Unless you're talking about Michael Jordan, things that go up generally tend to come down. But runners in the Four on the Fourth road race learned that the converse is also true: an out-and-back race course that goes down necessarily has to come back up.

Competitors were all smiles on Independence Day as they headed out downhill from the starting line near McDougle Middle School, but a series of uphills over the last miles meant for a bit of a climb before all was said and done.

Overall women's winner Rebekah Nash was just trying to string together 6-minute miles. "On the first mile I was just under, like 5:48, and sort of bombed the last mile, but I was happy with it."

"I went out too fast and I felt (horrible)," Sonia Davis said. "I ran the first mile today faster than I ran the open mile at a recent Godiva Summer Track Meet. "I'd forgotten that it was such a downhill in the beginning. Over a year, you forget. But it was all a lot of fun."

Despite the ups and downs, Nash and several others took advantage of otherwise near-ideal elements -- like a dry course, a light breeze, and crisp 70-degree temperatures -- to post several age-group and one overall record time on the rolling course.

Recent UNC graduate Brock Baker, 22, scorched the course in 20:01.68 and also set a new mark for the 20-24-year age group, nipping Kaleb Keyserling (21:03.06) and Solomon Kobes (22:08.41).

"Brock was flying," said Dick Forbis, who served as race co-director with the Cardinal Track Club's Eric Paul. "Brock bested Marc Jeuland's course record by five seconds, and we set a number of other meet records because the weather was just so good."

"It felt cooler than it has been; it felt pretty nice," Baker said. "This is my first time in this race, though, and it was a great time. There was great crowd support out along the way."

Baker admitted that winning was less about the singular glory than about the practical notion of economy.

"I heard there was a $50 bonus for sub-20:07," he said, smiling. "So I'm going to Fleet Feet to get more shoes."

Record runs

Running about a minute behind Baker was perennial favorite John Hinton, 47, who won the masters bracket and set a new 45-49 division record with a time of 21:06.35. Second among masters was Gary Slade (22:53.30), who set a new mark among 50-54-year old males. Thomas Newsome (23:31.31) rounded out the top-three male masters finishers.

"We haven't had this (weather) for a while," Hinton said. "And I think I ran a faster time than last year, so I'm happy with that."

Baker said finishing ahead of John Hinton always had been the nearly impossible dream of UNC undergraduates when facing the venerable runner in open meets.

"That was always a goal in any (open) mile run: try to beat Hinton," he said, ribbing the runnerup, senior to Baker by 25 years.

Hinton was at peace with his fate.

"The older you get, the more your mind plays tricks on you during races," he said. "My mind was telling me, 'Stop.'"

Nash (23:55.75) set a course record for the 25-29-year-old women en route to the women's overall crown. Sarah Volk (24:35.66) finished in second place overall, with Durham's Nancy Kaiser (25:57.79) in third.

"We're training for longer stuff later in the year," Nash said of her running group, comprised of herself, her husband Dave Nash, and Randy Stockbridge. "We've also been doing speed workouts, though, because we don't want to lose finishing speed. Plus, I love shorter races because they give you a chance to practice that speed ... and there couldn't have been better race conditions."

Finishing at the head of the women's masters bracket was Kim Certain (25:14.71), with JoAnna Younts (27:18.57) in second place, and Christine Eckermann Ross (27:21.67) in third.

Le Tour de Carrboro

Saturday's four-miler kicked off on the Cardinal Track Club's three-race Tour de Carrboro, which includes October's Carrboro 10K and the Gallop and Gorge on Thanksgiving Day.

"It's the same races," said Cardinal TC officer Jon van Ark. "I think we've settled into a nice little groove."

Cardinal Track Club is a Carrboro-Chapel Hill-based organization dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of running at all levels. Forbis founded the club with Bobby Biles, a former co-owner of Carrboro's Fleet Feet Sports alongside his wife Rona van Willigen. The couple moved to New Mexico last year.

Forbis was thankful Saturday for the presence and continuing support of Fleet Feet's new owners, Brian and Tricia White.

"It was great to have Brian White stepping in to help out this year," Forbis said. "Brian's not going to replace Bobby Biles, and he doesn't want to. He just wants to do everything he can to support running in Chapel Hill and Carrboro."

