British writer Alan Sillitoe's short story, "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," was published nearly half a century ago, yet the title perfectly described the top two finishers yesterday in the Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race.

Daniel Mazzocco periodically looked over his shoulder during the 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) race. Only on the few long straightaways among Pittsburgh's windy streets did he get a glimpse of Jay Dolmage.

Dolmage, in turn, kept a respectable distance between him and a small pack for most of the road race.

Those two moved to the lead immediately at the Beechwood Boulevard start in perfect running weather -- sunny with temperatures in the 50s.

Mazzocco was never challenged, winning in 30 minutes, 37 seconds. Dolmage didn't get a push until about the final 400 meters and ran 31:34, crossing the finish line alongside the Downtown Hilton Hotel, four seconds ahead of Matt Meurer. The normal finish site was not available for a second year because of construction at Point Park.

With 6,402 entered in the 10K and 3,993 in the 5K (3.1 mile) run and walk, the total registration of 10,395 for the 30th anniversary race was the event's most since 11,022 ran in 1991 when there was just a 10K.

Most of the runners didn't see Mazzocco for long.

"I kept looking and couldn't really see [anyone]," he said. "That helped me relax."

Mazzocco, 23, a student teacher in Reading, comes from a running family and won gold medals in cross country at the WPIAL and PIAA championships in 2001 for Baldwin High School before running at Penn State. He had run the Great Race only once before, as a Penn State freshman, but it's an event that's close to his heart because his father, Bernard, has run it some 25 times.

"I can remember getting up that morning [of the race] when I was young, the kitchen smelling like Icy Hot and my dad eating a banana," Mazzocco said. "I would ask, 'Can I run it?' and he would say, 'No, not until you get older.'

"It was great [yesterday] running in my hometown, and I wanted to push it and win it for my dad."

Mazzocco looked relaxed most of the race and said his time is typical for him, although he struggled some on the climb up the Boulevard of the Allies toward Duquesne University.

Dolmage, 29, fell behind Mazzocco quickly.

"I tried to go with the guy who was [leading], but I ended up stranded until near the end," said Dolmage, a native of northern Ontario who teaches English at West Virginia University.

Women's winner Tatiana Chulakh said she started slower than expected, yet by the 2-mile mark, she was well ahead of any other female and running with a group of men. Chulakh, 25, won in 34:22. Nicole Blaesser, 22, of Slippery Rock and an NCAA Division II All-American cross country runner at IUP, was second in 36:01.

NOTES -- Wheelchair racers Ian Rice, 32, (31:04) of Pittsburgh won the quadriplegic division and Paul Erway (38:52) of Shelbyville, Ky., won the paraplegic division. ... Steven Garand, 46, (34:00) of Pittsburgh and Tammy Slusser, 42, (37:30) of Monroeville were the men's and women's masters winners. ... In the 5K, Joe DeMatteis (15:22), 25, of Greenfield, won the men's division in his first Great Race. ... Women's 5K winner Heather Melzer, 38, of Marshall, not only was aiming to win but had a specific goal. "This year, no tying," said Melzer (18:17), who was second in a photo finish in 2006.