Johnson Brightens the Twilight : Track and field: The 31-year-old South African wins men’s 5,000 meters in inaugural meet at Birmingham High.

A year ago, Ashley Johnson of the Asics Track Club was on the verge of calling it a career.

But after winning the men’s 5,000 meters in the inaugural Twilight Distance Classic at Birmingham High on Friday night, retiring was the furthest thing from the 31-year-old Johnson’s mind.

“I was ready to give it up, man,” the South African-born Johnson said. “I was sick of running the roads and my body was tired of taking the pounding.”

After placing seventh in the 1984 NCAA championships in the 1,500 meters as a senior at Western Kentucky, Johnson moved to Bowling Green, Ohio, and for eight years made a living on the U.S. road racing circuit.

He figured his track career was over because he could not run track in the U.S. as a South African citizen, but things changed last June when the U.S. immigration service informed him that he was eligible to become an American citizen.

“They called me about two weeks before the U.S. Olympic Trials, and I couldn’t believe it,” Johnson said. “(Becoming a U.S. citizen) has changed everything.”

One thing that changed was Johnson’s attitude. He decided that road racing was out and track was in. After running 13 minutes 50.75 seconds in the 5,000 last year, Johnson wants to make the U.S. World Championships team in the 10,000 this year.

On Friday, he outdueled Warner Moura of Brazil in the final homestretch to time 13:49.83, the fourth fastest time by an American this year.

“I wanted to run 13:40 or faster tonight, but when we came through (the 3,200 in 8:59) I knew that was too slow,” Johnson said.

After passing 4,000 meters in 11:11.3, Johnson moved into the lead with 600 meters to go and began a long drawn-out kick which dropped everyone but Moura, who passed Johnson with 60 meters to go before Johnson shifted into another gear.

“When I hit the final straight, I could see the clock and I was kind of disappointed in the time,” Johnson said. “But then he passed me and I said, ‘Jeez, man. You’re not going to run as fast as you wanted to, but at least win the race.’ ”

Cathy Palacios of Asics produced the best time in the women’s meet, winning the 3,000 meters in 9:06.64 after gradually pulling away from Sheila Carrozza of Run Texas (9:08.13) in the final 400 meters.

The times moved Palacios and Carrozza to fifth and seventh on the yearly U.S. list.

Jamey Harris and Ernie Freer, former standouts at Fresno State, won the two heats of the men’s 1,500 in 3:43.09 and 3:44.16.

Kathy Franey of Reebok took the women’s 1,500 in 4:16.44, ahead of Michell DiMuro of the Mountain West Track Club. Darcy Arreola of Nike Coast, the 1991 NCAA champion for Cal State Northridge, placed fourth in 4:20.36.

Joe Tamblyn of Berkeley International won the men’s 800 in 1:47.44 and Teena Colebrook of Great Britain outkicked Genessia Eddins of the Boston Athletic Assn. to win the women’s 800 in 2:05.96.

Laura Mykytok of Asics began the meet with a wire-to-wire win in the women’s 10,000.

Mykytok, who has the fastest time in the nation this season for 5,000 meters (15:44.27), timed 34:22.19 for twice the distance.