Photo: Clint Verran (l) won the 4 Mile New Year's Eve Family Fun Run after warming up with an 18 mile training run. Ovi Olteanu (r) finished second.

BELLE ISLE (12/31/05) - Clint Verran and Marti Riemer rang in the New Year ringing up victories at Belle Isle's 36th annual New Year's Eve four- mile run. Verran has won this race several times before. He did it the hard way this year.

"I ran an 18-mile warm-up beforehand," said Verran, 30, who is training for the Boston Marathon. "I asked my coaches (Kevin and Keith Hanson) if I could do this race as the last four miles of a long run, and they said, ''Go ahead.'

"The race went fast. "We were 4:45 at the mile,"said Verran. "Then the wind seemed to slow everybody down. I ran hard into it and took the lead."

Ovidiu Olteanu, 35, of Wixom, second here last year, stuck with Verran into the third mile. "I threw in a couple of surges and I think he saw the writing on the wall,"said Verran.

"The last mile destroyed me," Olteanu said. Verran finished in 19:51, Olteanu in 20:19. Mead Goedent, 21, of Detroit, claimed third in 20:41.

Photo: After previous finishes in second, third, and fourth, Marti Riemer ran to her first win of the New Yearis Eve Family Fun Run and Walk.

Riemer, who grew up in Troy but now lives in Bellingham, Wash., was first woman finisher in 23:47. Next came Sterling Heights Stevenson High School senior Kellee Lemcke in 24:05, and Marybeth Reader, 36, of West Bloomfield, in 24:38.

"I just wanted to keep a steady pace," Riemer said. "My time was a little slow, but I felt good about my pacing."

She came, as always, to the race with her father, Dennis Riemer, whose company, Riemer Floors, is a longtime race sponsor. "My daughter, who is five, plans to do the one-mile next year," Marti Riemer said.

In the four-mile racewalk, Ross Lepine, of Marysville, was the first male finisher. Mary Ann Valade, of Farmington Hills, and Mary Turton, of Essex, Ont., tied for first among the women.

Anthony Pavicic, 23, of Sterling Heights, won the mile in 4:39.

Photo: Generations of families celebrate New Yearis Eve at the New Year's Eve Family Fun Run/Walk.

Three generations of Thornburgs also competed in the mile. Jeremy Thornburg, 11, led the children 12 and under with a 6:48. His grandfather, Joe Thornburg, was right behind him in 6:50. John Thornburg, 48, ran 6:58.

For the girls 12 and under, Jennifer Thelen, 11, of Bloomfield Hills, took first with a 7:59.

The New Year's Eve Family Fun Run/Walk was sponsored by Hansons Running Shops, Tom Waligorski Roofing, Galeana's Van Dyke Dodge, Riemer Floors and Michigan Runner.

Race director Jeanne Bocci also thanked volunteers from the Downtown Runners and Walkers, the Belle Isle Runners, the Motor City Striders, the Lakeshore Striders and her family. MR