A mayoral race with no contestants

- It would have been like no other mayoral race. Associated Press in the Daily News.

The American Lung Association billed it as a battle of the buff: wiry Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, 56, against hunky San Francisco counterpart Gavin Newsom, 42. The race up more than 1,000 steps to promote clean air would have been a warm-up to the potential gubernatorial race between the two toothy, telegenic politicians.

Despite a near 15-year age disadvantage and 180 more steps to climb while inhaling some of the country's worst air, Villaraigosa would not get any handicap, said Andy Weisser, a lung association spokesman.

But either the association jumped the gun sending out its press release before the leaders signed on or the mayors got cold feet about competing in an event that could have turned into a photo flop. A revised release issued a week later made it clear the spring contest was between the cities.