Thais Rolly’s dad Philippe wanted her to grow up playing a lot of sports, so she did.

Soccer, tennis, swimming, rock climbing.

“Ultimately, I wasn’t good at any of them,” she said.

Cross country? The sophomore is very good at that. While she didn’t follow dad’s advice to do something besides running, she did learn one thing from him – the devastating kick that he employs regularly on the D.C. road racing circuit.

She attacked the last quarter mile of the Oatlands course during the 6A state championship and passed Battlefield freshman Sailor Eastman right before the finish to win her first state title, 18:36 to 18:38 on the 5k course. Eastman is in her first season of cross country, having grown up a swimmer. Herndon Sophomore Gillian Bushee was third in 19:13.

“At the end, I just gave it my all,” Rolly said. “I wasn’t expecting to win.”

She had run the Oatlands course as a freshman, but with the 2020 cross country season delayed until spring 2021, whatever experience she gained from that race had faded. She and her dad walked the course earlier in the week to plan her strategy. She finished 44th in 2019.

“I always get progressively faster in races, so I just tried to stay in the second pack early on,” she said.

Eastman, Bushee and Centreville’s Camilla McKinstry (7th in 19:43) lead the first half of the race, with Rolly moving up with Bushee to chase Eastman in the last mile, 

“She’s been very patient,” McLean coach Kyle Jemison said. “When she was hurt, she didn’t rush back.”

West Springfield (78 points) and Battlefield (83) finished second and third behind team champion Ocean Lakes (63). Freshman Aidan MacGrath and senior Jane Bruenjes led the Spartans, who won the 2018 title. Herndon, in fifth with 121 points, made its first state championship appearance since 2007.

• Two walkers reported being attacked April a person on a black electric bike on Beach Drive near Wise Road in Rock Creek Park.
• Work to extend the Powerline Trail in Montomery County by 7.6 miles will begin in 2022 and eventually connect South Germantown Park to Cabin John Regional Park, thanks to $10 million from the state of Maryland.
• Loudoun Valley coaches Joan and Marc Hunter will be guests on the Out of the Blocks show tonight at 8:30 – the show will be archived, too.
• Work to widen the W&OD at Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive may briefly affect trail access until Apirl 19.
• The Capital Crescent Trail will be closed north of River Road at times for a few days starting Monday, April 19 to allow for tree removal.
• Milesplit featured an interview with Heritage alumna Weini Kelati.

• • • If vaccination rates continue on pace in Washington, D.C., outdoor races will be allowed to resume at 50 percent capacity, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced April 5.
    • The City of Rockville is collecting input about the future of RedGate Park via a survey that you can take here.
    • I have updated the DMV Distance Derby, you can see the standings through March here.
    • The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its Division I All-Academic individual and team honors for the 2020-2021 cross country season. Local runners include:
      

      Alyssa Aldridge	Georgetown
      Margaret Coogan	George Washington
      Sami Corman	Georgetown
      Katie Dammer	Georgetown
      Maggie Donahue	Georgetown
      Annabelle Eastman	George Mason
      Camden Gilmore	Georgetown
      Bethany Graham	Furman	John Champe
      Mary Hennelly	Georgetown
      Kyra Holland	William & Mary	Loudoun Valley
      Caroline Howley	Duke	McLean
      Baylee Jones	Georgetown
      Rachel McArthur	Colorado	Patriot
      Harry Monroe	Virginia	Gonzaga
      Peter Morris	Virginia	Loudoun Valley
      Matthew Payamps	Georgetown
      Jack Salisbury	Georgetown
      Parker Stokes	Georgetown
      Women’s Teams	GPA
      American University	3.8
      George Washington University	3.67
      Georgetown University	3.668
      George Mason University	3.5
      Men’s Teams	GPA
      George Mason University	3.52
      George Washington University	3.41
      Georgetown University	3.41
      American University	3.36

Name: Judy Doldorf

Self-described age group:  I am pretty deep into the Masters Division at this point

Residence:   Manassas, Va.

