`WAR' IN THE STREETS NDUNGU ATTACKS, TRIUMPHS.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Stephen Ndungu trained with the Kenyan Armed Forces and compared running a marathon to a war, so it was little surprise that his aggressive running style led to victory in Sunday's 16th Los Angeles Marathon.

Ndungu, a 33-year-old former farmer and construction worker in Kenya who didn't begin training until three years ago, overcame a slow pace and broke away from a large pack at the halfway point to win in 2 hours, 13 minutes, 13 seconds, exactly two minutes ahead of his countryman Ben Kimondiu

The anticipated and feared rainstorm never arrived and the race-time temperature was 56 degrees - but this year's time was the fourth-slowest in race history. The elite runners set a slow pace and were grouped in a pack of 10 behind the race rabbits, but Ndungu broke away during mile 14 and was never caught.

In the women's race, Elana Paramonova of Russia, who ran a marathon in Texas two weeks ago, came on strong in the final four miles and pulled away from Romania's Nuta Olaru to win in 2:36:58, ahead of Olaru by 24 seconds.

By mile 20 of the men's race, Ndungu held a 40-second lead over Kimondiu and Kenya's Benson Mbithi, the marathon's defending champion who finished third in 2:15:23, more than three minutes slower than his winning time last year.

``The first half of the race, the pace was not so good,'' Ndungu said. ``The problem was not with the race (rabbits). It was our fault because we did not push them to run faster.

``I'm slow (on the hills) so I decided to put more effort into running fast earlier, so the guys who are stronger on the hills could not catch me. It was a way of protecting myself. This is war, and you have to cover yourself whenever possible.''

Ndungu made the correct decision, which is somewhat remarkable for someone with sparse marathon experience. He worked as a construction worker before meeting some Kenyan runners and deciding to take up the sport at age 30. He began training with the Kenyan military.

``Initially, running was not my career, nor was it my hobby,'' Ndungu said. ``I happened to meet some runners in Kenya, and I asked myself, `Why not me?' Then I started running more and more and I decided to get serious about running.''

Ndungu said he was surprised by the slow pace of the marathon, but decided to stay with the pack rather than make an early break. Ndungu quickly opened up a 10-second lead on the field, and when race rabbit Wilhelm Gidabuday dropped out during mile 18, Ndungu took over for good.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was Kevin Collins, who came in sixth, the best finish for an American-born male since 1995, when Bob Kempainen finished second against lesser competition.

Collins, a native of Cicero, N.Y., finished in 2:17.47 and was able to stay close to the lead pack for much of the race because of the slow pace.

``I thought (rabbit Kevin Cox) had brought me up too quickly because I was very surprised to see the lead pack,'' Collins said. ``I thought it was the second group.''

A similar pace slowed down the women's race. A pack of five elite runners shared the lead over the first 21 miles, but Olaru broke away and opened up a lead of 15-20 yards.

Olaru had a strange downfall about two miles later, when she began to gag after stopping at a water station. Her manager, Konstantin Selinevich, said that Olaru was surprised by Paramonova surging from behind.

Olaru slowed considerably, and by the time she recovered, Paramonova was already 20 seconds clear. Paramonova had enough energy to finish strong, even though she ran in the Motorola Marathon in Austin, Texas, two weeks ago.

``She felt she had enough left to run again,'' Selinevich said. ``That was the first time she tried that, and she said it won't happen again.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) SLOW AND STEADY ...

Kenya's Stephen Ndungu and Elana Paramonova of Russia win L.A. Marathon titles despite pedestrian pace.

(2) L.A. Marathon winners Stephen Ndungu and Elana Paramonova wave at the awards ceremony.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Box: TOP FINISHERS