"I got here about 6 a.m. and just said, 'Hey, let me know what you need me to do,'" White explained. "At our former store in Savannah (Ga.), my job was pretty much putting on races, so it's neat not to have to do that now. ...

"I think the series is really cool," White added, "and we've worked with Dick Forbis and Eric Paul pretty much ever since we got here, talking about details of the race. This series has such a great history and tradition, so it's cool to see it still going so strong."

Forbis said race registration was up between 40 and 50 percent -- with 590 people entered, compared to 415 last year. "Carrboro Police handled the crowd perfectly, and our thanks go out to them," he said.

The large turnout may have owed more to people staying home rather than traveling, due to the national economy, Forbis suggested.

"Maybe they're celebrating right here," he said. "The weather was perfect."

Funds generated from the Tour de Carrboro are earmarked for the club's four community partners: El Centro Latino, the Optimists' Club of Chapel Hill, the Arc of Orange County, and the Orange County Rape Crisis Center.

"I think we're looking for a fifth partner," van Ark said.

Records fall

Others benefitting from Cardinal's setup on Saturday were age-group winners.

Noa Bearman (43:17.47) finished first in the girls' 9-and-under bracket, while Smith Middle School eighth-grader Jessica Nolting (31:29.37) struck gold in the girls' 10-14 division.

"It was nice. The course was shaded, and it had some nice downhills over the first mile," Nolting said. "I think I could do better if I work hard for it next year, but I'm pretty happy with my time."

Molly Spencer (28:50.07) took the girls' 15-19 group, while Abby Matson (29:16.23) topped the women's 20-25 podium. Julie Thurman's 26:53.05 was good enough for first place among women 25-29, UNC grad Jennifer Woods (26:06.22) captured the women's 30-34 crown, and Tina Weiler's 27:20.69 led the women's 35-39 pack.

Ilona Jaspers (28:14.57) took the blue ribbon in the women's 40-44 division, while Karen Morrell (30:18.17) was good as gold among 45-49-year-olds. Durham's Myong Dunn (30:28.47) took the women's 50-54 title, and Durham's Shelly Bloom (29:28.98) earned the top place among 55-59s.

Judith Swasey's 34:14.50 first-place finish among 60-64-year olds was a new age-group course record, and so was the record-setting 40:01.27 posted by 70-and-over winner Sharon Roggenbuck of Hillsborough.

Among the males, it was Grant Haus (34:48.88) capturing the boys' 9-and-under title, with Jonathan Hoffman (30:15.60) earning the 10-14 crown. Jacob Hoerger crossed the line first among 15-19 boys, arriving beside Chapel Hill High teammate Asher Colburn-Hertzberg.

Hillsborough's John Connelly (26:15.27) struck gold among the 20-24 crowd, and Matthew Volk's 24:35.49 was the best time among men 25-29. David Nash (22:23.15) was easily a winner in the men's 30-34 bracket, and Jeffrey Porter (25:12.78) stood atop the 35-39 medal stand. Durham's Barton Bechard (24:44.12) was the blue-ribbon winner in the men's 40-44 division, and Bernard Prabucki (24:08.72) took the 45-49 title.

David Couper (24:23.02) laid claim on the 50-54 title, and Durham's Henry Blinder's 25:23.66 was good for a new 55-59 bracket record. Glenn Dennis (25:16.68) earned the men's 60-69 title, and Jerry Surh (35:15.58) was the winner among men 70-and-over.

Future plans

Next up for the record holder Brock Baker and for Rebekah Nash will be a bit more distance.

"I'm running the New York City Marathon in November," Baker said.

"We're definitely doing the Philly Half (marathon)," Nash said, "and then there's a Salem Lake (trail run) over near Winston-Salem. I love trail runs, and I'd like to get another local trail run or half-marathon locally."

Next up for Cardinal Track Club will be the Carrboro 10K on Oct. 3.

"We'll swing pretty quickly into planning for October," Forbis said, "because that's coming pretty fast."

Over the short-run, however, runners are basking in the warmth of a cool mid-summer celebration with nearly 600 friends in the close-knit local running community.

"Hands down, the best thing about this race was getting to catch up with so many friends," Sonia Davis said, noting one more upside of a day teeming with so many ups and downs.

- chn -