Occupation:  Public Safety GIS Manager for Fairfax County Department of Information Technology

How has your running changed in the last year:  As races started to get sucked up in the COVID vacuum, I went into more of a maintenance mode.  Instead of following a schedule, I ran when I wanted and I didn’t stick to any set mileage or pace goals.  The flexibility and not having any set goals was actually kind of nice. 

Why you run:  Running is just a part of my life.  Not running doesn’t feel normal to me.  Sometimes I run for mental clarity.  Sometimes I run to feel the sun and wind and rain.  Sometimes I run to spend time with friends and sometimes I just run to simply run.

When did you get started running: I’ve been running my entire life, but after having kids, I started running and racing on a regular basis.  I think it had something to do with needing some “me” time.

Have you taken a break from running:  I have, but not by choice.  See my answer below for the major injury question.

Training shoe:  I am all Altra!  For road, my go to is the Altra Escalante. For trail, Altra Superior.

Coach or training group:  My coach is Devon Yanko with Chaski Endurance Collective.  I cannot say enough about her and this group!  My training group is DQTC and again, I cannot say enough about this group!

The hardest race you’ve ever run:  Maybe because it is still fresh in my head, but I’d have to say the Terrapin Mountain 50K.  It is a great race that offers a bit of everything from forest roads, jeeps trails, single track, etc. with the bonus of about 7,000 feet of elevation gain which is no joke.  So.  Much.  Climbing.  This race had me walking sideways to get up/down stairs for a couple of days.

Most adventurous decision you’ve made with your running: I’ve been heading toward the ultramarathon distance for some time now and have a few 50K races and one 50 miler under me.  So, I am going to take it a bit further and see how the 100K and 100 miler feel.

Favorite local trail:  I frequent the trails in Prince William Forest, so those trails are at the top of my list.  I love running on the Appalachian Trail, although I don’t get the opportunity to do so often.

My best race was:  I ran the 2015 NYC Marathon.  This race wasn’t the best because of my result (it was actually my worst marathon time), but the experience of the race itself.  The energy and excitement at this race is like no other!

Favorite local race: I am a big fan of the EX2 Adventure trail races.  I’ve run a number of them over the years and they never fail to disappoint.

Ideal post-run meal: In an ideal world, my post run meal would be a huge veggie omelette with a side of home fries and bacon.  But until I get my own personal chef, a fruit and protein smoothie, it is!

Favorite flavor of gel, gu, etc: I am a fan of Spring Energy.  All the flavors are excellent, but my favorite is Speednut.

Pet peeve:  Runners that come to a dead stop at aid stations.  I have smashed into many a runner that have done this.

Goals: I am training for my first 100K in June.  I am hoping to run a 100 miler in the fall but have not decided on that just yet.  It just seems so far to run.  Haha.

Your advice for a new runner:  Do not compare yourself to others.  Run for yourself.

Song in your head during a run:  I did go through a phase when my kids were younger and songs from their various shows would repeat in my head.  Try running to the Team Umizoomi theme song in your head and not breaking into some sort of dance in the middle of your run.  Or better yet, the Baby Shark song.  Admit it, now it is in your head.  You’re welcome.

Have you dealt with a major injury:  Unfortunately, yes.  In 2017, I suffered a pelvic fracture due to a misstep into a pothole to avoid an oncoming car.  This basically transformed me into a couch potato for six months.

Running quote:  “If you run, you are a runner.  It doesn’t matter how fast or how far…”

Why is the D.C. area a great place to be a runner:  The DC area has so much to offer for all kinds of runners.  There are a ton of trails and paths that offer many many miles.  And on any given (normal) weekend, you can usually find multiple races at various distances.

• Part of the Western Ridge Trail will be closed for up to seven months for rebuilding starting March 31 between Porter Street NW to Bluffs Footbridge along Beach Drive NW. It’s the paved path that runs under the Porter Street Bridge, and the detour will follow the paved path on the other side of Rock Creek.
• The National Park Service has rolled back the pedestrian closure of East Potomac Park.
• Georgetown alumnus Andrew Bumbalough was a guest on the Morning Shakeout podcast.

