The Crystal City Twilighter 5k‘s seventh running was a who’s who of the regional running scene.
Area running clubs emptied their stables. The course was new – faster, with fewer turns. And conditions, while not good for racing, exactly, were about as good as they get for late July in downtown Arlington. No 98 degrees (2011) or downpours (2013).
[button-red url=”http://www.zippyraceresults.com/search.php?ID=4127″ target=”_self” position=”left”] 5k Results [/button-red]All told, 28 men broke 16 minutes, with Chris Kwiatkowski, RunWashington’s top-ranked runner in 2013, breaking the tape in 14:37. Kwiatkowski, 25, also led his Pacers/New Balance team to victory in the co-ed club team competition, a squad that included women’s winner Kerri Gallagher, who came through in 17:22. (In the women’s race, by the way, the top 23 broke 20 minutes, with 11 going under 19.)
“It’s a great atmosphere,” Kwiatkowski, who ran close-to-even 4:40 miles, said. “This was my first time doing this. I have been a part of this for four years – coming to watch, helping out – but never to race. So it was an excellent day to come out and compete and have some fun.”
Kwiatkowski was followed by Pacers-New Balance teammates Landon Peacock (14:47), Leoule Degfae (14:50), and Frank Devar (14:51). Kevin McNab, in 14:55, was the fifth and final runner under 15 minutes, leading Georgetown Running Club to second in the team standings. GRC was followed by DC Road Runners Club, Northern Virginia Running Club, and Capital Area Runners.
Last year, Claire Hallissey led Gallagher through a too-quick first mile. Gallagher faded to third, she recalled.
This year she had a very different strategy. “The plan,” Gallagher’s roommate and training partner, Amy Laskowske, said, “was that she could help me through the first mile. And then I kept telling her to go, and she wouldn’t go.”
At the three-mile mark, Gallagher finally gave in, while Laskowske still finished just three seconds back. Lindsay O’Brien, of Georgetown Running Club, was third in 17:56.
“It was really good to kind of go in with a better plan and be a little more conservative,” Gallagher said.
Kwiatkowski and Gallagher each earned $200 for their efforts. The top three teams each received $250.
In the masters division, Patrick Kuhlmann, 43, won in 16:12. Shannon Smith, 48, was top female master in 21:20.
“I’m the old guy,” the unassuming Kuhlmann, said, as a way of identifying himself at the award’s stage. He took the same honor last weekend at the Rockville Twilight.
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If you think racing in the summer can be tough, try two in one day. That’s what Mike Cannon, 56, of Fairfax Station, did as part of his quest to run more than 100 races in 2014.
Asked how his race went, Cannon said, “I ran a 5k up in Baltimore this morning so I didn’t have the legs for it.”
Andrew Gray and Alan Bornbusch, two Arlington runners and members of one of Pacers’ Tuesday night running groups, enjoyed the race, they said, though perhaps for slightly different reasons.
Bornbusch, 53, said his 22:39 finish served him well in training for his first half marathon this fall.
“It’s a nice little piece of speed work,” he said.
For Gray, 31, who came in just a few seconds shy of breaking 20 minutes, the race was more like a piece of cake, even if a head cold made it difficult.
“It’s a good way to spend my birthday,” he said. “That way I can make room for brunch tomorrow.”
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He finally had it.
After years of trying, Arlington’s Matt Deters broke 16 minutes by a clump of hairs – 15:58. He confirmed his time at a laptop at the registration table.
“When I was in high school, if you ran under 16 you were a god,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to do it, after a torn Achilles and knee surgery.”
He was close on the fourth of July, running 16:06 at the Firecracker 5k in Reston.
At Crystal City, he split 4:49 and 10:03 before hanging on as the heat, and the hurt, turned up.
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Look out for Thomas Edison High School’s cross country team.
The Edison Club won its second-straight title in the high school team competition. Gonzaga, Annandale, Wilson, and J.E.B. Stuart also fielded clubs.
