RUNNING 10-KILOMETER RACE AT TORRANCE : Competitors Make Most of Chance to Tune Up for Boston, Barcelona

In these months leading up to this summer’s Barcelona Olympics every race, even a small one, may carry an uncommon significance to world class-runners. Every race becomes a conduit for information--who’s injured, who’s in what kind of shape and where are the top runners competing next.

Such was the case at Sunday’s 13th Annual Mobil St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run for the Blind, as a handful of the world’s best female runners used the race to assess the progress of themselves and others.

Olga Markova of Russia prevailed in a tactical race and later pronounced herself satisfied with her status; she won in a time of 32 minutes 17 seconds. Wanda Panfil of Poland was second in 32:22 and Cathy O’Brien, who will run the marathon for the U.S. at Barcelona, was third in 32:25.

Markova and Panfil were watching each other especially, as both will run in next month’s Boston Marathon, a prelude to the Olympic marathon. O’Brien, who was second at the Olympic trials in January, will be there, too. The three were part of a pack of a dozen runners who ran tightly bunched for two miles on a cool but sunny morning.

Panfil did most of the work in the race, leading the runners over the course’s undulating hills. Markova tucked in behind Panfil and ran in an efficient and spare stride.

O’Brien was the first of the three to show signs of wear. At the water station at three miles, O’Brien was the only runner among the leaders to peel off to take fluids. The sun began to burn through the low-hanging clouds, and O’Brien--who lives in Durham, New Hampshire, where it was 14 degrees this week--began to feel the heat.

At the same time Markova put heat on Panfil to pick up the pace. Panfil, the reigning world marathon champion, said she woke up Sunday with menstrual cramps and never was confident she could mount a kick if the race called for it. It did. Markova pulled away gradually and Panfil was unable to keep up.

Markova’s performance was not unexpected. Markova was third in the 1991 New York City Marathon and was third in last year’s L.A. Marathon. The 23-year-old Russian from St. Petersburg is part of a group of six runners from the Commonwealth of Independent States who have been training in Gainesville, Fla.

Five of the runners ran in the L.A. Marathon two weeks ago, in what was called an Olympic trial for the CIS athletes. The top three CIS finishers made the team.

However, Markova said that if she finishes Boston with a better time she will be considered for the CIS team.

There was no confusion for O’Brien, who is on the U.S. team and used the race to test her fitness and to keep sharp while still in her recovery phase after the Jan. 26 Olympic trials.