Hunt Wins on Familiar Ground : Redondo 10K: In his third try, he beats Ansberry by seven seconds. Wilma van Onna finishes first in the women’s race.

Thom Hunt parlayed his experience and knowledge of the course into a close victory in the Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10K run, edging Tom Ansberry in 28 minutes 52 seconds. Ansberry’s time was 28:59.

Wilma van Onna of the Netherlands led from start to finish to win the women’s race in 33:06. Tina Ljundberg of Sweden finished second in 33:42.

Hunt was among the leaders at the start. But it took a few minutes for the elite runners to get clear of the “bandits,” runners who had not registered but jumped into the race at the start.

Redondo Beach is reknowned for its tolerance of this practice. Sunday’s entrants numbered nearly 9,000, and race officials estimated the bandits at 6,000.

Hunt led a pack of 20 runners through the first mile in 4:36. As the group headed up a hill, four runners broke away--Hunt, Paul Williams, Ivan Huff and Ansberry.

The front group continued its pursuit of Hunt, who lengthened his lead during the course’s long straightaway along Catalina Avenue.

Near the end of the race Hunt was stalked by Ansberry. In the last mile of uphill and downhill and switchbacks, Ansberry made a move. But even as Ansberry was closing, Hunt sensed the pressure and raced uphill with renewed speed.

“In that last mile, it was definitely to my advantage that I know the course,” said Hunt, who lives in Coronado. He had run the race twice before, placing second and third.

“I was just going to go out and see what I could do. I didn’t want to wait until the end. I’ve come up short that way a couple of times.”

Van Onna never faced any such tactical questions, holding a comfortable lead for the entire race.

“I never looked back,” she said.