By James Moreland
May 29, 2010
Sterling, VA
For the Washington Running Report
This is the weekend for the unofficial start of summer but it had cooled down greatly from Thursday’s 91 degrees. The gnats sticking on your skin told of the searing humidity that runners would soon be basting in. That does not sound for a recipe for a personal record on a two-loop course with rolling hills, long hills, and stairway hills. Before the race we caught up with consensus favorite Aaron Church, 34, of South Riding, VA. Church (in photo) had not run the course before but was in awe of Philippe Rolly’s 2005 30:40 course record. He knew all about Rolly towing to a split second photo finish C.W. Moran, who at age 19 had owned the course record set in 2004 at 32:34. Rolly, the sub masters record holder from 2008 and Ray Pugsley the masters record holder from 2009 were absent. Church smiled and noted that a course record was unlikely. This from a man coming off a 30:55 at the Kaiser Permanente Pike’s Peek 10K just a month ago and a blazing Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10M in 50:52 with a 10K equivalent of 30:36.
By then the announcer was getting runners set to dart under the traditional ladder arch made by the Sterling Fire Department. And they were underway. Church jack rabbitted around the corner quickly and was soon out of sight of the nearly seven hundred finishers. By the mile, he had a 150 meters lead and the race was for second place.
The first mile was deceptively fast. The second fulfilled the axiom of “what goes up…” Still, there is always a large contingency of onlookers and supporters. After a Great spring Mary Beth Chosak was coming off a tough sixth place finish at the Capitol Hill Classic 10K race in 39:54. That same weekend Sarah Bard won it all at the Devotion to Children 4M in 24:48. This meant both racers would be battling most of the way. They were joined by Cathleen Willy for the journey. Nobody else was going to break forty that day as Bard pulled away to win in 39:06.
Humidity, hills, and heat did not seem to affect slim Linda Foley and she wore the de rigueur shades, more for the bugs than the sun. Foley also had a fine spring so far, finishing second at the Devotion to Children 4M in 25:22 but though she won the top masters spot she could not stay as close to Bard finishing fifth overall.
Dee Dee Loughran (accepting her award) already has the fastest 20K and the fastest half marathon not belonging to Joan Benoit Samuelson in 2010 as well as a chart topper at the Kaiser Permanente Pike’s Peek 10K in 40:47. But we are in Virginia and she was looking at the relatively soft 42:01 set by Ecris Williams. It has been hanging around for twenty years. Coming back down the opening stretch on the second loop she knew she was golden and busted the record wide open with a swift 41:23 and seventh overall.
Meanwhile, the trailing pack for the men was composed of four local young men who finished in a clump between 36:45 and 36:48. Patrick Wilson of Potomac Falls took the runner-up spot. Tom Steinbach was the top master in 38:15 for seventh place.
For the grandmasters, it was all Jason Page, 65, of Hamilton, VA in photo below. He is sneaky fast and loves to go out strong. It comes from many years of winning races by taking the lead. After the race it admitted he may have gone out too fast. “I really would have done better with a five mile race,” he lamented. “I ended up slowing to a 7:00 mile for the last mile.” Lucky for him it was a 10K because his best 5M at Germantown two weeks ago in 32:24 is a ways off of John Hosner’s 31:09. But his 40:35 today set aside and excellent 41:11 for the Virginia State record held by Cal Fowler.
Glenn Luttrell, 68, of Winchester, VA was pumped up by his second place age group win. “Soon I will seventy.” That was a tough challenge today as Chan Robbins of Arlington, VA took top honors in 50:53. And what of the 75 and older? This race is great in recognizing five year age groups and going three deep. Still as Terry McCarthy of Leesburg, VA has just turned 75, he knows competing with those young whippersnappers is well-nigh impossible. So he took on Bob Gurtler of The Plains, VA who is 75 and has already raced forty times this year.
At 2.5 miles and again on the second loop at 5.5 miles there was a fire truck sending a fifty foot fountain of water over the roadway to help cool the runners. The second time through what had been mist was more like a river.
