On July 24, runners of all ages lined the wooded uphill and downhill course into Salt Lake Valley once followed by more than 60,000 Mormon pioneers. Although more than a century and a half separated the runners from the pioneers, both groups drew a similar conclusion about the route: It is tough.

"It is brutal for runners," said Russell Bennett, 39, "Just think what it was for wagons and handcarts."

He was one of 3,301 people who took part in the annual Pioneer Day Deseret News/Granite Furniture 10 K and marathon runs, which are becoming increasingly international as more and more elite runners from other countries are joining the field. A member of the Salt Lake Monument Park 6th Ward, Brother Bennett placed eighth overall in the marathon and won the 35-39 age division.

"I love the marathon," he said. "It is the one distance that I can excel in." He said that running on the Mormon Pioneer Trail grows in significance as he runs more marathons.

Amram Musunga of Vihiga, Kenya, who was one of the leaders of the marathon for the first six miles, didn't enjoy the run as much. After six miles, his knee gave out, but he still managed to finish. "I really wanted to finish the race, so I finished walking and running. It means so much to me," said Brother Musunga, who is currently a member of the Valley View 2nd Ward in Salt Lake City. He served in the Kenya Nairobi Mission from 1993-95.

The marathon winner was Dennis Simonaitis of Murray, Utah, with a time of two hours, 27 minutes and 34 seconds. Tatiana Titova of Russia, currently living in Florida (2:42:38), broke a 19-year-old record set by Jane Wipf in 1980 to win the women's marathon. Winner of the men's 10K was John Kariuki of Kenya with a time of 28 minutes, 10 seconds, and the women's winner was Masae Ueoka of Japan (32:21). None of the four is LDS.

A number of age division winners, however, were LDS. Among them was Ray Workman of the Jordan Meadows Ward, Salt Lake Granger East Stake, winner of the 45-49 age division and a veteran of 25 to 30 marathons. He finished with a time of 2:48:49, a little faster than he planned.

"With a marathon, you can expect anything," he said. "Distance is a great equalizer." He said the Word of Wisdom and sense of fitness are two factors in his choosing to run. He hopes his example will have a positive influence on others with whom he runs.

The winner of the youngest men's division, ages 12-14, in the race was Benjamin Frandsen, 12, of the La Canada 1st Ward, La Crescenta California Stake, who trains with his sister Rachel and brother Brigham. She didn't run this year, but won her age division two years ago. Brigham also ran the marathon this year.

"It was pretty hard," said Benjamin. "At about the 20-mile mark, it got really hard."

As he sprinted across the finish line, Benjamin was applauded as the first youth to complete the course.

"It felt good, but I was super tired," he said.

A number of runners with disabilities completed the 10K. One of these was Eric Carrillo, a recent graduate of the Highland Seminary in Salt Lake City. Eric, who is blind, was accompanied by his early morning volunteer seminary teacher, Robert Christiansen.

"He asked if I would escort him," said Brother Christiansen, a physician. "He trusts people to hold his shoulder when he is turning, then he runs straight down the road. He is an excellent runner. His effort is a real tribute to disabled individuals."

Eric, of the Wells Ward, Salt Lake Granite Stake, is a member of the Utah Chapter of the Achilles Track Club for runners with disabilities and is an engineering major at the University of Utah.

Chaundra Harper, 16, of the Santee 1st Ward, Santee California Stake, who finished the marathon in 4 hours, 18 minutes and 21 seconds, entered the marathon because her parents had both run it a few years earlier. She thought about the pioneers when she passed the This Is the Place Monument at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. "I thought, this is what the pioneers did, and it gave me a little bit of strength," she said. She struggled at the 22-mile mark, but persevered anyway. "I want to run the marathon again in the year 2000," she said.

Two of the happiest runners were Mindy Jones and Lance Kunz, BYU students from San Luis Obispo and nearby Templeton, both in California, who crossed together at 5:00:17. They became officially engaged at the marathon's finish line as flowers and a large sign, "Will you marry me?" greeted Mindy. Still puffing, Lance dropped to one knee to extend a ring in a sweaty hand, which was accepted. The two plan to be married in November in the Los Angeles Temple.

"We kept each other going," said Mindy, who has three marathons behind her.

It was Lance's first marathon, but Mindy's encouragement gave him plenty of incentive to finish the rugged course. That, and knowing what he planned to do at the end of the trail.