SANTEE — While Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom seized the spotlight from American men by shattering the event record, former El Cajon resident Katie Burnett took a winning step forward from a three-year series of injuries in this year’s USATF National 35K Race Walk Championships.

Karlstrom commemorated his first appearance in the event on Sunday by prevailing in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 19 seconds and taking nearly 17 minutes off the old mark of 2:44:16 on the 1-K course adjacent to the Trolley Square shopping center.

His effort also surpassed the qualifying standard (2:28) for September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

“It’ early season, but still I was hoping to be in shape to beat the standard,” said Karlstrom, 34, a three-time Olympian. “I did manage to get it, so I’m very pleased with that.”

On the women’s side, Burnett (3:05:10) placed first among Americans in just her second time running this distance given her recovery from injuries.

“I was trying to work my race and listen to my body,” said Burnett, 36 of Olympia, Wash. “I wasn’t sure not long I could go, but I thought I might as well try it.”

The 35K (21.75-mile) distance returned as the marquee race for the event, which instead the featured the marathon mixed relay last year ahead of its debut in the Olympics.

On the horizon is yet another change likely next year to marathon and half-marathon distances to offer a direct comparison to runners.

The women’s record (2:57:21) also fell as Mexico’s Valeria Ortuno Martinez prevailed (2:51:33) with Burnett third overall.

To go with the wins by the two international runners, Mexico’s Ever Palma placed second (2:37:46) in the men’s field. The foreign dominance brought a reminder that no Americans qualified for the Olympics last year for the first time.

Karlstrom came to the race along with two of his proteges given the relative proximity of training in Mexico City instead of being in Europe. This was at the invitation of El Cajon’s Nick Christie, who has been a fixture at the event.

Christie, who owned the old event record, finished third overall and first among Americans (2:45:31).

“It’s great having them there. It increased the profile of the race quite a bit,” said Christie, 33, who came off a virus that impacted his training. “Overall, I’m happy with my  result.”

Christie is set Tuesday to begin a four-year commitment in the Air Force in its world-class athlete program. On New Year’s Eve, he became engaged to fellow race walker Miranda Melville, of Chula Vista.

Melville placed second (3:05:52) and Maria Michta-Coffey, of Lake Grove, N.Y., finished third (3:09:57) among U. S. women.

Christie and Melville, both former Olympians, were two-time defending champions in the 35K race.

Spring Valley’s Natos Corvera won the men’s 10K race (44:36), and his wife, Celina Lepe-Corvera, took the women’s version (51:12).

“It’s always hard to regain your footing after an Olympic cycle,” Natos Covera said “We thought the 10K would be a good way to loosen the cobwebs and a get fresh start.”

The 35K race came with an $8,000 prize for both the leading U.S. male and female.