It’s a cool spring day as Vienna’s Ken Quincy finishes his 10 mile run on the WO&D Trail. There is no one around him on the trail, but that’s how he the 82-year-old likes it. The conditions are somewhat of a miracle, given how many runners and walkers have made use of the trail for exercise and a break from staying at home.
As he submits his time for this year’s virtual Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, he proves that age won’t stop him from running. Last year, among many, many races, he finished the Lucky Leprechaun 5k in 31:42
Having lived in Vienna since 1972, Quincy has been a noteworthy presence in the running community for decades. Originally from Colorado, he moved to the area to work for the FDIC after, as Quincy puts it, “[they] made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
He did not start running regularly until his mid-40s after a few unsuccessful attempts at getting introduced to the sport.
Name: Ciara (Donohue) Adam
Self-described age group: I am 23 so in races, I guess the age group 20-30?
Residence: I live with my husband in Winchester, Virginia
Occupation: I am a registered nurse at Winchester Medical Center
Volunteer roles in the running world: I can’t think of a volunteer role I have had with the running world recently, but I am hoping to look more into assistant coaching/volunteer coaching at local schools when the pandemic clears up.
How has your running changed in the last few weeks: Running the last few weeks has been a blessing. I work 12-hour night shifts in the hospital and when I fit in a run, I am always way less anxious about work. Fresh air has never felt better when you run after being in the hospital all day. New-nurse anxiety is a real thing topped off with being a new nurse during a crazy pandemic. Running is that something I am familiar with and keeps me grounded. In times of uncertainty, it feels wonderful to fall back to the sport I love most.
Why you run: Although I am not running near as much as I used to during high school and college, I find that when I do find the time to fit in good run, I am so much more relaxed and clear-minded. I find (as most people do) running as a de-stressor and I always feel 100% better when I get my feet out the door. It feels so good to challenge your body, feel your heart beating, and just be in your thoughts.
- Georgetown alumna Kate Landau was a guest on the Morning Shakeout podcast. She was the top finisher with local ties at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. Read more about her here
- Mike Smith, another Georgetown alumnus and former director of track and field, was a guest on the Morning Shakeout a few weeks ago.
- Fairfax County Public Schools tracks are now open to the public. Don’t be idiots about it!
- Loudoun County High School alumnus Tommy Curtain will be a guest on Wednesday night’s Potomac River Running Instagram Live, from 8-9 p.m.
- Georgetown alumnus Dylan Sorensen ran a 4:37 mile while dribbling a basketball.
- The USA Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association awarded All-America awards to NCAA Championships qualifiers. Distance runners with local ties include:
- Division I: Northwest alumnus Diego Zarate, a Virginia Tech student, in the mile; Briar Woods alumnus Jack Joyce, a Virginia Tech student, in the distance medley relay; Chantilly alumnus Brandon McGorty, a Stanford student, in the distance medley relay; Heritage alumna Weini Kelati, a New Mexico student, in the 5k, 3k and distance medley relay; Westfield alumna Sara Freix, a Virginia Tech student, in the 3k and distance medley relay and Patriot alumna Rachel McArthur, a Colorado student, in the distance medley relay.
- Division III: Quince Orchard alumnus Liam Walsh, a Carnegie Mellon student, in the mile; Georgetown Day School alumus Tristan Colaizzi, a Williams student, in the distance medley relay and Thomas Jefferson alumna Abigail Shoemaker, a Chicago student, in the 5k.
Finishing the For the Love of It 10K was special for Reston’s Kate Hutton. After having her first child eight months ago, she has taken her return to running slowly and cautiously, essentially re-starting her running career from scratch. She was finally capable of running more than six miles.
For her, pregnancy threw her fine-tuned body out of whack, far from the easy pregnancies she had heard about, and her initial goal of running as long as she could. And she’s not alone.
Name: Randall Myers
Self-described age group: Masters > 40
Residence: Arlington
Occupation: Emergency Medicine Physician
Why you run: I enjoy training for, preparing for and competing in races
Saturday mornings aren’t the same for Teens Run D.C., a mentoring and distance running program for underserved youth. Zoom hangouts have replaced the group’s Saturday runs, the Mentoring Matters 5k, scheduled for May 16, has been canceled and several events with local running groups didn’t happen as planned in April, all consequences of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the physical distancing guidelines necessary to limiting transmission.
For now, the organization is continuing to reach members and volunteers virtually until life returns to a new normal, said Lizzie Majewski, the group’s director of operations and finance. Majewski said the AmeriCorps coaches who typically work with middle school students are sharing videos on Facebook and Instagram, plus checking in with students by phone and Microsoft Teams.
“We will continue to educate and connect with our community, and we look forward to our group runs and gatherings returning. As many others do right now, we miss our community,” Majewski said.
- The Montgomery County Council voted to approve $54.9 million to replace the tunnel carrying the Capital Crescent Trail under Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. The tunnel is due to open in 2026, three years after completion of the Purple Line station, which will occupy the previous tunnel.
- Beach Drive and Ross Drive in Rock Creek Park will remain closed to traffic through June 8.
- Montgomery Blair alumna Morgan Casey wrote for the UMBC Retriever about how disruptions in her live during the pandemic have challenged her recovery from an eating disorder. She had earlier shared her story with RunWashington.
- Former Freedom and Forest Park coach Leroy Worley was named interim cross country and track coach at Emory and Henry College.
- I will be appeearing on Potomac River Running’s Instagram Live Wednesday, May 20 from 8 pm – 9 pm.
Vienna’s Pat Welch, 75, usually has the mornings to herself. She doesn’t have to go into work until 1:00 at her job at a chiropractic’ office, which means she uses the morning to run.
“I love a crisp cold sunny morning,” she said. “The colder the better.”
Welch first tried running back when she lived in Massachusetts, but it didn’t stick.
“I started running around the pond by the house,” she said. “Then I decided that’s not far enough, so I ran around it two times, and that was the last time I ran for years.”
In 1981, Welch moved to Vienna from her home in Massachusetts. Here, she was struck by the vibrant running community.
Name: Trevor Myers
Self-described age group: Grandmaster, not quite older than dirt
Residence: Bethesda
Occupation: Anesthesiologist-Dominion Anesthesia, Chief of Anesthesia Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington
Volunteer roles in the running world: Usually and obviously, I’m typically running the medical tent for larger races, but chip in anywhere I can.
How has your running changed in the last few weeks: My mental and physical exhaustion of the past six weeks has made it very difficult to find the energy to get time in, so I’ve returned to my favorite spot on the Potomac River over and over again
Why you run: Running has always been an escape for me, a respite in the storm of life. This has never been truer now, as we fight the scourge of Covid19.
On Running’s Chris Trebilcock talks about his life in the shoes business and his company’s efforts to distribute 5,000 shoes to essential personnel during the pandemic.
