(October 17, 2004) — Mark Andrews, hands on hips, flashed a "hey, do you believe it?" look mixed with the sweat streaking his face.

"Danielle is going to be very happy when I tell her about this one," he smiled.

The Rochester area's fastest road runner had just dusted the field, and beat 37-year-old veteran Kenyan runner Paul Mwangi in the process, at the ninth Run For Hospice 5K in Greece on Saturday.

Andrews' wife missed the second-biggest racing payday of his life because she had to stay home in Canisteo and work in her father's pharmacy. She's usually at her husband's races when not at the pharmacy or working in the family fitness center.

But the proof was delivered, securely sealed. Mark pulled out the envelope when he reached their Elm Street apartment to count the spoils — $1,200 — $600 for winning the race, $500 for being the first American and $100 for being the fastest American at the second mile mark. His only higher payday in almost 20 years of racing was $1,500 at the Potsdam Marathon in 2001.

"It's a pretty good day," he said. "I can't believe more Kenyans didn't show. Not that I'm complaining."

Mwangi, masters veteran Andrew Masai and women's defending champion Atalelech Ketema of Ethiopia were the only African runners in the field that traditionally has had a half-dozen or more.

Ketema had no trouble winning for the second year (16:09 was four seconds off her course-record time in 2003), Masai was the second masters (40 and older) finisher and ninth overall.

Last year at Hospice Mwangi was fifth, 12 seconds ahead of Andrews in seventh. This year Andrews, who turns 34 a week from Monday, took the early lead with Hunter Spencer of Indianapolis, and it wasn't until Spencer and Andrews hit Mile 1 in 4 minutes, 23 seconds that Mwangi made his first move.

"He came out of nowhere," Andrews said. "Sprinted ahead of me right after the mile. I'm closing back in on him and heard him breathing hard around two, so I thought I'd make a move, but he surged again. OK. I figure, if he wants to lead and break the wind, go for it."

By then Spencer had dropped off, victim of a fast early pace "trying to see what kind of shape I was in."

At the last turn, into the First Bible Baptist Church parking lot, Andrews used his sprinting speed the last 300 yards for a 14-minute, 26-second finish, three seconds ahead of Mwangi. They clocked miles of 4:23, 4:42 and 4:40 on the 3.1-mile course north of Ridge Road.

"It's not as fast as I'd like, but I couldn't expect much more," said Mwangi, who owns personal bests of 13:47 (in 1999) and 13:51 (last year) and has raced the 3.1-mile distance the last four years at Hospice. "I'm training for my first marathon, in New York, and my legs are dead."

Notes: Sarah Schwald of Madison, Wis., won $900 for finishing second to Ketema and being the first American. A Nike-sponsored runner, Schwald was the race's only invited guest and stayed with Mark and Lynn Maxim of Parma. After her race, Schwald helped Hospice director Pete Van Peursem with awards.

"I tried to take advantage of a very quick early pace," Schwald said. "We went out in 5:03. It helped me to have the girl from New Zealand (Kate McIlroy) right there with me." Schwald ran a 16:43 and McIlroy was just a second behind.

Jennifer Shaver-Peterson of Skaneateles was more shocked over what happened after her race than anything during it. She was 29th in 20:41 in her first race since surgery in June.

The daughter of Mary Shaver of Geneva, and a former Section V runner from Brighton, won the grand prize in a raffle drawing — four days and three nights for two in Las Vegas. Last year Waterloo cross country coach Ed Courtney won it and took Shaver-Peterson's mother on the trip.

Allison Carr of West Seneca (fourth, 17:10) picked up a couple of points on Laura Bloedorn of Rochester (sixth, 17:32) in their battle for Rochester Runner of the Year honors. Bloedorn leads 130-118, but only one of the last two races can count for Bloedorn while both can count for Carr.

Ryan Pauling (fifth, 14:50) picked up six points on Jon Beck (8th, 15:10) and leads 137-132 on the men's side. Both have raced the maximum seven times and can now only use finishes in the last two races (Run Like Hell 5K and Race With Grace 10K) to displace lower finishes from the previous six.

JCASTOR@DemocratandChronicle.com