But despite the distance and rugged conditions, there was an all-out race to the finish line when the runners competed in the 30th annual event on a sunny and warm Aug. 17 morning.

There were no less than five runners in the Los Gatos stadium for the race's finish, with Brian Culluh outrunning the field to nail the victory.

Culluh covered the distance in 28:15 to win the 2002 event, but Eric Ollila was a close second at 28:24.

Just over a half-minute back in third was David Beauley in 29:00, with Rudy Munoz fourth in 29:08, and William Kraemer, last year's Saratoga High School sensation, fifth in 29:20.

Things weren't quite as close in the women's competition. Yvonne Lund ran away from the field, winning in 32:36. She finished more than a minute ahead of her nearest rival, Maria Trujillo, second in 33:38.

Jackie McCleary ended up third in 34:03, with Lisa Renteria, a former Westmont star, fourth in 34:46 and Sheryl Fales fifth in 35:56.

It was the second straight Dammit win for Lund, who raced to a victory in the women's division in her debut in the race that starts at the high school track, travels up to Lexington Reservoir and returns to the high school.

Matthew Petrillo, an outstanding running prospect who has starred at Fisher and in summer AAU programs, won the boys 13-and-under age group title with a solid 35:10 on the 5-mile course.

Jesse Gutierrez took the boys high school division in 31:02, and Culluh was the men's 18­29 winner with his 28:15; Steve Ware won the men's 30­34 class in 32:09; Beauley took the men's 35­39 title in 29:00; Munoz was the 40­44 winner in 29:08; Jeff Townsend won the 45­49 title in 29:55; Rob Schweitzer was the 50­54 winner in 37:37; Greg Burke won the 55­59 division in 35:01; Joe Hurtado was the 60­64 winner in 37:19; Mike Kearny took the 60-64 title in 50:36; and Ephraim Romesberg won the 70-and-over class in 46:13.

In female competition, Paige Knudsen was the 13-and-under winner in 44:50; Ciara Viehweg was the high school champ in 38:13; Renteria took the 18­29 class in 34:46; Michelle Cline won the 30­34 division in 37:23; the 38-year-old Lund was the 35­39 champ with her 32:36; Trujillo took the 40­44 division in 33:38; Donna Beaupre took the 45­49 class in 45:25; Fran Charters was the winner in the 50­54 division in 45:06; Gail Coles won the 55­59 division in 51:11; Sally Adam won the 60­64 division in 39:50; Joan Masui won the 65­69 title in 55:10; and Joy Johnson was the 70-and-over winner in 59:10.

Results of the 30th Los Gatos Dammit Run

Top 20 overall finishers

1—Brian Culluh, 28:15; 2—Eric Ollila, 28:24; 3—David Beauley, 29:00; 4—Rudy Munoz, 28:53.18; 5—William Kraemer, 29:20.; 6—Alan Jackson, 29:43; 7—Jeff Townsend, 29:55; 8—Jim Angelopoulos, 30:34; 9—Jesse Gutierrez, 31:02; 10—Joe Fabris, 31:09; 11—Thomas Newman, 31:24; 12—Andrew Nowell, 31:42; 13—J.D. Allegrucci, 31:51; 14—Michael Clem, 31:54; 15—Steve Ware, 32:09; 16—Ricky Lucero, 32:19; 17—John Gossett, 32:23; 18—Brent Nichols, 32:31; 19—Bela Ban, 32:32; 20—Mario Queiroz, 32:35.

Top 20 female finishers

1—Yvonne Lund, 32:36; 2—Maria Trujillo, 33:38; 3—Jackie McCleary, 34:03; 4—Lisa Renteria, 34:46; 5—Sheryl Fales, 35:56; 6—Kim Hay, 37:08; 7—Amy Moran, 37:20; 8— Michelle Cline, 37:23; 9— Heidi Janes, 37:56; 10— Athena Philippides, 38:13; 11—Ciara Viehweg, 39:04; 12—Sally Adam, 39:50; 13—Mandy Williams, 39:52; 14—Sabrina Iles, 40:16; 15—Sierra Siemer, 40:19; 16—Zoe Unruh, 40:20; 17—Mary Jo Spada, 40:20; 18—Heather McDonald, 40:21; 19—Janette Najero, 40:22; 20—Emily Thompson, 40:25.

Top finishers by age group

Men's open

1—Culluh; 2—Ollila; 3—Kraemer; 4—Jackson; 5—Newman.