After the race there was lots of water, though all of us had a sheen of liquid covering the outside of our bodies already. Bagels and bananas were abundant and the chicken sandwiches were spicy and hot. Giant Foods also handed out some reusable shopping bags with goodies inside.
To the left Ray poses with Old Glory.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
OVERALL MALE (GUN TIME)
Place Num Name Lname Age City Time
===== ===== =================== === ===================== =======
1 8 Aaron Church 34 South Riding VA 32:21
2 655 Patrick Wilson 17 Potomac Falls VA 36:45
3 653 Joshua Hardin 19 Potomac Falls VA 36:47
OVERALL FEMALE (GUN TIME)
Place Num Name Lname Age City Time
===== ===== =================== === ===================== =======
1 464 Sarah Bard 25 Leesburg VA 39:06
2 517 Mary Beth Chosak 31 Arlington VA 39:21
3 727 Cathleen Willy 26 Alexandria VA 39:52
MALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19 (NET TIME)
1 434 Brian Robinson 19 Sterling VA 36:34
2 162 Stefan Vanburen 17 Potomac Falls VA 37:27
3 338 Brian Horlick 17 Manassas VA 37:55
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19 (NET TIME)
1 542 Julie Bell 19 Vienna VA 48:21
2 615 Emily Henderson 19 Potomac Falls VA 48:46
3 345 Lauren Dalton 15 Sterling VA 49:04
MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24 (NET TIME)
1 713 Robert Mulloy 20 Great Falls VA 44:35
2 524 Brad Mitchell 22 Sterling VA 44:43
3 703 Jin Hwan 20 Potomac Falls VA 45:03
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24 (NET TIME)
1 518 Katie Muething 24 Arlington VA 40:30
2 124 Karen Dickerson 24 Springfield VA 46:31
3 598 Marissa Olson 20 Leesburg VA 47:49
MALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29 (NET TIME)
1 178 Dennis Haeberle 29 Reston VA 41:30
2 188 Daniel Torrico 28 Sterling VA 41:56
3 505 Brett Ruff 25 Arlington VA 43:30
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29 (NET TIME)
1 617 Kristina Keller 27 Cleveland Heights OH 45:49
2 319 Miranda Rocker 28 Arlington VA 47:53
3 21 Ardene Kidby 25 Springfield VA 47:57
MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34 (NET TIME)
1 722 Greg Stemberger 33 Aldie VA 38:09
2 663 Greg Sprowl 32 Bethesda MD 38:35
3 416 Adam Borbidge 31 South Riding VA 39:23
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34 (NET TIME)
1 384 Elizabeth Helland 32 Arlington VA 41:13
2 514 Kimberly Barnes 30 Leesburg VA 46:48
3 661 Cassie Henry 30 Potomac Falls VA 46:49
MALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39 (NET TIME)
1 710 David Kent 38 Arlington VA 38:08
2 545 Brian Szabos 36 South Riding VA 38:29
3 81 Richard Haylor 39 Martinsburg WV 38:48
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39 (NET TIME)
1 36 Heather Schaffer 39 Potomac Falls VA 42:03
2 180 Deborah Whitfield 37 Potomac Falls VA 43:52
3 289 Alison Gittelman 37 South Riding VA 44:28
MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44 (NET TIME)
1 499 Tom Steinbach 44 Sterling VA 38:06
2 200 Bin Mu 41 Reston VA 38:23
3 240 Dennis Billings 41 Woodbridge VA 39:35
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44 (NET TIME)
1 601 Kristin Didomenico 43 Potomac Falls VA 42:37
2 479 Lynne Cuppernull 40 Herndon VA 44:30
3 80 Mary Kay Anderson 42 Leesburg VA 45:51
MALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49 (NET TIME)
1 133 Gregory Gould 49 Sterling VA 40:34
2 664 Jim Bradford 48 Vienna VA 41:19
3 541 Robert Sichau 46 Alexandria VA 41:24
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49 (NET TIME)
1 9 Linda Foley 48 Oak Hill VA 40:52
2 250 Mandana Mortazavi 46 Leesburg VA 43:57
3 812 Annie Downer 45 Herndon VA 47:32
MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 (NET TIME)
1 611 Matt Rea 54 Potomac Falls VA 41:55
