Winners of 48th race in Downtown Peoria

PEORIA — The finish line never disappoints at the annual Steamboat Classic, and the 48th edition stayed the course Saturday in Downtown Peoria.

A marketing research specialist won the men’s 4-mile, followed closely on the women’s side by a former Illinois high school state champion and eight-time NCAA all-American nicknamed “Purple.”

The 15-kilometer brought another male winner with North Central College roots, and a female winner transplanted from New York.

And it delivered Peoria Notre Dame High School boys and girls cross country coach and boys track and field coach Dan Gray, who ran right into a place in the Steamboat Hall of Fame.

More:48th Steamboat Classic results

“With prices increasing for everything — it might cost you $100 to drive up here from Springfield — I think that confined our race to people from closer nearby this year,” longtime Steamboat race director Phil Lockwood said, standing at the finish line. “But there’s always great runners here. And they all have a story to tell.”

The man from Springfield

One of those stories crossed the finish line in the form of Tyler Owens, who won the 4-mile race in 20:17, just ahead of Bloomington’s Drew Guimond (20:19) and Max Svienty (Arlington Heights) 20:20.

“I knew those guys were right on me,” said Owens, 26. “They pushed me hard. I’m excited to win this race, I’ve tried it four times now.

“I was really surprised. Every other year there’s five or six guys out ahead of me from the start. This time, it was me. So I kept pressing from the beginning. The course is just amazing here, so fast.”

Owens is a marketing research specialist for Gerson Lehrman Group, an Austin, Texas based company.

“I live and work in Springfield, though,” Owen said. “When I’m not working, I’m running. That’s what I do. I ran at Springfield High School and then SIU-Edwardsville.”

Asked if he’d won a lot of races in college, he grinned and said, “Mostly, I was injured.”

Call her Purple Brown

Stephanie Brown Brokaw brought some running chops to the 4-mile course Saturday and was the first female to cross, in 22:32. She held off runner-up Molly Dalton, from Hoffman Estates, by eight seconds.

Brown Brokaw grew up in Downs, a four-time Illinois High School Association Class A state track and field champion for Tri-Valley High School in the 800-meter run from 2005-06 through 2008-09. She ran the 1600 all four years, too, finishing third once, second twice before winning it in her final season.