As Kristin Mitcham’s feet hit the sandy Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath in Georgetown for 10 miles, Kristin’s brother’s feet were hitting a treadmill nearly 7,000 miles across the globe — in Afghanistan. Her brother, Sean, who has been stationed in Afghanistan for nearly five months in the Army, told Kristin that he would run 10 miles on a treadmill at the same time of her race.

[button-red url=”http://www.dcrunningclub.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/FINAL10MILERRESULTS_030913.67183300.pdf” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]“My brother bought me the registration,” Mitcham, 33 of Reston, Va. said. “He buys us all presents over the internet when he’s deployed around Christmastime and holidays.”

Less than a week after “Snowquester” hit, runners who were lucky enough to snag registration for the inaugural DC Running Club Georgetown 10 Miler were all given a present: An out-and-back flat course along the scenic C&O canal path with clear blue skies, bright sun and 45 degree weather.

“A lot of runners today are asking for trails,” said race director John Braithwaite. “We could have easily had 1,000 to 1,500 runners, based on folks calling and people inquiring about the event.”

Since 2008, the DC Running Club has been holding races with a special twist throughout the area, including Take a Sick Day And Run a 5k and the Cupid’s Single Mingle Sprint. In the fall, the club will also host a five-mile disco Roll or Run where athletes will have the option to rollerblade or run.

“Folks get tired of the same 5ks or 10ks,” Braithwate said. “We like to come up with different themes for events.”

Starting March 18 at 6 p.m., the club will kick off their free beginner running training program on Mondays and Tuesdays in Haines Point. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the club also meets at 6 p.m. in Marlboro, Md.’s Watkins Regional Park.

First-place retired Marine, Alex Hetherington, 45 of Va., won the race by several minutes in 55:52. Hetherington, who will compete in the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, said he has been running competitively since high school.

“Running has been an important tool for a lot of reasons,” Hetherington said. “It gives you a reason to set goals.”

The Georgetown 10 Miler attracted runners from all over, including New York City.

“I usually do the New York Road Runners races,” said Neal Sussman, 30. “Those races are usually 4,000 runners. It’s nice to get a small competitive field where you can actually have a chance to win a race–or come close to winning.

Though 550 runners seemed like a small crowd for Sussman, the DC Running Club had to start the athletes off in several different waves to avoid large crowds on the tight canal path, which remained open to the public. Runners who hadn’t registered for the race however, were not able to enjoy the benefits of volunteers handing out water at various mile-markers along the course and a large, supportive crowd greeting them at the finish line.

It all came back in a hurry for Phoebe Markle.

After a few months of no running while she rested her IT band, muscle memory took over as soon as the horn sounded for the Four Courts Four Miler and she tore down Wilson Boulevard. The kind of muscle memory that develops after running two marathons, a half marathon, a half ironman and a 10k in a little more than a month.

“I was on a running high,” she said about her busy competitive schedule last October and November. “I was starting to know what my capabilities were and I didn’t want to stop. I heard about people getting overuse injuries, but I thought I was invincible.

“I wasn’t, not by a long shot.”

With about a month of running under her belt, Markle, of Arlington, pieced together enough raw fitness to finish as the third overall woman, in 25:55, following Claire Hallissey (22:56) and Kristi Markowitz (25:22), both of Arlington.

“I wanted to just get into a race and see how my knee felt,” Markle said. “Once I was running, everything felt fine, so I went for it.”

If all goes well over the next month and a half, she’ll be racing the Nike Women’s Half Marathon.

The course allowed many runners to race with unbridled enthusiasm down Wilson Boulevard and Jefferson Davis Highway before turning around and returning from whence they came. At that point, they faced the consequences of what they had done earlier, climbing back to the Arlington Courthouse Plaza near the eponymous pub. It was good  preparation for St. Patrick’s Day festivities a week later.

Terry Gricher, of Burke, has done the race before but made the same mistake.

“I start out too fast, even though I know better,” he said. “I’m out in 14 (minutes), back in 16. It never seems as bad on the way down as it does on the way back up.”

