LOS ANGELES MARATHON : It’s a Vera Good Day in Rain in L.A. : Race: Ecuador runner lets others fight conditions before sprinting to victory in last three miles. Prasad wins women’s race by wide margin in personal record time.

They had a deal, Mark Plaatjes said, and Rolando Vera didn’t keep up his end of it.

Instead, he let others do the work while taking home the $15,000 winner’s check in Sunday’s 10th running of the Los Angeles Marathon.

Vera’s 2 hours 11 minutes 39 seconds was the third-fastest winning time in race history--seventh-fastest overall--but it was somewhat disappointing because it fell short of a target finish of 2:10 or better with a strong field.

Nadia Prasad of New Caledonia, a South Pacific French territory, won the women’s race in a personal record 2:29:48, the fourth-best winning time and also the seventh-best women’s time overall in this race.

The times were slowed because of rain, which reduced the field by about a quarter from the 19,000-plus who registered, and cut the crowds along the 26-mile 385-yard course, dampening the party atmosphere and muting the entertainment. The runners also were slowed by the wind--but not Vera of Ecuador, who decided to let somebody else block the breeze, much to the chagrin of those getting it in their faces.

On Saturday, the elite field met to establish a pace for race rabbit Paul Pilkington, last year’s winner.

“But we said that if something happens to the rabbit, it was up to us to keep up the pace,” Plaatjes said.

Pilkington stepped into a pothole and fell out of the race early.

“Just after three (actually four) miles, I dropped back and said, ‘The rabbit is gone,’ ” Plaatjes said. “I think that all of us felt obligated to take a lead. After that, each of us took a turn in front, except (Vera).”

The laugh Plaatjes heard from questioners puzzled him.

“No, I’m not kidding,” he said. “I hate to say it, but it’s the truth. We had a bargain.”

Plaatjes, Bob Kempainen and Arturo Barrios took turns leading an 11-runner pack in the early going, but at a pace too slow for a race record.

When they ran the eighth mile in 5:13 and the 10th in 5:12, a 2:10 race seemed beyond reach.

Meanwhile, Vera laid back. Small and slightly built, he let others block the wind. Kempainen, who is much taller and and heavier than Vera, led through miles 17 to 22, alternating his pace to winnow down the rest of the lead pack.

By then it was four runners, with Martin Pitayo of Mexico laying off the pace. Barrios dropped back at 18 miles to make it three, Plaatjes at 20 miles to make it two--Kempainen and Vera.

Kempainen slowed, running mile 20 in 5:30. Vera stayed behind him.

Kempainen sped up, running the next mile in 4:41. Vera followed, his shorter legs working harder and his face showing more exertion than he was feeling.

Kempainen zig-zagged to try to shake his shadow. Vera zig-zagged with him.

Then Kempainen of Minnetonka, Minn., fell behind when Vera turned in back-to-back miles of 4:50 and 4:44. Kempainen finished 20 seconds after Vera, 50 seconds ahead of third-place Pitayo. Kempainen, who has never won a marathon though he holds the American record, still is wondering what he has to do to win one.

Maybe get some help instead of giving it.

“He ran his own race,” Kempainen said. “I kept trying to get him out front to take the lead, but I couldn’t very well turn around and ask him to do it. Maybe it wouldn’t have helped. For the quarter- or half-mile I kept up with him, it didn’t.

“And I guess he ran it smart. It seemed as soon as he took the lead, we turned a corner and there was a tailwind.”

Barrios was fourth, in a disappointing 2:14:47, with Plaatjes an even more disappointed fifth in 2:15:41 after his legs gave out at 20 miles.

Plaatjes’ time qualifies for the U.S. Olympic trials in Charlotte, N.C., next February, but it was not good enough to make the U.S. team for the track and field World Championships in August in Sweden.

He is the defending world marathon champion.

Vera, 29, is an up-and-coming marathon runner who recently moved to Mexico to train at altitude. Despite the complaints of his competitors, Vera decided to run his own race.

He was more concerned about time and place.

“I was waiting for that last three miles,” Vera said. “It really helped me to run behind (Kempainen).”

About not taking the lead earlier, he said, “I wasn’t feeling good at that time and I want to apologize. I was just trying to win the race.”

That he did, getting his second victory in four weeks. He also won a half-marathon against a good field in Puerto Rico.

Next in view? Perhaps the 10,000 meters at the Pan American Games in Argentina on March 18.

The women’s field had no questions about sharing the lead. That’s because no one could keep up with Prasad, who lives in Boulder, Colo., and trains with Plaatjes.

She stayed in lockstep with Lyobov Klochko of Ukraine for six miles, then drew away, leading by 125 yards less than a mile later and finishing 3:11 in front of second-place Anna Rybicka of Poland and another 32 seconds ahead of Klochko.

The time will allow Prasad to represent France in the World Championships. More important, it resurrects her marathon career after she failed to finish the 1994 Boston and New York marathons.

And it allowed her to fulfill a promise made to Ganesh Prasad, her father-in-law, three years ago.

“He said, ‘Someday, I want a Mercedes-Benz,’ ” said Binesh Prasad, Nadia’s husband. “Nadia told him, ‘Someday I’ll get you one.’ ”

That day was Sunday, when a Mercedes accompanied her $15,000 winner’s check.

* HELPING HAND: Jorge Marquez of Hollywood Hills stays with Nadia Prasad for 24 miles. C9

* RESULTS: C8