RANCHO SANTA FE -- A little Olympic spirit can go a long way.

Just ask Antonio Arce, who got revved up by some inspiration from his Olympian roommate and went out and dusted the field Sunday in the San Dieguito Half Marathon. The 36th annual bash presented by the San Diego Area Hash House Harriers also included another dominant performance by Ironman Triathlon world champion Heather Fuhr, who notched her sixth triumph and third in the last four years on the 13.1-mile layout that started and finished at San Dieguito County Park.

Arce was making his debut at the distance, but it didn't show at the finish line, which he crossed in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 42 seconds, good for a margin of victory more than a minute ahead of Hector Hernandez of Chula Vista (1:08:56). Arce, a former track and cross country standout at Notre Dame, is roommates with former San Diego High and UCLA star Meb Keflezighi, who on Saturday qualified for the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, by placing second in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Birmingham, Ala.

"Meb gave me a call, and we talked about what it was like to be going to the Olympics, and that just inspired me to come out and run," said Arce. "But I wanted to go out conservatively, because this was my first half marathon."

Arce, 26, who works part-time for the Escondido CPA firm of Grice, Lund & Tarkington, had never previously competed in a race longer than a 10K, for which he has a PR of 29:47. His effort Sunday comes 10 years after he competed in San Diego as a prep standout for Palmdale High in the Foot Locker National High School Cross Country Championships, where he placed seventh.

Hernandez, 31, was competing just a day after running a 4:07 in a 1,500-meter race at an all-comers meet at Patrick Henry High. He was also a first-timer on the San Dieguito course.

"It's a good course, mostly flat," Hernandez said, "but I struggled with the downhills a little."

David Kloz of Calsbad overcame Nick Hamlin of Chula Vista for third place with a time of 1:11:40, with Hamlin clocking in at 1:11:50 just three weeks after winning the San Diego Marathon in Carlsbad.

Fuhr built a lead of more than two minutes by the turnaround point on Lago Lindo, about eight miles into the race on a new stretch after the course was adjusted for this year. Her finish time was 1:16:56, nearly four minutes ahead of Olympic triathlete Joanna Zeiger, who made a late pass on defending women's champion Kelly Flathers for runner-up honors.

"I felt good out there today," said Fuhr, 36. "I think this was the first time in my life I've gone out conservatively."

Fuhr, now residing in Encinitas, sat out last year's race. This year she was the 12th finisher overall as she continues her preparation for the Ralphs California Half Ironman triathlon in April.

"Last year I wasn't running that much, and I took a longer break," she said. "But I really enjoy this race. I didn't know about the changes on the course until we made a different turn, but I think it's nice. It seemed a little faster than the last time I ran it."

Indeed it was. Fuhr's winning time two years ago was 1:20:48, which would have placed fourth Sunday. Zeiger, 34, of Boulder, Colo., came in at 1:20:38, and Flathers, 32, of Huntington Beach, was just 11 seconds behind.

"There was some great competition out there this year," said Flathers, who is setting her sights on the U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials to be held April 3 in St. Louis.

Sunday's 5K race was a showcase for the youngsters of the Southern California Roadrunners. Club member Travis Kuhlman, 14, of Rancho Penasquitos, won the men's race in 17:11, and 10-year-old Shanna St. Laurent of Oceanside led teammate Tiffany Duffy, 11, of Escondido, across the finish line with a time of 19:51. Duffy was just four seconds behind.

Contact staff writer Rick Hoff at (760) 740-3545 or rhoff@nctimes.com.

