By James Moreland
Rockville, MD
November 6, 2011
For the Washington Running Report
The Rockville 10K big claim to fame is that it is the longest running event in Montgomery County. As noted by Maryland State Senator Jennie Forehand, the event started as a ten mile race. For many years the race was run from Montgomery College as only a 10K. After racing in the local neighborhoods until 1991, the race raced south on the Pike to the Rockville Town Center, which was still in an earlier iteration. In 1995, the race added a 5K that circled the campus, while the 10K stayed on a similar path, though there were minor variations. That year the random prize was a week vacation and it was hoped that would bring the numbers up. The race had usually stayed around 500 finishers in good weather or bad.
By the late 90s the race moved to Piccard Drive near today’s 2 mile mark in the 10K. King Farm was still really just a farm. The course meandered back and forth between Gude Drive and Gaither Road. Then King Farm was completed and the event raced back and forth through the new community. The course has changed a number of times for both the 5K and the 10K. Mercifully, the 5K starts after the 10K now and takes a different route so there is no longer as much confusion as runners get to the finish line.
The finish corral has its own balloon arch.
Now the race began to grow and in 2008 finally cracked 1,000 finishers in the combined events. The next year the race fell back to below 800 finishers before rebounding last year to a record 1206. In 2011, the weather was racing perfect at 40 degrees with a bright sun and no wind and the event cracked 1,000 finishers for the third time.
Parking became a tougher commodity this year. Runners who forgot to set their watch had an extra hour to secure the prime spots. The start/finish and the balloon arch by the awards stand started to fill with runners later but hundreds of runners gathered together in the back of the Safeway parking lot, effectively blockading the road. The race started promptly at 8:30 a.m. and whipped around the corner onto King Farm Boulevard. Jack rabbit Dee Nelson, 68, was among the early leaders. After more than 1400 races she still enjoys the thrill of starting the race. She would easily win her age group.
For the men, even before the next turn onto Gaither Road the top finishers were being decided. The gentle climb to Shady Grove is about ¾ mile. Andre Orr and Daniel Miranda came bolting back down the hill side by side as if it were the final mile. Thirty meters behind them Karsten Brown was loping along saving effort for the later push in the race. The race is a series of long up and down slopes, the stiffest being on Gude Drive. Robin Lerner berated the course with, “Why is the fourth mile always the hilliest?” on the final steps of the climb the brought runners to Rockville Pike. We know Lerner changed her clock because she did her warm-up at the Anything is Possible 5K in Bethesda earlier that morning at 1:50 a.m. That syndicated event promotes the cutesy idea of finishing before you began, thanks to the change back to standard time.
Meanwhile, Brown was already more than halfway back down the hill and had already changed to a stiffer arm swing and a more frenzied pace. He had bolted away into the lead and he wanted to have some space by the time he crested the final hill at the corner of Piccard and Redland. Then it would be a final half way victory parade. Brown, who races about 100 races and close to a 1,000 race miles a year, had just raced his fastest 5 miler the day before finishing third overall at the Down’s Park race in Pasadena, MD in 27:04. (That is slighter faster than his PR Rockville Rotary 8K in 26:55 this summer). Yesterday the top two finishers were out of his league. Today he paced himself to his first sub 34:00 10K, winning it all in 33:26.
Place four through six were all top masters runners. Dave Haaga, 50, was holding tight to Mark Neff, 49, at 4 miles with Jean Christophe Arcaz, 50, looking unhappy that he could not quite join the party. Neff ran a very credible 35:38 to take the fourth spot by seven seconds with Haaga rounding out the top five. Arcaz earned the masters title in 36:18. The oldest racer Jack McMahon, 80, still looks good, finishing in 59:10.
For the woman, homegrown talent Julie Sapper ran away with the race from the very beginning with an excellent 41:16. There was some confusion later as a man had mistakenly worn a tag assigned to a woman but that was fixed by the time awards were handed out. As with the men, top masters runners ran well with four of the top six being masters. Liliana Baron, 53, seemed to relish the hills bounding along to the runner-up spot in 44:58. Leah Birdwell, 17, finishing eight seconds ahead of Shelli Beard, 42 in 45:42 though both had identical net time. Gun times decide the top five while net times decide the age groups.
When they finish revising the results Phyllis Sevik, 47, will move up to fifth overall from top masters and Jen Norris, 40, will become the masters award winner. Alice Franks, 63, (in photo) joined Nelson as shoe-ins in the sixties. Barbara Scoggins may have had the best race at age 59 with a very nice 47:04. Eighty-year-old Yvonne Aasen won the senior division.
The 5K is the younger brother for the event and though it is usually just as large, it does not draw as much recognition. Brown, who also races in Westminster, would recognize the race winner Greg Jubb, 21, who ran a nifty 15:58, which may be near Brown’s next 5K goal of breaking 16:00. Bennett Stackhouse, 27 was the runner-up in 16:26. Two Gaithersburg residents, Paul Jacobson, 48, and Dan Lawson, 56 battled for top masters honors. Jacobson’s eight-year difference was just enough to prevail by three seconds in 18:12.