• East Potomac Park and West Potomac Park will be closed to pedestrians during peak cherry blossom bloom, which is a variable but generally forecast to be March 26 – April 12, so Hains Point will be inaccessible in an effort to reduce crowding during the pandemic.
• Montgomery County is closing Little Falls Parkway, between River Road and Arlington Road.
• Marine Corps Marathon men’s course record holder Jeff Scuffins (2:14:01) died at 58.
• Thomas Jefferson alumna and Springfield resident Shauneen Werlinger was a guest on the D3 Glory Days podcast.
• Georgetown sophomore Maggie Donahue and women’s cross country coach Mitchell Baker were honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as athlete of the year and coach of the year for the Mid-Atlantic cross country region.

• The W&OD Trail bridge spanning Lee Highway in Arlington opened March 12.
• Montgomery County will resume closing two sections of Little Falls Parkway to motorists on weekends starting March 27.
• Loudoun County’s Office of Mapping and Geographic Information has launched a new mobile-friendly online map of the county’s unpaved roads.
• The Montgomery County Council will be discussing budget amendments March 23 at 9 a.m., including the includsion of the Capital Crescent Trail Tunnel. View the meeting here
• The People’s Alliance for Rock Creek is organizing a campaign to ask the National Park Service to permanently close upper Beach Drive to through traffic.
• The College of William and Mary announced that its men’s track and field team, previously retained for a season after initially being cut last September, will remain an NCAA sport.
• Georgetown’s women team finished 18th and its men’s team finished 22nd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships March 15 in Stillwater, Okla. Georgetown alumnus and former coach Mike Smith coached Northern Arizona to the men’s title and Walt Whitman alumnus and former Georgetown coach Will Palmer, an assistant at Alabama, helepd coach women’s winner Mercy Chelangat and third place finisher Amaris Tyynismaa. Individual finishers with D.C.-area connections included:

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Name: Omar Ali

Self-described age group: 50-55 (but I’m on the very low end of this age group)

Residence: Kensington, Md.

Occupation: Clinical scientist for a small biotech company

Volunteer roles in the running world: I usually volunteer for various roles with my running club (MCRRC). Most of the time, you can find me working as a course marshal or serving food at the end of a race. My favorite role is handing out bibs to runners – it’s fun to see the excitement on people’s faces, especially if it’s their first race.

How has your running changed in the last six months: I usually run with the club’s Experienced Marathon Program (XMP) in the summer and the club’s Winter Trails program in the…well winter (and I really miss running with these groups). With nothing in the immediate future to train for, I’ve just been maintaining some base mileage. I’ve definitely gotten slower during the pandemic, which has been discouraging. But I figure I’ll regain the speed once I start training for a race again. The time off from training has forced me to get a little more serious with strength and cross-training, which I’ve always neglected.

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• The District Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss the progress on the design of the remaining sections of the Metropolitan Branch Trail Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m.  Use this link to join the meeting:  rebrand.ly/MetBranchTrail
• Written comments will be accepted through Feb. 1 for the project to missing segments of the shared-use path along northbound Route 29 (Lee Highway) between Vaden Drive and Nutley Street (Route 243) in Fairfax County, directed to [email protected] and [email protected]. Please reference “De Minimis Impact Towers Park” in the subject line. See more information here: Route 29 Northbound Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements 
• The City of Alexandria is seeking input from community stakeholders regarding the proposed project Old Cameron Run Trail. Give your feedback  via this feedback form. Feedback is due on Sunday, Jan. 31. Learn more about the project here: https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/info/default.aspx?id=116739
• Georgetown Day School alumna Ziyah Holman’s kick in a 4×400 meter relay for the University of Michigan got about as much play from ESPN as a collegiate runner can expect.
• The Hoya Insider podcast has featured both Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Alton Mckenzie and Head Men’s Cross Country Coach Brandon Bonsey.
• Montgomery County’s Christine Dunn was a guest on the Run Farther and Faster podcast.
• Georgetown alumnus Andrew Bumbalough was a guest on the Citius podcast, talking about his retirement from professional running.