He tried to warn Kenny Rayner, of Arlington, on the starting line. His words were unheeded. Rayner went out in 4:40 leading Matt Barresi, of Falls Church. Close to the turnaround, Barresi blew by and took the lead to the finish, in 20:18. Burtonsville, Md.’s Edmund Burke also moved ahead to take second in 21:54, with Rayner finishing third in 22:16.

Barresi chose to race to avoid running too hard otherwise. He’s racing the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon and aside from using it as a tuneup, he hoped it would keep him under control.

“I figured hopping in the race would prevent me from getting antsy and going on a 16 mile run or something like that on my own,” he said.

After finishing third in this race last year, he wanted to run faster and to win.

“I pushed the pace the first two miles to give myself a time cushion and knew that I wouldn’t fall apart too much in the end because I’m strong from all of the marathon training,” he said.  “It was tough running uphill into the wind to finish, but I was able to run 13 seconds faster than last year with nobody to chase.  The race gives me a lot of confidence going into the marathon this weekend.”

The gap was just too much for Jordan McDougal to make up.

[button-red url=”http://results.bazumedia.com/event/results/event/event-3289″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]Anyone watching the finishing stretch of the St. Patrick’s Day 8k would say that. Elarbi Khattabi, of Waynesboro, Pa.,was comfortably ahead heading back on Pennsylvania Avenue, having broken the race open at three miles. McDougal, of Warrenton, figured the lead was around 20 yards, but that seemed like a conservative estimate.

[button-red url=”http://youngrunner.smugmug.com/Race-Photo-Galleries/St-Patricks-Day-8k-2013/i-DDqcQFJ” target=”_self” position=”left”] Photos [/button-red]As the pair looped to a turnaround on 10th street, McDougal had all but given up on going for the win, he was trying to preserve what he had.

“By the time we got to the turnaround, I wasn’t even trying to catch him,” he said. “But I saw that Gurmessa (Megerssa) was caching up to me. I figured If I don’t move now, he was going to get me, so I had to push.”

When he turned back onto Pennsylvania and could see the finish line, he was still sprinting.

“That stretch is so much longer than it looks,” he said. “We got about halfway down and I cut the lead in half. I was like ‘Wow, I might have a chance at catching this guy.’ I guess adrenaline took over.”

Shortly before the line, anything an earlier observer had assumed about the race was wrong. McDougal (24:32) passed Khattabi (24:38), who shut it down. Megerssa followed in 24:46 with Sam Luff two seconds behind and Sean O’Leary 10 seconds later.

That wasn’t the only surprise in the race. Women’s winner Claire Hallissey, or Arlington, doubled after having won the previous day’s Four Courts Four Miler and had a comfortable lead over Meagan Nedlow of Salem, Mass. 27:14 to 27:42. Hallissey, a member of the 2012 British Olympic team in the marathon, is gearing up for the NYC Half next Sunday in Manhattan.

Beau Jackson knows running.

Even though it had been more than 10 years since his high school athletic heyday, he managed to put together a solid 26:21 finish at the Bright Beginnings 5k at West Potomac Park March 3.

Beau Jackson knows marriage.

After he finished, he turned around and went out looking for his wife, Lauren, to help her to the finish. She was the reason the Adams Morgan couple was out there on a chilly breezy morning. After the holidays, she was determined to break through her malaise and chose a 5k to help her focus.

“It seemed like it was enough time that I could train for it,” she said. “March came a little faster than I expected, but it went alright. I liked it enough that I’ll do it again.”

Falls Church resident Chris Mills made short work of the field, cruising to a more than 90-second victory in 15:16. He has a big six weeks planned, with the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon, Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and Pike’s Peek 10k on his Spring schedule before his turns his focus to the Chicago Marathon in the fall.

As for the women’s race, another Falls Church resident came out on top—Jacqui Wentz—a recent transplant from Baltimore and a runner for the Riadha Track Club, who ran 17:38 to outdistance Erin Taylor’s 18:23. She’s a steeplechaser who is gearing up for the outdoor track season.

“I liked the race’s community atmosphere,” she said. She was joined at the race by a pair of teammates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Arlington resident Kirk Masterson’s fourth place finish in 17:15 surprised him a bit. Primarily a marathoner, it was his first 5k in years, he said. He somehow found the gears to surpass his wildest expectations.

