EAST GRAND RAPIDS (9/11/04) - Brad White didn't need to look back to know someone was gaining on him.

White, 22, led the 21st annual Reeds Lake Triathlon by close to three minutes after posting top times in both the half-mile swim (7:55) and 18- mile bike (41:13).

But White, who lives two blocks from the course, knew what lay ahead - and who was behind him. Specifically Mike Smith, 43, almost twice his age.

"Mike is a phenomenal runner. I knew I needed a big lead," White said. Indeed.

Smith - Reeds Lake champion in 2000 and 2001, and runnerup each year since then - gained relentlessly during the five-mile run. The Brownsburg, Ind., running-store owner drew White in his sights with a mile left.

But White, who swam competitively at Calvin College and now is a student teacher, gutted it out to win in 1 hour, 17 minutes, 18 seconds. Smith - who ran 25:38 to White's 28:07 - crossed in 1:17:27, nine seconds back.

Megan James, 33, of Kalamazoo, repeated as women's champ, passing Kerry Miller, 34, of Three Rivers, during the first mile of the run, then pulling away to prevail in 1:27:56.

Miller, runnerup last year, crossed in 1:30:02. White's wife, Jenny White, 23, who won here in 2002, placed third in 1:30:25.

Although both winning times were course records, Brad White was skeptical. "I would like believing I'm that fast, but I think the swim leg was short," he said.

Someone to really not look back for is Jeremy Hurley. The former Central Michigan University track star finished fifth in his first triathlon, running the last five miles in 24:44.

"I hope to do more triathlons," said Hurley, 28, who lives in Wyoming and coaches cross country at first-year Forest Hills Eastern High School.

"I swam in high school, so competing in water's not new to me, he continued. "It's my biking that needs the most work.

"It was fun catching people running. Maybe next time I will catch a few more," he said. MR