At 3:31 a.m. yesterday, 56-year-old Gloria Brooks was running near the Wai'anae Comprehensive Health Center on the mauka side of Farrington Highway when a white flatbed truck traveling Wai'anae- bound went off the road and hit her from behind, police said.

Brooks died at the scene and was later identified by the medical examiner's office.

Witnesses told police they heard a noise, saw the truck speed off, and found the victim lying on the shoulder of the road. The truck's mirror was found at the scene. Police said Brooks was running on the sidewalk.

Patrol officers who responded to the accident said they would often see Brooks running early in the morning. She had been participating in local races, including marathons, for years.

She most recently ran in the Honolulu Marathon with a time of 5:20:28. In 2002, she placed first in the women's 50-59 age group at the 5th annual International Marathon on the Big Island.

"She was a real nice lady," said Richard Pontin, a manager of a rehabilitation home for men run by the church. "She ran every day. I've known her for a couple of years."

Pontin said he would see Brooks running past his home every morning. She'd run from Makaha to Ma'ili — roughly a 10-mile trek, Pontin said.

Brooks has a son who is in the Army and is stationed in Kuwait, Pontin said.

At her home yesterday, a man who said he had been her roommate for seven years, said Brooks liked to provide shelter for stray dogs she found while running. He said Brooks' parents live in Keolu Hills in Kailua, and that she worked at A.M.S.E.C., a company with an office near the airport. Calls to the office were not returned yesterday.

Yesterday's death was a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by runners and bikers who regularly use major roadways at night.

Blanton tells runners to make sure they wear reflective clothing. Some wear reflective vests, reflective strips on their shoes or carry flashlights, Blanton said.

"The more visible you are, the better it is for you," Blanton said. "It's usually pitch-black at the time she was running."

Police said Brooks was wearing reflective material on her running shoes.

Auto-repair shops and auto-parts dealers are being asked to report any information that may help identify the truck's driver.

The fatality was O'ahu's ninth this year, compared with 15 at this time last year.