The King dynasty continues.

Bend’s Suzanne King claimed her fifth Pole Pedal Paddle title on Saturday to become the winningest elite woman in the 31-race history of the annual multisport event. King’s time of 1 hour, 57 minutes, 3 seconds was also the fastest time ever clocked by a woman on the current PPP course. The win marks the 43-year-old’s fourth win in as many years. She also won in 2001.

King, a two-time U.S. Olympic cross-country ski team member, was all smiles as she sprinted to the finish line at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, where dozens of spectators were on hand to clap and cheer for the perennial winner.

”There was no pressure at that point,” said King, who was surrounded by her support crew and family following the race.

”It’s rewarding,” King said of her fifth PPP win. ”I feel well-supported. I’m in good health and grateful for that.”

In a near repeat playout of the 2006 women’s race, Sarah Max, 32, of Bend finished approximately three minutes behind King to take runner-up honors with a time of 2:00:26.

”Second is great. I’m thrilled,” said Max, who then added, jokingly: ”Someday Suzanne will go out of town (on PPP race day).”

Pole Pedal Paddle newcomer Evelyn Dong, 21, of Bend was third in 2:06:52, narrowly edging out Lisa Magness of Bend, who crossed the finish line just nine seconds later.

Earlier Saturday morning at Mount Bachelor, King moved out front in the women’s race on the alpine ski leg. Max was right on King’s heels after the downhill ski, and the defending champion’s lead was just 16 seconds at the transition to the third stage of the race, the bike leg. Dong was one minute back following the eight-kilometer nordic leg.

But King turned the screws on the 22-mile bike ride from Mount Bachelor to Bend, during which she extended her advantage to two minutes over Max and to five minutes over Dong.

”(On the bike) I didn’t feel like I was killing myself,” observed King, who was using an aerodynamic time-trial bike for the first time in the race and said she averaged 28 miles per hour on the course.

King then padded her lead by another minute during the 10K run leg, and she maintained the three-minute gap over Max through the boat and sprint stages to the finish.

”It was so similar to last year,” said King. ”On the run turnaround at Braeburn (neighborhood, about halfway through the stage), I saw Sarah about 2:20 behind me.

”I’m always reading my level of exertion, what I can handle,” King continued. ”That’s one of the areas I have plenty of experience in – how to push at a high level without going into a danger zone.”

Max said she was pleased about staying close to King on the cross-country ski leg.

”My ski was so much better than last year,” said the runner-up. ”I was really happy about that. My bike was good. I was hitting 45 mph and faster at some points, but Suzanne had an awesome bike.”

Max added that she incurred a few transition bobbles during the race, including stopping on the run course to take off a shoe and remove a knee warmer.

Dong said her inaugural PPP ”was quite the experience.”

”I’m definitely glad I did it,” said Dong. ”It seems like the whole city is out here today.”

After losing ground on the alpine ski, Dong was unable to catch the leaders in her strong suit – the cross-country ski.

”The ski was good,” she said, ”but just so short.”

Dong maintained a light-hearted approach to the race, smiling and laughing with her support team as she navigated through the chaotic boat-transition area.

”I kept a pretty low-key mindset,” she said.

Magness, last year’s fifth-place finisher, gained time on Dong during the bike and paddle after falling behind on the two ski legs.

”I was faster (this year), which makes me happy,” said the 47-year-old Magness, who held an ice pack on the hand she had injured in a crash on the nordic ski leg. ”Instead of falling four times, I only had one.”

King’s performance was the 24th fastest time among all individuals and teams at Saturday’s PPP. She was also the 11th fastest elite individual to cross the finish line, beating out eight elite male competitors.