2 430 Kevin Apsley 53 Herndon VA 44:59
3 111 John Stacy 53 Fairfax VA 46:57
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 (NET TIME)
1 533 Deedee Loughran 51 Oak Hill VA 41:21
2 13 Carole Jones 53 Ashburn VA 46:55
3 112 Stephanie Danahy 53 Fairfax Station VA 50:04
MALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 (NET TIME)
1 14 Ken Krehbiel 56 Washington DC 43:59
2 10 James Moreland 57 Gaithersburg MD 46:39
3 600 Rob Colburn 55 Ashburn VA 50:27
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 (NET TIME)
1 712 Peggy Davis 58 Vienna VA 51:53
2 318 Anne Case 55 Manassas VA 59:55
3 446 Carla Bourgeois 57 Montclair VA 1:00:35
MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 (NET TIME)
1 143 Ted Baca 64 Arlington VA 46:27
2 199 Bill Koetter 61 Ashburn VA 50:30
3 415 Jon Palks 60 Bowie MD 50:42
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 (NET TIME)
1 716 Linda Kearney 63 Oak Hill VA 53:49
2 398 Freyda Greenberg 61 Falls Church VA 58:17
3 815 Janet Ruth 60 Potomac Falls MD 1:15:46
MALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 (NET TIME)
1 248 Jason Page 65 Hamilton VA 40:33
2 402 Glenn Luttrell 67 Winchester VA 1:01:37
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 (NET TIME)
1 172 Pat Welch 65 Vienna VA 1:00:11
MALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99 (NET TIME)
1 525 Chan Robbins 72 Arlington VA 50:53
2 87 Gordon Turner 70 Potomac Falls VA 52:17
3 372 Alan Rider 74 Reston VA 55:09
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99 (NET TIME)
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 160 Jason Eller 16 M Sterling VA 44:10
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 543 Diane O'Neill-Mason 30 F Sterling VA 63:18
By Brenda Barrera
Washington, DC
March 22, 2010
For the Washington Running Report
With a brutal winter all but a distant memory thanks to temperatures that rose to the 70s, more than 9,200 runners finished this year’s fifth annual SunTrust National Marathon, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon and Team Relay on Saturday in Washington, DC.
Local favorite Michael Wardian, of Arlington, VA (photo left), captured his fourth title, crossing the finish line in 2:21:58, and took home $2,000. For most of the contest it was a battle between Wardian, 35, and the defending champion, Patrick Moulton, 28, of Providence, RI with Wardian running in the lead and pulling ahead at each major split. Moulton’s 2:26:03 was well off his 2009 course record time (2:21:17) and afterward he said, “Hats off to Mike for his win.”
Wardian, who has garnered several honors this past year including 2008 and 2009 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year, felt pretty confident in his performance. Afterward he said he attacked every hill and stayed focused in order to post one of his fastest race times. “It was a terrific race,” exclaimed Wardian. “I love that my family was all able to be here.” Next up for the ultra marathoner is the Marathon des Sables and Comrades Marathon. Paul Howarth, of Albuquerque, NM, took third place in 2:27:19.
In the women’s race, Krista Vrombaut, who just started running competitively two years ago, captured the title with a PR in 2:51:17 and also received $2,000 for her win. “I played soccer in college and used to hate when our coach made us run three miles,” recalled the 27-year-old from Rock Island, IL. Michaela Driscoll, of Coventry, RI, ran 2:55:50 to finish second, and a local standout, Arlington’s Mary Beth Chosak, 31 (photo below), rounded out the top three with her time of 2:57:32.
The top masters were Kris Warszawski, 50, of Northville, MI, with a time of 2:44:00, and Tracy Wollschlager, 41, from Novi, MI, took the women’s title with her 3:03:50. Each earned $250.
