Rolly's late surge picks off Wardian

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Philippe Rolly was back in town yesterday for the St. Patrick's Day 10K in downtown Washington, and he again sped to victory. But this time it wasn't easy.

Rolly, who won plenty of races in the Washington area when he lived here from 1999 to 2001, turned back a determined Michael Wardian of Arlington with a dazzling kick for the last 500 meters to win in 30:49. Wardian finished in 30:55, a personal record by seven seconds.

While the men's race was close, Heather Hanscom made sure early the women's race wouldn't be. The Annandale resident quickly put 17 seconds on two-time defending champion Casey Smith of Arlington and increased her lead to 45 seconds by the 5-kilometer mark on way to a time of 34:13.

"That was a 38 second PR," Hanscom said. "I didn't know [how far ahead I was], didn't care. I was just focusing on my race. I had a lot of guys to run with."

Her focus is on the U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis in 20 days. Hanscom, 26, qualified in the fall with a 2:37:59 at the Marine Corps Marathon.

Yesterday she finished 1:18 ahead of the 24-year-old Smith, who burst onto the local scene here in 2001 with her first victory. Last year Smith triumphed in 35:41, and the emerging Hanscom was third in 36:00.

The race had a record 5,400 entrants and 4,440 finishers.

Rolly, the affable Frenchman who befriended many area runners when he lived here, remembered a different, much slower Wardian when they raced a few years ago.

"I was nowhere near him then," the 29-year-old Wardian conceded.