Robin Stanley, 30, of Derwood, MD made it look easy winning in 20:07 with Teah Devan, 38, two minutes behind her. MCRRC president since 2009 Jean Arthur, 48, continues to astound this year with a third overall finish in 23:42.
After the race we met with racing legend Lou Shapiro, a sub 42:00 10K racer at age 69. This year he injured his hip and claims maybe by spring he will be able to run a 12 minute mile. Do not count out a much better comeback.
The 10K portion of the race is also one of the races in the Maryland RRCA series where running clubs from across the state compete.
Rehau Rotary Resolution 10K Adventure Race
Mild Weather for Tenth Anniversary
By James Moreland
Janaury 1, 2007
Leesburg, VA
For the Washington Running Report
In the photo below, the lead pack crosses the first ditch down the opening mile.
The Rotary Resolution 10K has been a challenging race from the start. The course is more cross-country than road. After charging down the grass covered field for the first quarter mile, runners get a taste of blacktop for a couple hundred meters. Then “the road is long with many a winding turn.” And by road we mean dirt as in “country roads take me home.” Mile two and three go through a farm where “life on a farm is kinda laid back.”
If you were a volunteer course marshal, the morning was brisk but just barely damp from the pleasantly unrequited promise of rain for the weekend. As a runner, missing the water at the first two ditches on the opening hill just meant that you were not muddy until the next mile. Most of the experienced runners were in shorts and by the last mile were hoping for rain to cool them off.
There was “no wind, no rain, or winter storm” to slow the runners this year. Times could have been very fast. With so many races in the area, the field of elite runners was diluted. Still, there were nearly five hundred finishers in the 10K and nearly two hundred more in the preceding 4K. The last two miles of the race are a little faster than most of the course with a long downhill and paved roads until that last quarter back up to the finish. Final quarters take care of themselves.
This year the favorite was Mark Stickley (44) of Winchester, VA. He had run in 2005 against a strong field, finishing fourth, second master in 34:50. This year he lingered back of the lead pack for the first half mile and then eased away from the field. While he had the third slowest winning time in the first ten years of the race, his 35:01 was near the 40-44 record set when Tim Schuler topped him in 34:33 to 34:50 in 2005. Next year he can gun for Chuck Moeser’s 45-49 record 34:44. In photo left, Andres Wright (40) of Frederick, MD used his newly minted masters status to cement a solid 35:25 second place award.
The battle for third was between two teens. Tim Maline (18) of Herndon, VA sprinted up the final hill for an excellent 36:08. Two years younger, Andrew Budiansky of Leesburg, VA was not far behind in 36:50. Awards were to the top three runners and the top two in five year age groups. Christian Falmagne (45) of Bethesda, MD was fifth as the last sub 6:00 pace finisher in 37:11.
Bruce Halpin (50) of Ashburn, VA ran a solid 40:49 for the grandmaster title just beating Michael Fitzgerald of Hagerstown, MD by five seconds. Bob Chase (60) of Pimmit, VA was tops in 46:43 surprising Lou Shapiro (65) of Silver Spring, MD in 47:02. Shapiro gave John Elliot some incentive with his second fastest course time for the 65-69 division. Elliott had set the record in 44:17 in 2005. Richard Williams (71) of Alexandria, VA (54:36) broke George Waxter’s best time to earn the second fastest time. Jerry Lewis, who often Duels with Williams set the record in 2005 with 53:59.
For the women, Jen Oblas of Leesburg, VA had finished second last year on the course that grew well past 10K in distance. This year she looked relaxed running ahead of the entire field. Her time was the slowest winning time so far but she did reset the Leesburg resident record with her 43:40. Anita Freres (41) of Reston, VA was the top master coming in second in 44:11 just out of reach of Oblas. Christine Goodrum of Leesburg (in photo above), VA was next in 45:10 holding off a late rally from Mariana Pargana of Washington, DC in 45:23. The rest of the top ten were very close as well with three places decided by just six seconds.
Tenth place Karen Young of Boyds, MD is getting an early start on the 10K. In 2005 she ran forty of them. Last year she only ran 38 10Ks in her 113 races for the year. Linda Sheimo (50) of Fairfax, VA ran a solid 51:10 for the grandmaster win. That is a ranked times and they do not come easy on this scenic course.
There were many, many young runners in the 4K. In the 10K the youngest runner for the males was Spencer Barrett (9) and for the females Amanda Eller (12) both of Leesburg VA. The record for the boys is still seven by Michael Castor. In 2000 phenom Aurora Scott of Portsmouth, VA, then just nine, was fifth overall in 46:02. Now sixteen she has run 16:37 for the fastest female 5K in the region in 2006.