“A short race for me, this is better than getting on the track,” he said. “I don’t get on the track that often.”

March definitely had “in like a lion” down pat.

One look at the sell-out crowd at the Reston 10 Miler demonstrated that. Among the 1,040 finishers, there was barely any exposed skin outside of a few nutcases, like PR Racing teammates Andrew Ciarfalia, Andrew Whitacre and Noah Zaring, who decided to [button-red url=”http://prracing.racebx.com/files/results/4d9205ce-7a0c-46c1-8929-4f56c0a86522/4f6b2f94-68cc-4f16-bc36-62fac0a86522/2013%20Reston%2010%20Mile%20Overall.htm” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]forgo long pants, and the former two long sleeves, on their way to top-five overall finishes.

“You came, you conquered and sure worked hard for that finisher medal,” the race announcer shouted through the microphone as [button-red url=”http://prracing.racebx.com/files/results/4d9205ce-7a0c-46c1-8929-4f56c0a86522/4f6b2f94-68cc-4f16-bc36-62fac0a86522/2013%20Reston%2010%20Mile%20Overall.htm” target=”_self” position=”left”] Photos [/button-red]runners finished the last 300 meters on the South Lakes High School track. The Reston 10 Miler was one of 18 races that are part of the Potomac River Running 2013 Trophy Series.

Leading the female division pack with a time of 1:00:15 was Peggy Yetman, a Potomac River Running club member.

“I’m getting over a little bronchial thing this week so my strategy was to not be too aggressive and lie back a little,” said Yetman who took the lead at mile three.

Yetman, 44 of Leesburg, Va., has been training for Ironman Texas but the Cherry Blossom 10 miler is on her list for top priorities.

“I didn’t want to leave everything out there today because I really wanted to be there for Cherry Blossom,” Yetman said while she stood at the awards ceremony receiving congratulations from her family and friends.

Yetman got her start in running while conditioning for gymnastics. She continued to run through college, though wasn’t expecting to.

Wendi Robinson, 25, of McLean Va., took third place in the female division with a time of 1:02:05.

“I ran faster than I thought I was going to,” Robinson said. “I was pleasantly surprised.”

Robinson got her start in the Potomac River Running Club when she began working for the PR store nearly two years ago. The last 200 meters of the race, which finished on South Lakes High School track, took Robinson down memory lane to her high school and college years.

“I liked finishing the 200 meters on the track,” she said. “It’s that feeling like you’re used to of sprinting in at the end of a race.”

Before the last 200 meters on the track, runners enjoyed two miles of down hills, which Matthew Clark, 29 of Reston, Va., said was a nice break.

“The last two miles on the downhill comes off of a couple really hard miles and you can really push 30 or 40 seconds faster for each mile,” Clark said.

He mentioned that many people use the Reston 10 Miler to tune up their legs after the winter season. Clark was tuning up to compete in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon USA and the Boston Marathon.

Barry “the juggler” Goldmeier, 48 of Rockville Md., was also using the Reston 10 miler to prepare for the season ahead. Goldmeier, who said he has juggled during his runs for the last 25 years, has several marathons planned for the spring.

“It’s just what I do,” Goldmeier said of his unique talent. “I had to stop sometimes to see the cones and where I was going, but this race one of the easiest. I have a lot of marathons lined up.”

The proceeds from the Reston 10-Miler will benefit the South Lakes High School Track & Field program.

Runners of all ages turned out for the Seneca Greenway Trail Race, which took runners through a rolling course consisting of a mostly smooth dirt path in the Damascus Regional Park. The two scenic courses turned out to be 29.71 miles for the “marathon” distance and 32.6 miles for the “50k” distance. With a cool temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and snow flurries, competitors started out in the Lower Magruder Branch Side Trail out of Damascus. This connected them to the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail and followed the Potomac River at “Riley’s Lock.”

[button-red url=”http://results.active.com/events/seneca-greenway-trail-race/trail-marathon/expanded” target=”_self” position=”left”] Marathon Results [/button-red]“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Alex Roederer, 15 of Bethesda, Md., as he tried to refuel his body with fluids just moments after the race.

