This time, Russell drinks in achievement

Blake Russell (left), Deena Kastor (center), and Magdalena Lewy Boulet found themselves draped in glory after capturing the top three places in the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. (Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

Blake Russell waited four years for this race.

In 2004, the slender blonde ran to the lead at the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis, and stayed there for 17 miles, thinking she surely would secure a place on the US team as one of the top three finishers.

Instead, she was securing a reputation she didn't want.

Russell fell to pieces, in part because she had failed to drink water during the race, and she was passed by Deena Kastor and Colleen De Reuck, and then, as her heart sank into her sneakers, by Jen Rhines just 800 meters from the finish line. Russell ended up fourth, and fourth-place finishers don't go to the Olympics.

"After the disaster in 2004, my coach [Bob Sevene] and I knew we had to sit down and develop a game plan to get where I am now," said Russell, who got her spot by coming in third in the Olympic Team Trials yesterday. "Later on tonight, I think it's going to sink in, but right now, it's just really surreal. I couldn't be happier."

Russell, 32, nailed down a trip to Beijing in the 23d mile, when she picked up her pace to put some space between her and Desiree Davila, who was running fourth. Russell crossed the line in 2 hours 32 minutes 40 seconds, behind Kastor (2:29:35) and Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2:30:19).

"My goal was third - by an inch or a mile," Russell said. "If I was third, I was happy. Not fourth. Again.

"It's just a relief, it's just been such pressure. I felt it was my spot to lose."

In an oddly developing race, Russell didn't recognize Lewy Boulet, who has a marathon personal-best of 2:30:50, when the 34-year-old took off in the very first mile. Nor did Kastor. So they let her go, and by Mile 3, Lewy Boulet had a 44-second lead on a pack of more than 12 runners, including Kastor and Russell.

"My race plan going in was to sit through 17 miles if nobody went, and to go if anyone did," Russell said. "But when Magdalena went, and I totally respect her, I just didn't know who it was. It didn't look like Magdalena. If I had recognized her, I probably would have gone with her. I was looking for her ponytail, but she was wearing a braid."

For Russell, Lewy Boulet's charge must have seemed disconcertingly familiar: a surprising front-runner who inevitably would fade. It was "been there, done that" for Russell, and she wasn't going to fall for the strategy again, even when she figured out who the leader was at the first turnaround on the loop course at about Mile 5.

"[Lewy Boulet] was far enough ahead that I knew I was battling now for second and third place," said Russell.

Kastor shifted into overdrive after 18 miles, tracking down Lewy Boulet methodically, mile by mile, cutting the gap from 1:40 to 66 seconds to 14 seconds, until she moved into the lead after 23 miles. Russell was alone in third, two minutes back, with Davila sticking to her heels from Mile 18 to Mile 23.

"I learned from 2004, a lot can happen in the last 2 miles, so I was telling myself to just relax and stay calm," said Russell. "I was hoping I wasn't in trouble. I got to the turnaround [just before 23 miles], I knew [Davila] was gaining a little bit and I thought she was really strong. Then I threw in a couple of good miles to open it up a little bit more.

"With about 3 miles to go, I knew I had a pretty good lead and just had to maintain it."

Russell, who used to live in Acton before moving in 2003 to Monterey, Calif., qualified for the trials by winning the 10,000-meter race at the Stanford Invitational in 32:31.90.

She'll get another chance to show her speed in June, running the 10,000 at the Olympic Track Trials. But yesterday was all about the marathon, and claiming her place on the US team.

Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.