After the race, runners enjoyed abundant quantities of refreshment inside the recreation Center.
Men’s Awards
Place Num Name Ag City Finis
===== ===== ======================= == ================== =====
1 4 Mark Stickley 44 Winchester VA 35:01
2 465 Andres Wright 40 Frederick MD 35:25
3 534 Tim Maline 18 Herndon VA 36:08
MALE AGE GROUP: 01 – 19
1 282 Andrew Budiansky 16 Leesburg VA 36:49
2 377 Patrick Hayes 17 Ashburn VA 39:17
MALE AGE GROUP: 20 – 24
1 349 Tim Snyder 20 Frederick MD 38:12
2 535 Matt Maline 23 Herndon VA 42:20
MALE AGE GROUP: 25 – 29
1 457 Stephen Schmidt 28 Leesburg VA 43:25
2 27 Adam Borbidge 28 South Riding VA 44:46
MALE AGE GROUP: 30 – 34
1 406 Andy Mason 34 Hagerstown MD 38:06
2 374 Bradley Wedemeyer 30 Ashburn VA 42:17
MALE AGE GROUP: 35 – 39
1 340 William Sutherlin 37 Sterling VA 40:47
2 334 Kevin Knight 38 Leesburg VA 41:13
MALE AGE GROUP: 40 – 44
1 522 Bryan Mikesh 42 Fairfax VA 40:43
2 504 Alan Thatcher 43 Manassas VA 41:18
MALE AGE GROUP: 45 – 49
1 58 Christian Falmagne 45 Bethesda MD 37:10
2 232 William Clem 47 Bethesda MD 42:54
MALE AGE GROUP: 50 – 54
1 352 Bruce Halpin 50 Ashburn VA 40:47
2 407 Michael Fitzgerald 51 Hagerstown MD 40:51
MALE AGE GROUP: 55 – 59
1 296 Timothy Morgan 56 Damascus MD 42:10
2 46 Allen Vaughan 56 Stafford VA 45:41
MALE AGE GROUP: 60 – 64
1 506 Bob Chase 61 Pimmit VA 46:39
2 357 James Hozik 61 Great Falls VA 49:30
MALE AGE GROUP: 65 – 69
1 81 Lou Shapiro 65 Silver Spring MD 46:58
2 180 Douglas Morris 68 Delaplane VA 53:00
MALE AGE GROUP: 70 – 99
1 24 Richard Williams 71 Alexandria VA 54:34
2 1302 Alan Rider 70 Reston VA 58:48
MALE LEESBURG RESIDENT
1 282 Andrew Budiansky 16 Leesburg VA 36:49
MALE ROTARIAN RESIDENT
1 273 Matt Elliott 33 Leesburg VA 48:54
Women’s Awards
Place Num Name Ag City Finis
===== ===== ======================= == ================== =====
1 269 Jen Oblas 28 Leesburg VA 43:40
2 483 Anita Freres 41 Reston VA 44:11
3 553 Christine Goodrum 34 Leesburg VA 45:10
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 01 – 19
1 301 Kate Spiering 17 Leesburg VA 51:43
2 214 Breann Whiat 16 Washington DC 54:58
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 – 24
1 585 Katy Dannenberg 22 Sterling VA 46:57
2 455 Ashley Carlson 24 Weslaco TX 51:19
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 – 29
1 233 Mariana Pargana 28 Washington DC 45:22
2 234 Andrea Vasquez 29 Washington DC 46:32
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 – 34
1 378 Carla Tharrington 31 Haymarket VA 51:38
2 218 Tatiana Boskovich 30 Burke VA 54:03
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 35 – 39
1 196 Tamara Utne 39 Bristow VA 46:59
2 184 Karen Young 38 Boyds MD 48:27
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 – 44
1 494 Claude Romeyer Dherbey 44 Round Hill VA 48:16
2 294 Annie McCoy 40 Hamilton VA 49:45
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 – 49
1 198 Carole Roeder 49 Ashburn VA 49:14
2 490 Kathleen Armstrong 45 Ashburn VA 52:21
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 – 54
1 443 Linda Sheimo 50 Fairfax VA 51:06
2 216 Margaret Davis 54 Vienna VA 52:39
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 55 – 59
1 23 Jane Poole 59 Washington DC 53:39
2 255 Julie Pastor 56 Leesburg VA 58:33
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 – 64
1 176 Catherine Van Brocklin 60 Gaithersburg MD 59:34
2 1309 Punkin Lee 60 Middleburg VA 64:48
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 65 – 69
1 207 Ecris Williams 68 Reston VA 65:53
2 42 Jamie Wollard 68 N Bethesda MD 76:31
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 70 – 99
FEMALE LEESBURG RESIDENT
1 269 Jen Oblas 28 Leesburg VA 43:40
