Of the three races comprising the Carrboro Track Club's Tour de Carrboro series, two are decidedly American in theme.

The Four on the Fourth on Independence Day is a perfect preamble to backyard barbecues and evening fireworks. Light the cannons. Cue the John Phillip Sousa.

Later, the venerable Gallop and Gorge 8K runs on the traditional American holiday of Thanksgiving. It's a veritable family reunion in the running community, with grandparents, in-laws, moms, pops, sons, daughters and long-lost cousins coming home, where they fire up the endorphins before indulging, guilt-free, in another great American tradition: overeating.

Then there's the Carrboro 10K, reminding us through its own heritage that we are all citizens of the world.

The race evolved from the Familias del Pueblo 10K and was renamed after the Festival del Pueblo moved from Chapel Hill to Raleigh.

As part of the Tour de Carrboro, the race benefits its 2008 Community Partner Organizations, including Club Nova, the Carolina Outreach Foundation, El Centro Latino, and the Chapel Hill Optimist Club. Last year the Cardinal Track Club was able to provide $4,000 to each of its partners.

"This whole series is just fantastic," the Chapel Hill Optimist Club's Jerry Phelps said, "and we have a great time out here. Our volunteers come out every time, and these races have just become part of our fabric."

The Carrboro 10K race starts from McDougle Middle School and still winds through local neighborhoods, but last Saturday morning's race had a particularly international flavor.

Hungary native and High Point University student James Kovacs blistered the course in 30:35 Saturday for first place overall.

It was a great course ... pretty fast," Kovacs said. "There were some hills. They had me at 4:28 after the first mile, so it may have been (measured) a bit shorter. I was trying to be close to 30 minutes today, but I was running by myself which is always a little harder."

Just returned from the Short-course Duathlon World Championships in Italy, world-class duathlete and Chapel Hill resident Kristin Villopoto (39:58) finished first among women.

"I went to the short-course last weekend and had a horrible day. Some days are like that," Villopoto said. "But I got back off the plane on Wednesday, and I was so angry with my performance. I was like, 'I'm healthy, and I want to do the second in this (Tour de Carrboro) series.' "

Strength in numbers

Cardinal Track Club co-founder Dick Forbis, who shared race director duties with Eric Paul, said he was pleased with the turnout. The 320 registrants were about 80 more than last year.

"It's a terrific crowd on a great day, and that's probably what's attracted a lot of people out here," Forbis said. "We've had cooler weather before, but when it was, it was usually cool and damp. This was ideal."

Adding to the field was a notably high percentage of women runners, thanks in no small part to programs for beginning runners. Forbis credited organizers like Nealie Tebb of the No Boundaries program and others at Fleet Feet or the Carolina Godiva Club that "helped to pass the word."

"We've actually changed the structure of our own No Boundaries program some," Tebb noted. "We're really trying to keep our beginners' group smaller. We have an intermediate (larger) group...that gets to work with the advanced group."

No Boundaries presents an opportunity for runners to come together each week and have fun, learn, grow and support communities in South Africa and Tanzania

"People can just go to the Fleet Feet Web site," Tebb said.

The winners

Putting their training to the test and coming out just off the leader Villopoto were Juli Paxton (40:26.09) and Diana Rancourt (40:28.22).

"I was really a little annoyed with myself, because second place wasn't that far ahead of me," Rancourt said, "but I just wanted it to be fun today."

Rancourt, married last summer, said she'd met her 5K goals for the year, and "I'm thinking of moving up to the half-marathon. I think I want to do OBX (Outer Banks)."

Among the masters females, Robyn Weaver (45:08.58) was first, with Jenny Clough (45:49.69) and Keri Wilkinson (46:18.55) also in the money.

Behind Hungarian Kovacs, Jim Wall (32:54.68) was second and James Pearce (34:09.12) rounded out the top three places, overall.

Bernard Prabucki (37:28.74) finished in first place among the masters males, with Ted LeMay (38:49.43) earning silver, and Barton Bechard (39:04.07) taking home bronze.

Among females, Juliana Schneider (1:42:47.18) captured the 9-and-under crown, while Eliza Kohrman (55:04.77) took the 15-19 title. Adrienne Lewis (47:18.70) struck gold among women 20-24, and Sarah Waterman (41:19.39) won the 25-29 bracket.

Other winning women included: Sara Larson (41:58.18) in the 30-34 division; Beth Davis (46:35.20) in 35-39s; Amy Charney (46:35.10) in the 40-44; Holly Holland (47:57.83) tops among 45-49s; Ann Brady (46:48.23) in the 50-54s; Lena Hollmann (52:05.25), 55-59s, and Sheelagh Anderson (59:30.38) in the 60-69 victory.

Among the males, young Joey Carlstein's 58:16.96 reigned victorious in the boys 10-14 division, while Brian Miller (37:25.12) claimed gold in the men's 20-24 and Scott Ickes (36:00.85) in the 25-29.

Other men's winners included: Harsha Thirumurthy (34:56.28) among 30-34 males; Marc Desormeau (40:22.35), 35-39; Chris Squires (39:32.17) in the 40-44s; Wayne McLeod (39:14.20) the 45-59 division; John Blake (43:21.50), 50-54; Phillip Bailey (44:24.70), the 55-59s; Jim Hotelling (43:51.92), 60-69 men; and Bill Powers posted a 1:05:35.38 to claim the 70-and-over top prize.

Cooperative effort

Co-race director Eric Paul said the event couldn't have succeeded without the cooperation of community agencies.

"There were no surprises," Paul said, "and the Carrboro Police Department just does such a fabulous job. They're just spot-on."

Carrboro's Public Works coned all the bike lanes for runners to use, Forbis noted.

One change evident in Cardinal's races this season is an upgrade in race timing.

"Keith Mathis and I now run Cardinal Race Services," Forbis explained. "We supply the timing for our events and also for all around (the state). It just got to the point where we had to invest in the equipment.

"To do a good job for a 400, 500, or even an 800-person race, we couldn't do it with Palm Pilots and stringing bib numbers. We had to have 25 people working the finish line for the Gallop and Gorge last year."

Randy B. Young can be reached at chnsports@nando.com or by calling 932-8743.