The Walt Whitman Club won in the high school girls division, followed by Annandale, Lake Braddock, Wilson, and Georgetown Visitation.
Brandon Rockers, a rising senior at Edison who was third for his club in 17:47, said running the Crystal City Twilighter has become a team tradition. “The race has always been before a running camp” members of the team attend, Rockers said.
In the high school results, Aviad Gebrehiwot, 17, of Annandale High School, was top male in 16:44. Sonya Butseva, 16, and teammate Kate Murphy, 14, both running for Lake Braddock Club, were the top females, both finishing in 20:49.
Look out, as well, in the 11 to 14 age group.
Madalyn Wright, 11, was 3rd in the female division behind Murphy and Angelica Gaughran, also 14. Her time was 22:57.
Wright was wearing a tutu, and said she has now run about half-a-dozen races between 5k and 10k.
“I love running,” said Madalyn, whose mother, Myra Wright, ran in high school and is a longtime runner.
Madalyn was 6 when she ran her first race. “I kept saying,” Myra Wright recalled, as they ran together that first time, “the tortoise wins: slow and steady finishes the race. And she kept saying, ‘Mom, I want to go faster.’ So at two and a half I said, ‘Madalyn, ‘Go!’ and she just took off.’
That’s how it has been ever since, said Wright, who had a finishing time of 24:16 on her watch.
“I tell you, it motivates me to run faster when you know your little girl is up there.”
By James Moreland
Broadlands, VA
March 19, 2011
For the Washington Running Report
Elite racers get ready to rumble in Jon Hickman photo.
On the cusp of spring more than five hundred runners turned out for a glorious day. Scores of children enjoyed the one mile fun run. This race is famous for its scores of prizes for the young ones as well as the large amounts of money designated for Children’s National Medical Center. This year the check was for $65,000. In today’s race one young lady who you might have thought was more suited for the mile earned the “youngest, fastest award.” Ivy Richerson, just five-year-old ran the full five miles in 52:49.
There were some lone, lean runners ready to go after the cash money for the top three. Regulars Demesse Tefera and former winner Gurmessa Megerssa were, as always, among the favorites. Just last week Tefera had won it all at the St. Patrick’s Day 8K in 24:22 and event record holder (23:36) Megerssa had been fourth in 24:49. Megerssa told us that they had been doing some really challenging track workouts and Tefera had overdone it a bit and had to pull out of the race.
There were three sections in the top eight runners. Megerssa was tucked in behind Karl Dusen and David Nightingale going for the cash. Dusen was one of five runners sporting Georgetown Running logos that all finished in the top eight. The course is a fast, fair course but the first mile is a steady uphill to separate the wheat from the chaff. In the second pack Sam Luff and Ryan Hanson of Rockville were taking on Allen Carr of Washington, DC. Carr has not been seen in the last year or so but it is clear he has been training. With a light breeze it is important not to left runners pull away. Drafting helps. A couple hundred meters back Charlie Ban and Jake green were keeping each other honest. Both broke 27:00, which has been fast enough to win this race in past years. Not today.
In 2009 Abraham Ng’etich set the event record in a blazing 23:43. In all, twenty runners have broken 25:00 on this fast, runner friendly course. In the final mile Nightingale (in photo) with the longer legs pulled away to win with 23:56; a tie for the second fastest time for the event. Julius Gwako won a photo finish in that identical time with Michel Khbotov in 2003 on the old course. Megressa loped in shortly afterward in 24:25.
The age groups are only two deep in ten year age groups so the competition is fierce and usually won by the runners who have just entered an age group. Allen Vaughan, 60, was looking around at the start and felt comfortable about his chances. He started out conservatively, taking the first mile in 7:15. Then he just kept powering away to win in a very nice 35:08.
