Russia’s Tatiana Chulakh had never been to Wheeling but she’d certainly heard a lot about it.

“I had no idea what the course was going to be like,” Chulakh said, speaking through an interpreter.

“I knew West Virginia was kind of hilly and when I saw all of the hills I felt pretty intimidated. But everything turned out to be OK.”

Chulakh raced to one of the slimmest victories in Ogden 20K Classic Run and Walk history Saturday when she edged Kenya’s Caroline Cheptanui by one second—1:13:29 to 1:13:30—in the women’s open 20K run.

Chulakh became the second Russian to win the event, following in the footsteps of Lyubov Denisova, who completed the course in 1:12:52 last year. Denisova didn’t compete this year.

Chulakh and Cheptanui were neck-and-neck when they made the final turn onto 14th Street but Chulakh slowly began edging in front as they sprinted down the hill to the tape.

While the race was a two-way battle down the stretch, it was a three-way competition for most of the way.

Maria Busienei, who finished third in 1:14:18, stayed with Chulakh and Cheptanui for the bulk of the race but ultimately slipped off the pace.

“We pulled away at the very end,” said Chulakh, who won the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon two years ago.

It’s been a good month for the 24-year-old native of Cheboksary, Russia, a hotbed for female road racing talent.

Two weeks ago, she finished second to Katie McGregor at at the USATF 25K Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich. with a time of 1:28:33.

That broke a string of three straight victories for Chulakh, who now trains in this country with a group based out of Gaithersburg, Md..

Chulakh started this month with a convincing victory at the Sallie Mae 10K in Washington D.C.

“I’ve been pretty much running all over the country for the past couple of years,” said Chulakh, a former European junior champion, “doing mostly 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons.”

Chulakh smashed the course record at the George Washington Parkway 10-Mile Race earlier this spring and finished third at the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, S.C.

She also posted numerous top 10 finishes throughout the United States in 2006.

Olga Romanova, Chulakh’s training partner, was fourth with a time of 1:15:34.

Susan Graham-Gray of Greencastle, Pa., third in the women’s open division here a year ago, was fifth this year with a clocking of 1:19:48.

Wheeling’s Becky Droginske was the top local finisher, placing 10th with a time of 1:33:30.