GRAND RAPIDS (5/8/04) - The 27th Fifth Third River Bank 25K was a study in contrasts, best symbolized by the finish-line looks of Debbi Kilpatrick-Morris, who flashed a huge smile, and Dan Browne, who glowered, waved an arm in disgust and stormed off to the nearby elite tent to change.

Despite their contrasting looks, both had won national championships. Browne defended his USA Track & Field title from last year, and Kilpatrick-Morris, 40, proved her difficult comeback after taking years off from racing to give birth to two children, was complete.

The open races were also polar opposites. The men's winner, Simon Wangai, 25, of Kenya, slowly and steadily pulled away from the field starting at the two-mile mark, which the lead pack hit in a relatively- pedestrian 9:57 on a 48-degree, cloudy morning. The elites did manage to avoid a brief thunderstorm that most in the 4,548-runner field had to contend with.

Wangai finished in 1:15:15 to win by 71 seconds, as undramatic and convincing a win as anyone here could remember.

Alevtina Ivanova, on the other hand, claimed the women's open title with a surprising, stealthy, come-from-behind win in the late going. Her fellow Russian, Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova, 43, appeared in control for both open and master's prize money, taking the lead from a struggling Victoria Klimina on an uphill just before 10 miles.

At that point, Ivanova, 28, was 29 seconds back and hidden from view, tucked behind male runners. "That was my tactic, to sneak up on them," she said.

It worked. Just before mile 12, while Sultanova-Zhdanova and Klimina ran together on one side of the road, Ivanova zipped by them on the other side.

"I was very surprised when Alevtina came by," said Sultanova- Zhdanova. "I had no idea she was there. I had slowed down a little to get my stamina for the closing miles."

Bad move. Ivanova finished in 1:26:38 to claim the $4,000 first-place prize. Sultanova-Zhdanova finished 22 seconds back, with Klimina third in 1:27:39.

Their open wins mirrored the runs for the U.S. titles. Browne, 28, of Portland, Ore., won going away, beating Michigan native Ryan Shay, 25, by 51 seconds, while Kilpatrick-Morris, fearful of her top rival's deadly kick, threw in a long surge late to pull out the win.

Kilpatrick-Morris - who had won the 1995 U.S. national marathon championship in Columbia, S.C. with a 2:34 - came here with the goal of winning the U.S. master's title. She had no idea she had also won the national open title until informed by the media in the elite tent.

"This is a surprise for me," she said. "I expected to have a good race, but I've been trying to get back in shape. It's been a roller-coaster ride. I was used to training harder and having things go easier than they do now. It's tough getting old."

Her win made it easier on this day.

Kilpatrick-Morris made the first of two dramatic moves with two and a half miles to go. While leader Sonja Friend-Uhl was fumbling to grab water at an aid station, slowing to do so, Kilpatrick-Morris threw in a surge and briefly broke free. Friend-Uhl was able to cover it though.

Kilpatrick-Morris - knowing Friend-Uhl is a former 1,500-meter specialist who was sixth at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials - did not want to let the race come down to a kick. With less than a mile to go, she surged. When Friend-Uhl - not used to hilly, 15.5-mile courses - tried to respond, her legs cramped up and the race was over.

Kilpatrick-Morris, from Strongville, Ohio, won U.S. first-place money of $4,000, finishing in 1:31:14, 12 seconds up on Friend-Uhl, 33, of West Palm Beach, Fla.

The longest I've ever run is 16 miles," said Friend-Uhl. "This was a stepping stone for me."

Jeanne Hennessy, the early leader and 2002 U.S. champ here, had a substantial lead on her American rivals early, but faltered during the second half. "I had problems with my breathing, asthma," said Hennessy. "Sonja passed me at about 11 miles and I couldn't go with her."

Last year, Browne became the first American in eight years to win the River Bank open title. This year, he was determined to repeat. Word was that a last-minute entrant, Simon Wangai of Kenya, was the man to beat. Three-time former champ Joseph Kariuki of Kenya had been entered, but when he came up hurt in the days leading up to the race, his agent sent Wangai as a replacement.

