The 2K men's portion of the 2009, Butler Road Race proved to be the only competitive battle.

This year, the runners at the front proved to be the same, but the results were different.

Rob Miller, 21, of Butler captured the victory with a time of 6 minutes, 19 seconds, three seconds ahead of Jeryl Wilborn, 28, also of Butler.

Last June, Wilborn held off a fast-charging Miller to secure the win by two seconds (6:47 to 6:49).

"I decided I needed to make my move earlier," said Miller. "It's all or nothing. If I make my move, I'll keep ahead of him.

"I go like someone is on my heels all the time. That's my big motivation," Miller added.

Wilborn said he knew it would be a battle, especially after last year.

"I thought this guy would be back," Wilborn said about Miller. "I knew it would be real competitive. He went out real smooth. I spent a lot of energy trying to catch him.

"He's coming down Main Street and he makes a surge. I didn't respond the way I should. ... He just saved a little bit — just enough to extend his legs and keep his form.

"I don't think uphill I was able to conquer it today," Wilborn added.

At no point in the race did Miller, who also won in 2007, ever have the feeling he had the race in hand.

"Not until I passed that line," Miller quipped.

Phil Kristufek, 17, of Butler finished third (6:44), Anthony Miller, 18, of Slippery Rock was fourth (7:03) and Alex Edmonds, 17, of Chicora was fifth (7:04).

Jessica Bennett, who won the women's event, was the third runner-up finisher out of the four races last year to come back and win their respective races in 2010.

Bennett, 16, of Harrisville finished with a time of 7:45, just ahead of Ashley Crawford, 17, of Evans City (7:58).

Bennett finished second last year with a time of 7:55, 22 seconds behind Erin Lopresti of Cranberry Township.

This time, however, it was Bennett doing the leading and she kept it that way throughout the race.

"I could tell at the turnaround I was in the lead, but (Crawford) was close," said Bennett, who will be a junior at Slippery Rock High.

"I just pushed myself. I pushed as hard as I could. It was too tough to look back," she added.

Rounding out the top five in the women's race was Christy Monnie, 17, of Renfrew (8:17), Carly Clark, 17, of Valencia (8:25) and Rebecca Myers, 44, of Butler (8:45).