The grandmaster champion was Kevin Washburn, 53, of Centreville, VA (in photo) in 33:40. Everyone recognizes the Washburn name. Walt Washburn, who turns 89 in October, has been a regular on the racing circuit for scores of years. He owns three American records for 80 and older. Until lately he was an active member of the 50 Plus Club, a club with a goal to race fifty races in a year. Walt had a few setbacks but do not be surprised if he comes back out on the roads again. Mike Cannon, who was second grandmaster in 35:02, is also a 50 Plus club member who ran 66 races in 2010. Not far behind is Myron Kremer, 54, of Winchester, VA who ran 68 races in 2010.
For the women, 49-year-old Linda Foley was one of the pre race favorites. More than once she has been the overall winner and is always ranked near the top of her division. She had a very nice race running mostly alone in 32:41. This year none of the elite open racers were racing here. Foley’s 32:12 only bought her eighth place last year. In 2009 Phebe Ko ran an excellent 27:54 to set the standard for the current course. Naoko Ishibe has the event record racing 27:52 in 2003.
Today Elizabeth Young (in photo) took charge early. She race unchallenged to a nifty 31:28 victory. Amy Franklin, 25, Ashburn, VA was third in 33:31. Just like the men there was a gap and then another pack of three. They flew home in the mid 35:00s. Then the final competitors in the eight pack were Leslie Fajfar and Van Metre veteran Erica Cline just faster than 37:00. Pane, 51, of Clifton, VA was the top grandmaster in 37:26. There no women older than 58 in the event.
Runners delighted to coffee and doughnuts on both sides of the race as well as fresh fruit. No race has more random prizes.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
Age Groups by Net Time
FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Time
===== ===== ======================= === ===================== =====
1 488 Elizabeth Young 31 Washington DC 31:28
2 579 Linda Foley 49 Oak Hill VA 32:41
3 45 Amy Franklin 25 Ashburn VA 33:31
MALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Time
===== ===== ======================= === ===================== =====
1 572 David Nightingale 25 Washington DC 23:56
2 456 Karl Dusen 28 N Bethesda MD 24:03
3 600 Gurmessa Megerssa 31 Washington DC 24:25
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 1 - 19
1 100 Amelia Jones 16 Baltimore MD 37:32
2 597 Logan Cunningham 13 Ashburn VA 41:27
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 1 - 19
1 262 Sam Coffman 17 Sterling VA 30:35
2 263 Micah Coffman 14 Sterling VA 32:03
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
1 517 Autumn Parker 27 Ashburn VA 34:28
2 236 Jorie Devine 29 Leesburg VA 35:16
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
1 431 Samuel Luff 24 Rockville MD 25:04
2 382 Ryan Hanson 23 Rockville MD 25:15
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
1 445 Diane Lathom 39 Ashburn VA 35:24
2 612 Erica Cline 32 Ashburn VA 36:45
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
1 497 Brian Young 32 Washington DC 28:24
2 546 Greg Stemberger 34 South Riding VA 28:37
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
1 540 Tonya Stotler 44 Leesburg VA 37:00
2 408 Tamara Yoder 44 Aldie VA 38:04
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
1 415 Bryan Tenney 43 Ashburn VA 31:05
2 512 Philip Baetcke 40 Falls Church VA 32:23
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
1 477 Pam Sane 51 Clifton VA 37:11
2 443 Nancy Wallace 51 Ashburn VA 37:46
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
1 576 Kevin Washburn 51 Centreville VA 33:39
2 323 Michael Cannon 53 Springfield VA 35:00
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
1 392 Allen Vaughan 60 Stafford VA 35:07
2 207 John Baxter 64 Fairfax VA 37:22
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
1 14 Chan Robbins 73 Arlington VA 41:15
2 27 Gary Ehlert 70 Vienna VA 52:55
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 353 Daniel Cardile 36 M Derwood MD 36:11
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 520 Jill Galaida 33 F Broadlands VA 40:13
