As he crossed the finish line to win the 31st Pear Blossom Run, a slender, shirtless man threw his arms outward, flashed an ear-to-ear grin and then clowned around for the cameras.
Anonymous as a factory worker at the start of the 10-mile run, 21-year-old free spirit Matt Barnhart suddenly found himself in the limelight.
He seemed to enjoy his new status.
"I had no idea what to expect," said Barnhart, who did a little dance as he emerged from the finish-line chute. "All I knew was that there were a lot of people in this race (1,143 took the starting line) and that I better get out quick if I was going to be among the leaders."
Barnhart, who had never seen the course before, charged into the lead within 100 feet of the start, ripped off a 4:58 first mile and never looked back. The University of Oregon student won the out-and-back race along Jacksonville Highway and Hanley Road in 52 minutes, 46 seconds.
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The heaviest rain in Pear Blossom Run history — it steadily fell throughout the morning — was no deterrent to Barnhart, who built a 150-yard lead by the midway point of the race and maintained a sizable advantage throughout.
Living in Eugene, where the wet stuff relentlessly pounds the ground in the winter and spring, helped Barnhart navigate the damp conditions, he said.
"I love running in the rain — I've certainly done it a lot in Eugene," said Barnhart, who graduated from Sheldon High School in 2004. "It distracts you from the task at hand and it keeps you hydrated. I didn't take a drink the whole race."
But why, observers wondered, would a runner go shirtless on a day like this?
"It's just what I prefer," he said. "I'm comfortable running that way and besides, it makes me more aerodynamic."
Unlike many of the past Pear Blossom winners, Barnhart hasn't run in college and doesn't have a coach. He hasn't trained formally since his days at Sheldon.
But he wasn't without attributes Saturday: A smooth stride and positive mental outlook helped carry him to the finish.
"I just tried to stay relaxed," said Barnhart, who's been training between 40 and 60 miles per week and recently won the 10-kilometer Shamrock Run in Eugene. "I wanted to cover the first mile in five (minutes) flat, which I did, and take it from there."
The 40-year-old Baldovino, meanwhile, entered the race with far less training than usual because of a track coaching commitment at Lakeview High, where he's a mentor to his daughter. Baldovino found himself in 12th place after the first mile but had scooted into third by the turnaround on Hanley Hill. He then passed Julian about three miles from the finish.
"I let (Barnhart) get too far ahead to have a shot at catching him, but I would have been crazy to go out like he did," said Baldovino, who won the race in 2002 and bagged his fourth runner-up showing Saturday. "I didn't have the training base for that.
"I think I was gaining on him the last few miles, but he had it won pretty early. He's a good, young talent."
And one who would give you the shirt off his back.
Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail dhunt@mailtribune.com
