By Gary Kingston | Vancouver Sun

Sun Run women’s race winner Abebu Gelan hits the finish line with a time of 34:05, followed by second-place finisher Chantell Widney of Edmonton (below left; 34:24) and third place New Zealander Fiona Docherty (34:26). [Photo: Ian Smith, Vancouver Sun]

VANCOUVER, CANADA — Paced by an Ethiopian teenager, it was first-timers day for the top three in the women’s division of the annual Sun Run 10K race on Sunday.

Abebu Gelan, 19, who has raced out of West Chester, Pa., for the last month, crossed the finish line in 34 minutes, four seconds to become the third straight winner from the African nation. It was, however, the slowest time for a women’s winner in the race’s 25-year history.

Gelan, who politely waved off an interview request by saying she did not speak English, was followed across the line by Chantell Widney of Edmonton (34:23) and Fiona Docherty, a New Zealand native now living in Boulder, Colo., (34:25). Both were also making their first appearances at the Sun Run and raved about the course and the fact the 10K attracted more than 55,000 participants.

With Kenyan Yegon Kiprotich, who was third in the men’s race and who shares the same North American agent as Gelan trying to translate, the slim teenager said little more than she was happy with the race.

Gelan, who finished third and fourth in 10K races earlier this month in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., is the junior world record holder in the half marathon at 1:07.57. She collected $3,000 for Sunday’s win.

Widney, a 29-year-old mother of a 10-month old child, also earned $3,000 — $1,000 for the second-place finish in the women’s and $2,000 as top Canadian.

A member of Canada’s team at the world cross-country championships in Amman, Jordan, last month — she was 67th, but the second-best Canadian finisher. Widney said she was surprised to find out she had finished second on Sunday.

“I think I was fifth or sixth coming into the last 2K . . . and I came up on three girls and just went past them. It wasn’t until I got here [inside B.C. Place for the award ceremonies] that I found out I finished second. I thought I was third.”

That was Docherty, a 2003 world long-distance duathlon champion who has also competed in several Ironman triathlons.

The 33-year-old, whose brother Bevan won bronze in triathlon at Beijing last summer, is in the process of converting from triathlons to just running and is trying to qualify for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the marathon.

“The selectors have told me I need to go and get lots of experience and races, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m just going out and racing everything I can get my hands on. I’ve got my first marathon without a swim or a bike at the end of May in Ottawa.”

She said she will return to the triathlon at some point, “but I just needed a break from it. I wanted a life outside sport.” Docherty earned $500.