DETROIT (12/31/04) - Denisa Costescu placed an exclamation point at the end of a stellar year by running away with the women's four-mile at the 35th annual New Year's Eve Family Fun Run/Walk on Belle Isle.

"(2004) was Denisa's most successful year," said her husband, Ovidiu Olteanu, a 1996 Olympics runner for Romania. "She won 28 of 37 races she ran, including some very big ones." Costescu, who also ran for Romanian national teams before settling in Wixom with Olteanu, won the Corktown Four Mile and the Northville Solstice 8K in Michigan during 2004. Other triumphs included the OSF Heritage 10K in Rockford, Ill., the Great Race 10K in Elkhart, Ind., and Veterans 10K in Washington D.C.

She jumped to a big early lead at Belle Isle and prevailed with a time of 23:41. Next came Becca Rudey, 18, of Wixom (24:58) and Sterling Heights Stevenson High School junior Kellee Lemcke (25:15).

Lemcke's previous four-mile best was 25:56.

Sean Nixon of Benton, Ore., wearing a U.S. Army t-shirt, edged Olteanu for the men's win.

"It was warm on the way out (across the bridge to Belle Isle)," Nixon said. "On the way back it was windy. But I kept powering through the wind."

Nixon clocked 20:32 with Olteanu eight seconds behind him. Mark Scoles of Monroe finished third in 21:22.

Paddy Jones of Birmingham, who won the four-mile race walk a couple years ago, did so again in 42:35. Next came Catherine Peck (44:20), then Yves Nugent, the first male finisher, in 45:53.

The evening started with Anthony Pavicic, 22, of Sterling Heights, and Kat Carmody, 17, of Grosse Pointe Park, winning the men's and women's one-mile in 4:34 and 7:17 respectively. Ben Hollott (6:22) and Leah Michalski (7:44) captured the children's mile for ages 12 and under.

Thanks in part to unseasonably-warm weather, the event drew 1,100 participants, its top turnout since 1,300 took part in the 1997 runs and walks.

"We had at least one 60-degree day back in the 1970s and '80s," recalled founding race director Jeanne Bocci. "But this (55 degrees) is easily the warmest day we've had in the past 10 years."

Race sponsors included Westin Hotels, St. John Health Systems, Hansons Running Shops, Tom Waligorski Roofing, Riemer Floors, Inc., bd's Mongolian Barbecue and Michigan Runner magazine.

"I also want to thank volunteers from the Downtown Runners and Walkers, the Belle Isle Runners and Lakeshore Striders, as well as my family," Bocci said. MR