Women's open

1—Renteria; 2—Hay; 3—Moran; 4—Najero; 5—Julie Smau, 40:48.

Boys' 13-and-under

1—Matthew Petrillo, 35:10; 2—Cameron Bunker, 39:35; 3—Darryl Motooka, 47:33; 4—Keith Johnsgard, 52:21; 5—Benjamin Rao, 1:00:44.

Girls' 13-and-under

1—Paige Knudsen, 44:50; 2—Maggie Watson, 50:50; 3—Amy Ahlblad, 1:00:20; 4—Kelly Watson, 1:01.39.

High school boys

1—Gutierrez; 2—Nichols; 3—Aurilio Ramirez, 33:12; 4—Roger Mendez, 33:41; 5—Jason Hatakeyama, 34:59.

High school girls

1—Viehweg; 2—Williams; 3—Siemer; 4—Unruh; 5—McDonald.

Men's 30­34

1—Ware; 2—Gossett; 3—Scott Baker, 33:20; 4—Doug Stein, 33:36; 5—Robert Lingscheit, 34:19.

Women's 30­34

1—Cline; 2—Iles; 3—Natalie Seratti, 41:08; 4—Sandy Plana, 41:20; 5—Julie Brothers, 42:24.

Men's 35­39

1—Beauley; 2—Allegrucci; 3—Lucero; 4—Ban; 5—Queiroz.

Women's 35­39

1—Lund; 2—McCleary; 3—Fales; 4—Janes; 5—Hylkema-Nuhaa, 41:10.

Men's 40­44

1—Munoz; 2—Angelopoulos; 3—Fabris; 4—Nowell; 5—Clem.

Women's 40­44

1—Trujillo; 2—Philippides; 3—Spada; 4—Greta Uhri, 42:00; 5—Allison Prusa, 43:22.

Men's 45­49

1—Townsend; 2—Brian Conroy, 34:20; 3—Dan Johnson, 34:32; 4—Eric Chilos, 35:16; 5—Brent Knudsen, 35:26.

Women's 45­49

1—Donna Beaupre, 45:25; 2—Pauline Beatty, 46:00; 3—Dorothy Compeau, 47:02; 4—Theresa Kramer, 48:41; 5—Julie Clayton, 48:46.

Men's 50­54

1—Rob Schweitzer, 37:37; 2—Dennis Bennett, 37:43; 3—Steve Menchen, 38:19; 4—Gregg Bunker, 38:50; 5—David Greenwood, 38:52.

Women's 50­54

1—Fran Charters, 45:06; 2—Nancy Blessing-Walk, 46:14; 3—Christina Brownson, 47:08; 4—Molly Fumia, 47:21; 5—Elaine Wendel, 49:18.

Men's 55­59

1—Greg Burke, 35:01; 2—Bill Bengiveno, 36:52; 3—D.J. Doody, 38:09; 4—Gene French, 39:32; 5—James Wholey, 40:29.

Women's 55­59

1—Gail Coles, 51:11; 2—Sharon Mraz, 52:23; 3—Dale Boyle, 55:40; 4—Carol Turner, 55:58; 5—Earla Bvacken, 57:51.

Men's 60­64

1—Joe Hurtado, 37:19; 2—Robert Schmitt, 37:29; 3—John Peterson, 39:30; 4—Carlos Saldivar, 40:25; 5—Jake White, 41:20.

Women's 60­64

1—Adam; 2—Louise Wholey, 45:53; 3—Carolyn Lettween, 58:22; 4—Geraldine Lysne, 1:00:14; 5—Maxine Adler, 1:07:20.

Men's 65­69

1—Mike Kearny, 50:36; 2—Ellis Pizzi, 56:10; 3—James Canfield, 1:05:04.

Women's 65­69

1—Joan Masui, 55:10; 2—Kathryn Hardy, 1:03:12.

Men's 70-and-over

1—Ephrain Romesberg, 46:13; 2—Robert Meyer, 46:32; 3—Keith Johnsgard, 58:11; 4—Donald Masui, 1:01:19; 5—Ron Schenone, 1:03:08.

Women's 70-and-over

1—Joy Johnson, 59:10.

Men's heavyweight

1—Bill Dougher, 36:12; 2—David McIntyre, 37:08; 3—Todd Swayne, 40:14; 4—Daniel Luster, 41:22; 5—Dennis Carlson, 42:04.