Scott, Plummer Win 5K in World-Record Times

Someone suggested Sunday that the words that inevitably precede Steve Scott’s name would have to be changed from “America’s premier miler” to “America’s premier 5K runner” after Scott outkicked a world-class field and set a world record in the Carlsbad 5,000-meter road race.

“How about ‘America’s best road 5-Ker?’ ” Scott suggested.

Scott’s time was 13 minutes, 31.9 seconds, breaking Ed Moreno’s world record of 14:11 and Ed Eyestone’s 13:52 set last weekend at Salt Lake City. Eyestone’s time had not been certified yet as a world record.

Peter Koech of Kenya was second, Marcus Luis Barreto of Mexico was third and Michael Musyoki of Kenya was fourth. Eleven runners beat Eyestone’s time.

Ten years ago, back in the days when he was one of the best milers in the world, Scott was a major influence for Patti Sue Plummer.

“The very first track camp I ever went to at UC Irvine, Steve Scott was there,” said Plummer, now 24. “I was fat and 14 and visiting my mom in Irvine. I thought he was so great and so nice. He inspired me so much. I probably wouldn’t have been a runner without that camp.”

Sunday, Scott’s influence paid off for Plummer. She beat Ann Audain of New Zealand and set a women’s world record with a time of 15:30.2, breaking Betty Springs’ mark of 16:09. Plummer, like Scott, won $5,000.

Some may accuse Scott of stacking the deck in his favor. Scott designed the 3.1-mile course with a world record in mind. But he said it was the race run by the other runners that was in his favor.

“They ran right up my alley,” he said. “It was perfect for a miler.”

The runners went out fast, running a 4:18 first mile. But the second mile was critical to Scott’s victory.

The pack of eight that was in front for most of the race slowed during the second and third miles. Koech took a slight lead after the two-mile mark but did not sustain it for long.

The pack stayed together until Scott made his move with 500 meters to go. Scott led as he turned the corner onto Elm Avenue and headed toward the finish. A crowd estimated at 5,000 cheered loudly as Scott outsprinted Koech to the finish line.

“When no one made a move with 500 to go, I knew I had the race,” Scott said. “My competition was mostly 5,000- and 10,000-meter runners. They didn’t have the speed to catch a miler. And the pace hadn’t been fast enough to take my speed away from me. But whoever designed that course must be a genius.”

Scott’s victory is a good indication that the Fallbrook resident may have finally recovered from the illness that plagued him this winter. Scott had a systemic flu virus that kept him from running in the Sunkist Invitational mile. Then after two weeks of hard training, Scott said his legs went “dead.”

“It felt like I was running with Corey and Megan, my kids, hanging onto my legs,” Scott said. “I didn’t think I had the strength to run in a real competitive 5,000. But after today, maybe I’m wrong.”

Scott won the mile at the Bruce Jenner meet in San Jose Saturday with a time of 3:58.18.

Plummer also ran in the Jenner meet and won the 3,000 with a time of 8:57.84. She said that she and Scott had discussed the course on the flight home. But Plummer said it was her time in San Jose, rather than inside information, that helped her set the record.

“My coach was unhappy with my time,” Plummer said. “He said I should be able to do 8:57 running backward with my eyes closed. He wanted me to maybe drop out of this race to work on my speed a little. So when Ann challenged me at the end of the race, I couldn’t let her outkick me. If I did, he (the coach) said he wouldn’t coach me anymore.”

Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic marathon champion, was supposed to run in the invitational division of the race with the other elite runners, but she had run in 90-degree weather in the L’Eggs 10K in New York Saturday. Instead, she ran with 3,000 others in the people’s race, the open division, Sunday.

“I came off a tough race and was not in shape to run a good 5,000,” she said. “If I had, I probably would have been my competitive self and pushed myself to injury.”