Chris McDonald, 50, of South Riding, VA, won the wheelchair division with a time of 3:01:35.
An invasion from the Midwest might be an apt descriptor for the top finishers of the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon, since the top three men and two of the top three women were from either Indiana or Illinois.
Coming off a personal best in the 5,000 at the Husky Classic in Washington with a 14:03, Mark Fruin, from Bloomington, IN, came to DC looking to run a sub-1:05:00 to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. While he narrowly missed it with his 1:05:02 win, Fruin, who competes for Team Indiana Elite, was still happy. The 24-year-old credits a group effort, “It helped to come out here as a team.” Teammate Stephen Haas, 26, from Bloomington, IN finished second just 12 seconds behind in 1:05:14. Also making the podium was Jeff Jonaitis, 28, from Tinley Park, IL who set a PR with this 1:05:58.
The top local finisher, Silver Spring’s Dirk De Heer, finished 5th overall in 1:07:37 for his half marathon debut. According to his blog, De Heer thought the weather was amazing but noted the rolling hills on the course were tough.
In the women’s race another member of Team Indiana Elite, Laura Farley, 25, won in 1:18:38. Although her time was slower than 2009, Baltimore’s Phebe Ko placed higher with her second place 1:19:03 finish. “I’m coming off an injury so I wanted to use this race to test my fitness,” said Ko (photo left). Like many others in the race, she spent many hours training on the treadmill this past winter. Dani Prince, 24, also from Team Indiana Elite, rounded out the top three with her 1:19:37 finish.
This year’s race featured two icons of the sport: Four-time winner of the Boston and New York Marathon Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first women’s Olympic Marathon, spoke at Friday’s Health and Fitness Expo and both also ran the half marathon. Rodgers, 62, finished in 1:46:02 and Benoit Samuelson, 52, won her age group in 1:22:33.
“It was a good solid run,” said Benoit Samuelson. “It’s an Honest Abe course, it’s not flat.” She’s coming back to DC in a few weeks to run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile.
Next year’s race will be held on Saturday, March 26. For more information:www.nationalmarathon.com. Also, check out the May/June issue of Washington Running Report for race coverage.
2010 SunTrust National Marathon
2,325 finishers
Overall Men (clock time) 1. Michael Wardian, 35, Arlington VA - 2:21:58 ($2,000) 2. Patrick Moulton, 28, Providence RI - 2:26:03 ($800) 3. Paul Howarth, 32, Albuquerque NM- 3 2:27:19 ($700) 4. Matt Woods, 30, Falls Church VA - 2:33:30 ($500) 5. Ruben Galbraith, 26, Portland OR - 2:35:01 ($300) Overall Women (clock time) 1. Krista Vrombaut, 27, Rock Island IL - 2:51:17 ($2,000) 2. Michaela Driscoll, 30, Coventry RI - 2:55:50 ($800) 3. Mary Beth Chosak, 31, Arlington VA - 2:57:32 ($700) 4. Arien O'Connell, 26, New York NY - 2:57:45 ($500) 5. Shannon Saunders, 25, Charlottesville VA - 2:59:37 ($300)
2010 CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon
6,239 finishers Overall Men (clock time) 1. Mark Fruin, 24, Bloomington IN - 1:05:02 ($1,000) 2. Stephen Haas, 26, Bloomington IN - 1:05:14 ($500) 3. Jeff Jonaitis, 28, Tinley Park IL - 1:05:58 ($250) 4. Adam Hortian, 25, Waterloo ON CAN - 1:07:19 ($200) 5. Dirk De Heer, 28, Silver Spring MD - 1:07:37 ($100) Overall Women (clock time) 1. Laura Farley, 25, Bloomington IN - 1:18:38 ($1,000) 2. Phebe Ko, 27, Bethesda MD - 1:19:03 ($500) 3. Dani Prince, 24, Bloomington IN - 1:19:37 ($250) 4. Kristin Andrews, 28, Bethesda MD - 1:21:00 ($200) 5. Kathryn Neeper, 26, Washington DC -1:21:06 ($100)
