Spyros Barres is back.

During a 10-year period from about 1990-2000, the Mystic resident dominated road racing in the region, winning countless races.

But after being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive system that sapped his energy and took 25 pounds off his already lean 145-pound frame, Barres was forced to give up running. On days when the disease flared up he could barely get out of bed.

In June of 2010 he underwent surgery in which an ileostomy was performed. His energy returned and this past January he began to train again.

Then three weeks ago, the 49-year-old Barres won the first annual Newport Pell Bridge Run, a 4.2-mile race. Not only did he beat the other 2,000 runners, he averaged 5:22 per mile, not much slower than in his heyday.

Not bad for a guy who's been out of the sport for a decade.

"I always had hope," said the always humble Barres about his darkest days. "No matter how bleak the situation might seem at the time there's always a glimmer of hope."

Barres, who grew up in Costa Rica and moved to Mystic where he had family in the late 1980s, said he was running and feeling well when he was diagnosed with Crohn's in January of 1999.

"I didn't know anything about it," he said. "It was pretty debilitating."

When he could, he continued to play soccer, which he loves as much as running, and could be found at the Mystic YMCA lifting weights.

Barres said he tried all types of treatments and remedies to counteract the effects of the disease. But none worked.

That's when he began researching ileostomies and found that people with them have competed in Ironman and climbed Mount Everest. He even found an Olympic swimmer and a professional boxer.

"You pretty much can do anything," he said.

So he decided to have the surgery, in which a section of small intestine is brought out through the skin and waste is deposited in an external pouch.

"I was scared. But it was the best thing I ever did," he said.

Although his close friends have known about the details of his surgery, he said that until now he was uncertain about talking about it publicly.

But by sharing his story, he said he hopes others who are facing an illeostomy or have had one, will realize they do not have to embarrassed and can continue to do the things they love to do.

"I'd like to use myself to bring awareness to this," he said.

Late last year he began running a little and found that he could. After the annual New Year's Day Run and Swim in Mystic he began thinking about what he would like to do with his running.

In February, he ran the grueling Colchester Half Marathon in 1:32.

"I got as excited about my running as I did 10 years ago," he said.

Just like the old days, he soon began showing among the top finishers in local races. And he was feeling as good as he did when he was winning all those races back in the 90s.

Then came Newport, which he won by 40 seconds.

"I was actually very surprised that I could run as fast as I did after 10 years off," he said.

He went on to finish third in the 45-49 age group at the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving and plans to run the Pearl Harbor master's race in Waterford on Sunday.

As for the future, Barres said he will see what the new year brings but is considering an ultramarathon.

"After 10 years off, all these races seem like a novelty," he said. "And it's just great to be back in the running community and reconnecting with all my running friends."

On the schedule

• Join Barres Sunday at the 32nd annual Pearl Harbor 5.5-mile road race, an event for those 40 and older. The race begins at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Waterford VFW Post 6573 at 382 Boston Post Road in Waterford. The entry fee is $15. Applications are available at www.snerro.com.