Brian Goodwin of Allen Park won the 4 Mile Corktown race in 19:18.
DETROIT (3/13/05) -- After the Motor City Striders chose to stop hosting them last year, it looked like the St. Patrick's Parade Corktown Races might vanish like a pot of gold at the rainbow's end. But with the swiftness and ingenuity of a leprechaun, the Downtown Runners and Walkers stepped in and rescued the event.

"We have a new course," said new race director Rebecka Knox of the 23rd-annual event. "After starting in front of Tiger Stadium, it goes down Michigan Avenue to Campus Martius (a skating rink), then up Woodward (and Witherell Street) past the Fox Theatre and Comerica Park, then it comes back. It's basically out-and-back."

On a brisk but not blustery 30-degree afternoon, more than 1,000 runners, walkers and at least one green dog showed up for the four-mile run, 1.5-mile walk, and 1/4-mile kids run.

Brian Goodwin of Allen Park and Linda Ewing of Grosse Pointe were men's and women's four-mile champs.

"It was cold out there," said Goodwin. "But when you've been training every day through January and February, then get a nice, sunny day like today, you're ready to go."

Goodwin motored through four miles in 19:18, well ahead of runnerup Ryan Molloy of Dearborn Heights (19:51) and Matt O'Wehrman of Corktown (20:09). Brian Olson of Jackson was the masters champ (20:37).

"Ryan and I were 1-2 from the start and it stayed that way," Goodwin said.

"I was right behind him for the first two miles," said Molloy. "Then Brian dropped the hammer and that was that."

Ewing didn't drop any hammers, but she did nail a PR with her 24:34 winning time. (Her previous four-mile best was 27:45.)

"I was hoping to break 28 minutes and maybe win my age group" Ewing said. "I've won only one other race in my life, and it was a lot smaller than this one."

Kelly Harris of Detroit (25:00) was the second-place woman. Masters queen Jackie Blair of Detroit placed third overall in 25:31.

The Striders hosted the Corktown races for more than two decades. This year, with the Downtown Runners and Walkers taking the reins, the event picked up Fifth Third Bank as a major sponsor. The United Irish Societies and the Fraternal Order of United Irishmen also sponsor the Corktown races.

Gault Race Management timed the four-mile using its ChampionChip. "Runners were very complimentary about the chip timing," Knox declared.

Detroit's St. Patrick's Parade followed the races, as usual.

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