Seattle Marathon -- Steffens Claims Record-Setting Fourth Victory

The Jokers were wild in yesterday's Seattle Marathon.

This group of self-proclaimed "hooligans" and "losers" who grind out the training miles together over the Puget Sound area's most rugged terrain betrayed their ragtag image by seizing three of the top 10 places and five of the top 35 in a field of 244.

Heading the list was Dave Steffens, who won for the record-setting fourth time in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 26 seconds.

Steffens, a 38-year-old advertising salesman from Issaquah, had set the 26.2-mile course record in his first Seattle Marathon victory in 1992. He also won in 1993 and 1995.

"We're all losers. We just train because we want to," Steffens said teasingly of the Jokers. "We're not in it to get anything free. There's just something to be said for working really hard together. You form a tremendous bond. No one's allowed to be cocky - or compliment each other."

It works. Defending champion Gary Cooper of Tumwater, another Joker, finished third behind Portland's Michael Bresson. Cohort Dan Hippe of Seattle finished in 10th place, and Jokers Mark Brandewie of Fircrest and Kevin Pazaski of Issaquah were 18th and 35th in the race, which was run in a steady drizzle.

"The flats are harder for me," Steffens said of the 26.2-mile course that started at Redmond's Marymoor Park and ended on the University of Washington campus.

"And they don't get any easier. I felt bad at first. Finally a switch went on about (mile) 15 or 16, and I felt great. Then at 18, I thought, `Oh, there are eight more miles.' Then at 20 I was trying just to get to 23. Just because you have a lead doesn't mean you're going to win."

Steffens said his next challenge is the U.S. Championships on May 3 in Pittsburgh, the first of the qualifying marathons for the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials.

A familiar women's champion was crowned as well.

Canadian letter-carrier Esther Wolsey, who delivered a victory last year in her first marathon, prevailed again, in 2:46:11.

Wolsey, 34, who normally walks a 10- to 12-mile daily postal route in Edmonton, improved last year's time by nine minutes, finishing 23rd overall.

"I kind of knew it was my race," she said. "My goal was to break 2:50. I figured about halfway that I was going to be the top woman.

"Not one person passed me, except at mile 25, a speed-demon guy passed me. He deserved to beat me, but darn it, I didn't want anyone to pass me."

Wolsey said she told herself the entire way to have fun. "Otherwise, what was all that training for?" she asked.

Next year, because of logistics and the marathon's popularity, the course will start and end at Seattle Memorial Stadium, follow the Lake Washington shoreline and snake through some of the city's most scenic neighborhoods.

So it was fitting that two runners, neither of whom remained so focused they forgot to enjoy themselves, retired this trail in style.

Notes

-- The winner in the wheelchair division was Don Totten of North Bend. He finished in 2:06.18. Idaho's Tom McCurdy followed at 2:10.01.

-- Matt Messner, 28, won the half marathon in 1 hour, 6 minutes, 32 seconds in a field of 841. Kim Jones, the top American female finisher in this year's New York Marathon, was the fastest woman in the half marathon at 1:13.53. The 39-year-old from Spokane was 16th overall.

MEN Marathon - 1, Dave Steffens, Issaquah, 2:26.26; 2, Micheal Bresson, Portland, 2:31.41; 3, Gary Cooper, Tumwater, 2:32.16; 4, Chris Clark, Salem, Ore., 2:34.55; 5, David Evans, Seattle, 2:35.58; 6, Ed Smith, Vancouver, B.C., 2:36.07; 7, Dan Goldstein, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 2:38.18; 8, Patrick Hamel, Yakima, 2:40.47; 9, Rob Miller, Calgary, Alberta, 2:40.53; 10, Dan Hippe, Seattle, 2:41.33. Half marathon - Matt Messner, N/A, 1:06.32; 2, Steve Jones, Boulder, Col., 1:06.34; 3, David Mora, Seattle, 1:08.45; 4, Chris Morlan, Spokane, 1:08.55; 5, Ted Zderic, Austin, Tex., 1:10.39. WOMEN Marathon - Esther Wolsey, Edmonton, Alberta, 2:46.11; 2, Erin Haffring, N. Vancouver, B.C., 3:03.10; 3, Mia Takenaka, Vancouver, B.C., 3:05.46; 4, Kathleen Haugk, Kent, 3:10.04; 5, Lynda Hymans, Tacoma, 3:10.12; 6, Nathalie Rheaume, Vancouver, B.C., 3:10.19; 7, Annette Sundin, Vancouver, B.C., 3:10.36; 8, Erin Wallich, Olympia, 3:11.01; 9, Lisa Trenholme, Portland, 3:12.17; 10, Amy Blackwell, Vancouver, 3:12.54. Half marathon - 1, Kim A. Jones, Spokane, 1:13.53; 2, Kari McKay, Spokane, 1:15.02; 3, Shauna Whitmar, Portland, 1:21.19; 4, Erika Botha, Seattle, 1:22.32; 5, Susanne Ferro, Portland, 1:23.56.