BOSTON – It was Anna Willard’s type of crowd.

The famed spectators for the Boston Marathon came out a day early for the inaugural BAA Invitational Mile. The Telstar High School graduate and 2008 Olympian fed off their energy and enthusiasm through the streets of Boston.

“I expected it to be dead on the other side,” Willard said. “Usually everyone is just on the homestretch, but it was nuts all the way around. People were reaching over the barriers. It was awesome.”

Utilizing what she calls her normal “sit-and-kick strategy,” Willard burst past pace setter Shalane Flanagan on the backstretch of the final lap and sprinted away from the field to win the women’s mile.

Willard, a native of Greenwood, Maine, now living and training in California, crossed the finish line in 4 minutes, 38.6 seconds to claim the first-place prize money of $3,000. Flanagan hung on to place second in 4:40.2, while Amy Mortimer was third in 4:42.0.

Boston is turning into Willard’s kind of town. She has won gold in both of her Beantown races in 2009. Two months earlier, Willard won the mile at the 2009 U.S. Indoor Championships at Boston University. But this was her first trip to Boston for the marathon weekend festivities, and she found the energy contagious.

“‘It’s exciting to see the atmosphere around it,” Willard said. “I’ve never even considered running a marathon, but everyone here has the fever, so it’s pretty cool.”

The course, which started on Bolyston Street and circled the block consisting of Dartmouth, Newbury and Exeter streets, ended at the marathon finish line. Unlike a mile race on the track, the runners had to contend with tight corners, an uneven surface and crowds close to the action.

“It was so much fun, but the turns were tight” Flanagan said. “It was like a cross country mile, and I loved that. I could go run another one.”

Willard stalked Flanagan, the bronze medalist in the women’s 10,000 at the 2008 Olympics. Lacking Willard’s speed, Flanagan pushed the early pace, recording splits of 1:08, 2:17 and 3:29 for the first three quarters. But she could not shake Willard, who remained a stride behind until the pass on the backstretch.

“My usual strategy is to sit and kick. I keep employing it. It keeps working, so why quit now,” Willard said with a laugh.

A Maine high school state champion in both cross country and track, Willard became an All-American at both Brown and Michigan before she broke onto the world stage in 2008. The one-time U.S. record holder in the steeplechase won the Olympic Trials and finished 10th in that event at the Beijing Olympics,

In October, she moved her training base from Michigan to California, joining the elite Mammouth Track Club, which has been at the forefront of America’s resurgence in distance running. The training at altitude during the winter months has given her a solid foundation as she maps out her 2009 season.

Willard and her new coaches are considering having her compete in both the 1,500 (the metric mile) and the steeplechase at this year’s U.S. Championships in June. She had qualified in both events for last year’s Olympic Trials, but she decided to concentrate on just the steeplechase.

The schedule will be difficult, with a race every day for four consecutive days. But, Willard feels the double workload could help her in both events. She said running the steeplechase will improve her strength in the 1,500, while the shorter event should help her develop a better kick for the steeplechase.

“My ultimate goal is to medal at the world championships, whatever event that’s going to be,” Willard said. “If I’m around 4 minutes (in the 1,500), why not?”