or racing on trails," says Sarris. But needing points, they went to the race, "and I was astounded by the course," she says. "We were happy we went." And happy at finishing second overall and first master. That allowed her the gamble of bypassing the Freep Marathon. Sarris hadn't trained for a 26.2-miler and thought about running it, but discretion kicked in. As it turned out, she didn't need the points. The transition to hare was complete. MR