Even though they didn't win, most of the top runners in Monday's Bolder Boulder pro race were content with their performances.

Elva Dryer wasn't in that group.

The former Bolder champion finished 13th, a disappointing day for the Gunnison runner who is aiming for the Olympic trials 10K in July. She crossed the line in 34:39, nearly two minutes behind winner Millicent Gathoni.

"I was hoping to do a lot better, actually," said Dryer, who won in 2005. "I'm transitioning to the 10K for the trials, so I was hoping to have my legs under me. So this is a bit of a blow."

Dryer was still all smiles after the race despite dropping out of the Olympic trials marathon at mile 18. She was able to find enjoyment in the atmosphere of the Bolder Boulder, where she still is recognized for her 2005 win.

"This is a special race in so many ways. We're here celebrating Memorial Day and honoring those that gave their lives for us," she said. "This is one of my favorite races, so even after today, I'll probably be back next year."

Kastor's training day

Three-time champ Deena Kastor knew she probably wasn't in top shape when she came into Monday's race. She also knew Monday wasn't the day she needed to be in top shape.

Kastor has already qualified for the Olympic marathon, an event in which she won the bronze medal in 2004. She finished seventh Monday, but the competitive fire that has made her one of the nation's best-ever distance runners showed through after the race.

"This is a good benchmark for our training," Kastor said, referring to fellow Mammoth Lakes, Calif., resident Ryan Hall. "I think is a good day to kick us in the rear to get us going."

Learning experience

Jorge Torres hopes to qualify for the Olympic 10,000 meters, but the Boulder runner got a little bit of a lesson Monday.

The first mile of the men's pro race went out in about 4:25, and Torres tried to keep up. That affected him in the middle stages of the race and gave him reason to rethink how he ran the race.

"That first mile kind of rocked me," the former Colorado Buff said. "During miles two through four I was struggling and just trying to stay composed to finish strong."

Torres, who finished 12th in 29:59, was still confident his training is on track for the Olympic Trials, noting a 10K on the track is much different than a 10K through a winding street course.

Beijing pollution

Ryan Hall, a legendary long-distance runner at Stanford, joked earlier this week that he should have attended Colorado after soaking up the local atmosphere during his training for the Bolder Boulder.

Count the U.S. Olympic marathon trials winner among the athletes who is not concerned about competing in the not-so-clean Beijing air this August.

"As an athlete the only thing you can do is make that a disadvantage for you. If you think about it a lot, if you're worried about it, then you're just making it hard on yourself," Hall said. "Regardless of what it's going to be it doesn't help to worry about it. But I honestly do believe that they're going to clean it up."

Chinese officials plan to shut down factories and limit the use of automobiles in Beijing in an effort to clean the O2 before the Olympics.

"When they had the World University Games there they shut down the factories for a couple days and the air was like this," Hall said.

Still a star

It has been 15 years since Boulder's Arturo Barrios won the last of his four Bolder Boulder titles, but he is still a hero in his home country.

The Mexican pro teams, who had the best men's and women's combined score, all got Barrios' autograph after the race.