Roederer made Seneca Greenway Trail Race history as the youngest marathon winner to-date. With a time of 4:19:27, Roederer ran with the leading pack for most of the race until the 50k and marathon courses split. Before today, his longest race-distance had only [button-red url=”http://results.active.com/events/seneca-greenway-trail-race/seneca-greenway-50k/expanded” target=”_self” position=”left”] 50k Results [/button-red]been 13 miles. That’s the same point in the race at which Roederer said he “stopped thinking.”

Training for the high school track season ahead, Roederer is just getting started. He said he plans to do more marathons in the future.

Finishing close behind Roederer and leading the 50k race pack were brothers Tyler Burke, 27 of Washington and Shaun Burke, 25 of Chicago. Tyler, who had completed three 50ks before the Seneca Greenway Trail Race, was just seconds ahead of his brother with a time of 04:27:11. Shaun, with a finishing time of 4:27:44, said he enjoyed the break from running in the windy city.

“Being from Chicago, it was a nice change of pace being in the foothills and mountains,” Shaun said.

Shaun began running shortly after college where he needed a change in lifestyle.

“When I had five math classes, nothing but frozen pizzas and lots of beer, I decided I needed to do something, so running was the way to go,” he said.

After experiencing the Seneca Greenway Trail course, Shaun said he plans to take a break from triathlons and focus solely on running.

“For a $70 pair of shoes and $20 pair of shorts, I can go out and have fun,” he said.

Both of the brothers plan on competing in the North Face 50 Miler in June.

Though racing in beautiful foothills and mountains was rewarding for most runners, planning for the race was no easy task. Race Director Harvey Sugar of Montgomery County Road Runners Club insisted that nobody take photos of him—he hadn’t had any time to shave in two days and had been up since 4 a.m. preparing for the race. With nearly 270 runners competing, Sugar said runners come out for the course and for the “spirit of the race.”

“We try to keep it low key and down to the basics–trail runners like that,” Sugar said. “We’ll have people do this race over and over again.”

Sugar thanked the hard-working volunteers from the Montgomery Road Runners Club and the Virginia happy trails running club. In total more than 100 volunteers helped run the race. He also said the race would not have been possible without Ed Schultze, who passed the torch on to Sugar and had directed it for the past 10 years.

Clemence Vauzelle, 24 of Annadale and originally from France was the first-place marathon female finisher with a time of 4:55:16. She described the course as “playful.”

“This is really my favorite type of trail,” Vauzelle said. “It’s a little rocky, muddy and had some roots, but you can still go fast.”

The course was familiar for Vauzelle who runs these trails every Sunday morning and usually sees foxes and deer and hears birds chirp.. She has been training with the Montgomery County Winter Trail Running Club in preparation for the race. Not expecting to win, Vauzelle was told at the aide station at the 30-mile mark, she was the first woman to come by.

For David Welch, 44 of Frederick Md., the Seneca Greenway Trail was his first long trail race. Welch, who crossed the finish line with his young son who ran with him the last 100 yards of the race, explained why his shoes looked the way they did at the end of the race.

“I fell in the stream,” Welch said. “But it at least got my shoes clean.”

Close to the finish, runners crossed a cold and rocky creek. Runners had the option of using a rope to help them cross, but some didn’t need it.

“I took a little ice bath in between,” said Cori Brindle, 31 of Mechanicsburg, Pa., who kneeled in the creek to cool off her leg.

Brindle won the 50k female division with a time of 4:59:05. The Seneca Greenway Trail was only Brindle’s second trail race. She is headed to the Boston Marathon in April.

“I was planning on doing the marathon distance but a woman at the water station convinced me I’d feel better at the end if I did the 50k, so I sucked it up,” Brindle said.

Most runners had to follow suit and “suck it up” to finish the two courses that ended up being a longer distance than they had planned for. But this is part of the trade-off to compete on smooth, scenic paths through the woods.

Friendly competition among teammates helped make the Have a Heart for Boston-Hoffman Elementary School 5k a fast race, despite chilly temperatures and a light drizzle.