Overall Top Finishers

HALF MARATHON

Male

1. Antonio Arce (Los Angeles) 1:07:42, 2. Hector Hernandez (Chula Vista) 1:08:56, 3. David Kloz (Carlsbad) 1:11:40, 4. Nick Hamlin (Chula Vista) 1:11:50, 5. Bryan Wallbank (Chula Vista) 1:12:00, 6. Ben Nichols (San Diego) 1:14:42, 7. Fernando Blanco (Oceanside) 1:15:14, 8. Javier Zavala (Tijuana, B.C.) 1:15:55, 9. Marc Lonac (Davis) 1:15:58, 10. Dave Spinler (El Cajon) 1:16:06, 11. Daniel Dercaks (Los Alamos, N.M.) 1:16:46, 12. Jimmy Riccitello (Tucson, Az. ) 1:17:18, 13. Bill Uffman (Annapolis, Md.) 1:17:21, 14. Joshua Finger (San Diego) 1:17:25, 15. Seakay Lenechi (San Diego) 1:17:37, 16. Mick Gieskes (San Diego) 1:17:50, 17. Marty Ellilson (Escondido) 1:18:07, 18. Mike Pigg (Arcata) 1:18:13, 19. David Easa (Vista) 1:19:04, 20. Ricardo Rodrigues (San Diego) 1:19:14, 21. Paul Huddle (Encinitas) 1:19:46, 22. Fred McKaig (San Diego) 1:19:51, 23. Chris Hupfeld (Carlsbad) 1:20:01, 24. Sean Stevenson (San Diego) 1:20:52, 25. Craig Zelent (San Diego) 1:20:56.

Female

1. Heather Fuhr (Encinitas) 1:16:56, 2. Joanna Zeiger (Boulder, Colo.) 1:20:38, 3. Kelly Flathers (Huntington Beach) 1:20:47, 4. Susie Park (Carlsbad) 1:24:02, 5. Zorica Rahovic (San Diego) 1:26:17, 6. Emily Selvidio (San Diego) 1:27:13, 7. Melissa Marsted (Santa Barbara) 1:27:40, 8. Katya Meyers (San Diego) 1:28:56, 9. Kristin McFerron (San Diego) 1:30:50, 10. Suzi Morris (Leucadia) 1:31:23, 11. Nguyen Norris (San Diego) 1:31:35, 12. Erin Saunders (Phoenix, Az.) 1:32:21, 13. Birgit Prigge (La Jolla) 1:32:31, 14. Vickie Alexander (San Diego) 1:32:54, 15. Rebecca Larsen (San Diego) 1:33:28, 16. Sue McCarthy (San Diego) 1:34:08, 17. Julie Lazarus (La Jolla) 1:34:19, 18. Linda Fradkin (Del Mar) 1:34:30, 19. Flynn Kile (Rancho Santa Fe) 1:35:12, 20. Shelly Whisenhant (San Diego) 1:35:19, 21. Mariat Fernandez (Bonita) 1:35:26, 22. Jaye Morris (San Diego) 1:35:30, 23. Cathy Lambert (Del Mar) 1:35:32, 24. Mary Dann (San Diego) 1:36:28, 25. Kristine Georgie (San Diego) 1:36:57.

5K

Male

1. Travis Kuhlman (Rancho Penasquitos) 17:11, 2. Ramsey Ali (San Diego) 17:25, 3. Michael Garza (San Diego) 17:39, 4. Arturo Nunez (Tiajuana, B.C.) 17:59, 5. Jordan More (San Marcos) 18:10, 6. Dave Slack (Oceanside) 18:54, 7. Collin Jarvis (Vista) 19:05, 8. Jared Threw (San Diego) 19:08, 9. Joey Hinton (San Diego) 19:11, 10. Connor Kuhlman (Rancho Penasquitos) 19:21.

Female

1. Shanna St. Laurent (Oceanside) 19:51, 2. Tiffany Duffy (Escondido) 19:55, 3. Molly Ragsdale (West Palm Beach, Fla.) 20:04, 4. Denise McFayden (Escondido) 20:07, 5. Dede Spinler (El Cajon) 20:30, 6. Patrice Malloy (Cardiff) 21:14, 7. Linda Powers (San Diego) 22:37, 8. Megan Lowre (San Diego) 23:02, 9. Marie Lacey (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) 23:09, 10. Drew West (San Diego) 23:27.