INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP (10/10/04) - The Hidden Forest Trail Run, last event in the Michigan Runner Trail Series, dishes up a unique smorgasbord of 2.5-, 5.5- and 8.5-mile distances, plus grandiose views of fall colors reflecting in Crooked Lake at Independence Oaks County Park.

Autumn's beauty did not dent the concentration of Birmingham's Anne Demko, who led the 8.5-mile race from start to finish.

"I had to stay focussed," Demko said. "I knew I had someone right behind me. That last mile, I could hear her the whole way."

Demko won in 1:01:27, six seconds ahead of Liz Hendershott of Ortonville.

"Sometimes it's better to win by a few seconds than several minutes," said Demko, runnerup in this race in 2002.

Hendershott's husband and six children cheered her on to a 1:01:33, faster than the 1:04:47 she ran last year and 1:02:10 in 2002. So her second-place finish didn't disappointment her.

"I followed her (Demko) the whole way," said Hendershott. "I tried to catch her, but couldn't quite do it."

The first women's masters finisher was Renee Scriver of Windsor, Ont. (1:06:33).

Front Line Racing Team member Eric Green of Pontiac won the men's 8.5-miler in 48:06. Runnerup Bob Reichel of Bloomfield Hills was men's masters champion in 49:14.

Green found the course fast, despite the hills. "I practically had to crawl up one climb with a couple miles left," he remembered. "But after that, I could fly."

Richie Brinker of Clarkston took note of the same hill en route to winning the 5.5-mile race in 25:58. "I felt pretty relaxed, but that one hill was a good one," Brinker said.

P.F. Potvin of Allen Park finished second in 29:22. Kip Litton of Ortonville was top master in 34:16.

Wendy Zyburt of Ortonville won the women's 5.5-mile in 37:11, besting Deb Froehlich of Clarkston, who finished as masters queen with a 38:22.

"It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be with all those hills," Zyburt said. "The race went by fast. I wish they'd have more races at Independence Oaks."

Men's and women's champions in the 2.5-mile run were Terry Castor of Goodrich (12:53) and Rosie Morana of Grand Blanc (16:01).

"I was hoping for 15:30, but 16 minutes is fine," said Morana. "I'll definitely be back next year."

The Riverbend Striders coordinated this year's event, which drew 431 participants. For complete results, go to michiganrunner.net. MR