Some replacement. Earlier this year, Wangai, 25, had finished second at the Los Angeles Marathon. The previous Sunday, he'd won the Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, Wash.

At the starting line, someone pointed out a tall man as Wangai. So Browne made sure to keep him covered. He ran with the tall man from the start, while a short man pulled away.

The only problem was the tall guy was actually Wilson Komen of Kenya, who finished fourth in 1:17:48. The short guy was Wangai. By the time Browne, who qualified for the U.S. Olympic marathon team in February, decided to try to reel him in, at 10 miles, it was too late.

"I thought I had a chance to catch him," said Browne. "But I ran three miles in a row at 4:46 and wasn't gaining ground." In fact, he was losing ground.

Brown was angry, despite winning $4,000 for the U.S. title and $2,000 more as open runner-up, that he had let Wangai get away from him.

"I don't race for the money," he said.

When Browne took off at 10, Shay, one of the best prep runners in Michigan history, gave chase. But as he did last year, Browne pulled away from him. Shay improved his finish one spot to third, though, in 1:17:12, winning a total of $3,500.

"I'm happy with it," said Shay. "I just wanted to stick my nose in with the leaders. I tried to stay with Dan as long as I could. I'm trying to get to his level. One of these days, he'll go and I'll be able to stay with him."

Keith Hanson, co-owner of Hansons running stores in greater Detroit and co-coach of Brooks-Hansons running teams, proved himself an able prognosticator. From his vantage point on the press bus, near the one-mile mark, he predicted a good run for state road-racing veteran Paul Aufdemberge, 39.

"Watch out for Paul. He is running well again," Hanson said.

Not counting Shay, who is based out of San Diego although still officially a state resident, Aufdemberge was the top Michigan finisher, placing 11th overall in 1:20:23. He won $300 as the eighth-place U.S. runner.

Other leading state runners were Joe Klooster of Grand Rapids, 16th overall in 1:20:52; and Ryan Desgrange of Belleville, 18th in 1:22:05. The top Michigan master was Fred Bunn, 40, of East Grand Rapids, who finished 27th overall in 1:24:20, just back of Hansons team members Bob Busquaerdt, 25th in 1:23:54; and Terry Shea, 26th in 1:23:56.

Lori Stich Zimmerman, a native of Stanwood now living in Texas, was eighth overall for the women in 1:35:03, winning $600 as the fifth American. Hansons team member Jackie Rzepecki finished 10th overall in 1:35:20, winning $400.

Laurie Decker, 44, of Cadillac, Michigan Runner's woman masters runner of the year, was the state's top over-age-40 woman, finishing 25th overall in 1:46:36.

Bad luck kept either Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa or Saul Mendoza of Mexico from winning $5,000 for breaking the world 25K wheelchair record.

With two miles to go, runners in the accompanying 5K mistakenly crossed the road in the wheelers' path as Van Dyk and Mendoza were approaching at more than 20 mph, ahead of record pace. Van Dyk hit one runner, he and Mendoza missed a turn and had to go back, then both weaved through runners to the finish.

"It would have been a sprint to the finish otherwise," said Van Dyk, whose winning time of 52:50 was good for $1,000. Mendoza was 13 seconds back.

Paul McMullen of Grand Haven won the 5K in 15:07, nipping Kevin Gallagher of Ann Arbor by two seconds. It capped a busy weekend for the former Olympian on another of his comebacks. During a track meet in Ann Arbor the night before, McMullen won the 1,500 in 3:40.2, meeting the B standard for the Olympic track and field trials in July and leaving him just more than a second from making the A standard.

Kristie Kiefer of Sterling Heights led the women in 17:43. Kimberly Peterson of Farmington was second in 17:50.

More than 10,000, an all-time record, competed in one of the River Bank events, which included a 5K walk and kids' fun run.

As part of the 2004 USA Running Circuit, the top 10 U.S. athletes earned points here. With his U.S. title (worth 15 USARC points), Browne moved within four points of current men's leader, Meb Keflezighi, 54 points to 50, while Kilpatrick-Morris moved into fourth place with 18 points.

For full results and more, go online to www.53riverbankrun.com.