Monroeville, Pa. resident Don Slusser hadn't competed in the walk division of The Ogden Newspapers 20K Run and Walk since 2000.

That was when the then 48-year old finished third overall in a time of 1:58:48. Steve Bence of Penn Hills (Pa.) Township and Bobbi Jo Chapman of Charleston were the top two finishers in the 20K Walk.

Saturday, Slusser returned to Wheeling and "walked" away with the championship with a winning time of 2:07:58, continuing a string of three straight years for a Western Pennsylvania resident to win this event.

Sycamore's Shane Phillips did not return to try and defend his title after winning the 2004 walk with a time of 1:55:31. The 2003 champ was Aleppo's Terry Horn, who was clocked in 2:07.59.

Unlike the women's 20K which has seen Barb Kornbau dominate the past three years, this was also the fourth year in a row that a different walker finished first.

The last time the Ogden 20K walk had a repeat champion was when Bence was on his way to two straight titles in 2000 and 2001.

Slusser, a former All-American distance runner at Indiana (Pa.) University, was in a closely-contested battle with Richmond, Ohio's Jerry Goodwin for nearly the first five miles.

But Slusser slowly pulled away from Goodwin and was able to hold his lead the rest of the way.

"Don and I were probably ahead of the pack for the first 4¢ miles," Goodwin said. "I held out as long as I could but when he started to pull away and I was unable to keep up with him.."

Goodwin, while pleased with his time of 2:08.23, was a bit disappointed in having to settle for second place again. He was also the 20K Walk runner-up in 2004. "I was hoping this year I didn't have to be the bridesmaid, but I'm happy with my time."

In 2004, Goodwin finished in 2:08.52, but it was Phillips' blistering pace of 1:55.31 that was the mark to beat that day.

Goodwin, like many of the Ogden 20K Classic participants, was pleased with the change in the course this year, which eliminated many of the big hills that have taken their toll on walkers and runners alike over the years.

The course took the competitors on to the Wheeling Heritage Trail, bypassing the hill at Wheeling Park, Chicken Neck Hill and Wheeling Hill.

"It was a little easier than last year," Goodwin said. "There wasn't that last hill (Wheeling Hill) to tackle towards the end.

"I just went out and ran a steady pace."

Ken James of Trafford, Pa. was third at 2:11.09.

Wheeling's Dave Hoskins, the 2002 20K walk winner, finished 7th overall in a time of 2:12.46. His finish was good enough for first place in the men's 45-49 age group.

Gregory Reinauer, also of Wheeling, was first in the 55-59 age group and eighth overall with a time of 2:13.23.

Slusser's time of 2:07.58 was actually the slowest ever winning time in the 20K Walk, which was first added to the weekend schedule in 1998.