[button-red url=”http://www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/20130223.html” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]The Georgetown Running Club came out en force for the second straight year, sweeping the top five men’s spots and five of the six top women’s spots, including the top three. They showed up to support teammate and race director Samantha “Kirby” Cole, a teacher at the school. Cole credited Suzanne Paul with bringing the race together.

[button-red url=”http://youngrunner.smugmug.com/Race-Photo-Galleries/Have-a-Heart-for-Hoffman/i-v7c92fh” target=”_self” position=”left”] Photos [/button-red]Alex Benway, of Reston, led the blue-clad harriers out in a pack that split close to five minutes for the first mile of the out-and-back course on the Four Mile Run and W&OD trails, starting and ending in Arlington’s

Bluemont Park. The group slowed in the rolling middle mile, and Benway (15:47) took his leave of defending champion Arlingtonian Dave Wertz (16:00) with a mile to go. Third-place finisher Matt Hassett (16:11), of Washington, predicted as much before the race, “It will wind up being a two-mile warmup and one mile race,” he said.

“It is rare to find a person that enjoys racing when it is cold and raining,” Benway said. “But when your team comes out and does it with you, it makes it a lot more manageable.”

Centreville’s Keith Freeburn, off a two-week respite with a back injury, came to the race with a pair of buddies from The Running Store’s racing team. He was familiar with the course after having run the Kinhaven 5k and gave it high marks.

“It’s a straightforward course and you can run pretty fast on it if you do it right,” he said after finishing.
Fourth place finisher Natalie Young(18:15), of Dumfries, led the five-woman GRC pack through the first half beforeCatherine Campbell (18:01) of Bethesda moved ahead on the way back and and Lindsey O’Brien (18:08) and Maura Carroll (18:12) of Washington caught her in the stretch.

“It was a great opportunity for us to test out racing shape and gague what work needs to be done come spring,” Campbell said. “I particularly enjoyed having a great group of girls to run with for over half of the race.”

Boston-Hoffman teacher’s aid Liz Houston, who lives close enough to the park to run there regularly, finished her first 5k race that morning. She volunteered in 2012 and decided to run as part of her effort in the school’s “biggest loser” fitness challenge.

“It was very exciting to finish,” she said. “They put down mile markers, so I knew where I was in the race and it let me know I was pacing myself well.”

She ran by herself, tagging along with other runners at times but focusing on her music to motivate her. Nerves before the race forced her to forgo breakfast, so she appreciated the heart-shaped bagels awaiting finishers.

The experience has her sold on racing again.

“It made the rest of the day more cheerful,” she said. “All those endorphins…”

The race raised money for physical education equipment and to help fund Can You Imagine Me, an after school program which encourages children to make healthy choices and help them train toward running a 5k.

At risk of romanticizing the past, but in George Washington’s day, he likely had too much to worry about — building a nation — to be concerned with politics. He surely wasn’t worried which way the wind was blowing. [button-red url=”http://results.bazumedia.com/event/results/event/event-2556″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]The runners who gathered in Alexandria for the George Washington Birthday 10k classic, on the other hand, had no choice but to worry. The first 5k led straight into some wild gusts, including up a hill before the turnaround. That gave runners an extra boost and led to a lot of negative splits. Arlington resident Jillian Pollack guessed she ran about 45 seconds faster on the way back.

“It was definitely a lot easier on the way back, but I guess we were earning it on the way out,” she said, noting her legs were numb five minutes after finishing the race.

Pollack chose the race because it was one of few 10ks that looked good in her scheduled run up to the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA half marathon. She was one of several Capital Area Runners who raced.

Men’s winner Joseph Tessema, of Springfield, ran his first 10k road race and won it in an even 31:00, splitting 15:22 at the half and being one of a few runners not to report a negative split. Falls Church’s Matt Barresi followed in 31:54.

“After three minutes, nobody else was moving fast enough so I had to go alone,” he said. “It was a little windy but I just tried to keep myself going.”

Pacers Events elite coordinator Dustin Sweeney was impressed by Tessema’s poise on the course.

“He looked like a 13 minute 5k runner out there,” Sweeney said. “He was so smooth and relaxed.”

Women’s winner Claire Hallissey warmed up for the race by bicycling to the course from home in Arlington. She ran 35:34 to win over Alexandria’s Barb Fallon Wallace’s 37:27.

Hallissey is focusing on the New York Half Marathon in March, and was chagrined to have run roughly the same pace as she had for a half marathon and 5k in the last few weeks. She was, however, glad have been running throughout the week, after spending time cross training.

Georgetown University freshman Robert DePaolo decided to race so he could get at least one effort under his belt before he tackles the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon. He decided to run a half marathon in the prior summer.

“I think I paced myself pretty well,” he said. “I think this half is going to go alright.”

In 1980, Dave Tripp, then Howard County Striders’ president, was out for a Sunday morning run near the Howard Community College when he spotted dozens of runners. Shocked to see a race he didn’t know about on Howard County Strider turf, Tripp went to investigate. It turned out that the Baltimore Road Runners Club and DC Road Runners Club were competing in a challenge race [button-red url=”http://www.striders.net/races/rrca/2013″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]located halfway between Baltimore and Washington.

“I went up to the president and said, ‘look, if you’re going to come out here and run, you have to let us run,’” Tripp said.

In exchange for a promise to host the race, the Howard County Striders were allowed to compete the following year. Thirty-three years later, the RRCA Ten Mile Challenge is now open to several Maryland-based running clubs and the DC Road Runners Club.

The Falls Road Running team scored a narrow victory over the Howard County Striders, 557-559. The Falls Road duo ofMelissa Majumdar and Christine Ramsey helped the Baltimore-based club prevail over the strong lead the host men’s team scored with four of the top five men’s spots, lead by Ellicott City native Brian Harvey‘s 51:00 victory.

Harvey lives in Boston, following a stellar career at Carnegie Mellon University, but has been a Striders member since he was four.

“My mom still runs for the club and she  and other members encouraged me to come home and race this with them,” he said. “It was overall a fun experience and cool to catch up with a lot of people.”

Harvey took the race out in 4:50 and went through 2.5 miles with teammate Kyle Stanton and Falls Road’s Dave Berdan before breaking away on a long downhill. After averaging five minutes per mile for the first half, he slowed to 26 minutes in the hillier second half.

“You couldn’t have asked for better running weather,” said Trish Cunningham, 49 of Annapolis, Md. “It’s not cold and it’s not hot.”

Though it was Cunningham’s first time competing in the RRCA Ten Mile Club Challenge, she competes in several Annapolis Striders events every year—and she doesn’t compete alone.

She inspired her daughter, Avery, 14, and son Ben, 17, to also get involved with the Annapolis Striders Club and compete in this race. The three of them waited together at the finish line for Cunningham’s husband who wasn’t far behind.

With a 40-degree temperature, clear blue sky and plenty of sunshine to go around, the RRCA Ten Mile Challenge was not only a sneak preview of spring weather but also of spring season competition.

“This club challenge is a good warm-up race for April competition,” said James Blackwood, 28 of Ellicott City, Md. “We’re six weeks out from Cherry Blossom, I know where I’m at now and can set a reasonable goal.”

A long-time member of the Howard County Striders, this year marked Blackwood’s 10th RRCA Ten Mile Club Challenge.

“There were good vibes all around,” said Nicole Deziel, 36 of Columbia, Md. “The local clubs keep coming back because it’s a good tune-up for the season.”

After five years of competing in the RRCA Ten Mile Club Challenge with the Montgomery County Road Runners Club, Deziel said it’s her favorite race.

“There are hills, a bunch of twists and turns,” Deziel said. “The course makes for great racing.”

After eight years of competing in the RRCA Ten Mile Club Challenge, Kimberly Price, 40 of Gaithersburg, Md. enjoyed the healthy competition between all of the teams.

“The Howard County Strider volunteers cheered for everyone,” Price said. “They were very supportive.”

With nearly 1,000 runners competing in 17 clubs, it’s a good thing Tripp stumbled on a race that went on to become one of the largest club competitions in Maryland and one that leaves many runners with an optimistic view of the season ahead.

Winds up to 30 miles per hour, snow flurries in 30 degrees, rolling hills and plenty of warm chili — it’s all in preparation for springtime races and a long-time tradition for the DC Road Runners Club. At the 52nd annual Washington’s Birthday Marathon and Relay, the club brought in more than 500 runners to race on some of Greenbelt’s most challenging roads in an effort to get the athletes primed for the season ahead.

“You don’t get the intensity if you train on your own that you do in a race,” said overall marathon winner Miles Aitken, 29, of Washington D.C.

Aitken, who won with a time of 3:08:43, said he planned to come back next year. “It was a great course and well organized,” he said. Though his specialty race is 5K, Aitken was using the DCRRC GW Marathon to train for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon USA in March.

Aitken wasn’t alone. Many runners who braved the gusts of wind and rolling hills were getting ramped up for springtime races.

Not all runners had to complete the entire 26.2 miles to lace up their racing shoes. In addition to the full marathon competition, the DCRRC also hosted a relay for runners who wanted to race a shorter distance. With more than 100 relay teams, Ben Richter, vice president of races for the DCRRC, said the relay teams made-up roughly half of the race participants. Richter said the relays tend to get more people involved.

Emily Buzzell, 27 of Washington, was the first of three runners to compete in the co-ed “Team Dojo” squad. Her team finished first in the co-ed relay series with a time of 2:52:20. Buzzell said the relay gave her something to run for.

“I turned a corner after the fifth mile mark and ran into a 30-mile-per-hour wind,” Buzzell said. “I was exhausted and everything hurt but didn’t want to slow down because my team was counting on me.”

Buzzell’s other motivating factor to race in mid-February is the Boston Marathon. “Everything’s geared toward Boston,” she said.

“Relays are good activities to help you be accountable for other bigger goals,” said Buzzell’s teammate, Kit Wells, 36 of Damascus, Md.

In addition to appreciating the atmosphere of teamwork, Wells enjoyed the course, which passed a federal agricultural research facility. One of the Greenbelt country streets was even named “Poultry Road.”

“It’s the closest thing I’ve come to experiencing anything dealing with poultry research,” Wells said. “It’s nice that the same footprint can be used for healthful recreational. That’s a good mix,” Wells said.

Among other relay teams and running clubs competing throughout the race, the American Hispanic Running Club had a strong showing in support at the finish. When talking about their favorite part of the course, many of the club’s runners said the finish. The club, which is trying to bring more Hispanic members to the running community, took first in the Masters Male Relay team with a time of 3:15:35. The group is preparing for the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon in March and the Parks Half Marathon in September.

For Jane Lanford, 47 of Fairbanks, Alaska, the course was a refreshing way to experience the east coast.

“I have this impression of the east coast as entirely built up,” Lanford said as she tried to warm her hands—even after she had been inside for an hour.  “It was very nice to be out in the country. I really enjoyed that.”

Lanford traveled all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she trains outside all year long. She finished first in the woman’s masters at 3:54:04 and hit her goal: to break four hours. The Washington’s Birthday Marathon marked the 15th race in which Lanford broke four hours. This is part of her goal to run 50 marathons in less than four hours.

“I’m not getting any younger so I might as well do them now the best I can,” Lanford said.

Amanda An, 25 of Ellicott City, touted her Howard County roots and said she liked the hills.

“I actually like them better than the flat courses,” An said. An was the first female finisher with a time of 3:35:02. She got her start in 2008 when she ran her first marathon. The  race marked An’s 17th marathon.

“Once you get mixed up in the running community and get talking to other runners and their achievements—then you start questioning your own abilities and what you can give,” An said. “It really motivates you to try to push your own limits.”

An ran the marathon in preparation for her second 100-miler, the Boston Marathon and brought her one step closer to reaching her goal of completing at least 50 races a year—part of the 50-plus group.

It seemed that most runners had used the Washington Marathon as a training ground for their big up-and-coming race, but it was also clear this race was just as important as the big ones. Whether it was one more race closer to the 50 mark or another race allowing teammates to grow stronger, the Washington’s Birthday Marathon allowed many runners to get back in the groove of racing and dust off their racing flats.