The history of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon is short but impressive.
Four years ago, in its debut year, the women’s race was won by Catherine Ndereba, better known as “Catherine the Great.” In its second year, a new course record was set (1:02:37) and four American men notched qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
The prize purse includes $1,200 for the male and female winners and $600 for top Americans. The race also hosts the Road Runners Club of America National Half Marathon Championships, the Potomac Valley Association USATF Championship and the National Industries for the Blind Visually Impaired National Half Marathon Championships. And with a fun yet challenging course that starts with eight miles on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, climbs over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and finishes with a big loop around National Harbor, the race draws more than 3,000 runners of all abilities.
Oh, but those eight opening miles on GW Parkway, a national park …
On day two of the federal government shutdown – four days before the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon – Race Director Steve Nearman was forced into making a tough decision.
Due to the shutdown, the race was postponed until November 10, more than a month after the original date. Deferrals to next year’s race were offered and about 600 were processed, Nearman said, while 1,739 runners came out to race on the new date.
Meanwhile, Nov. 10 was as good as Oct. 6 for Kellyn Johnson. The 27-year-old professional runner claimed her second straight win in 1:13:02 and earned prize money in both the overall and American-only divisions.
“It just gave me a little more time to train,” she said. “It was something that was on my schedule before and then it happened to fit perfectly into it after.”
Johnson trains in Flagstaff, Ariz., with Team USA Arizona and said she is still experimenting with distances between 5K and the half marathon. She ran the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, and was 4th in this year’s national 10-mile championship hosted by the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. She will return to the area Nov. 17 for the .US National Road Racing 12K Championships.
Johnson was followed by Desta Tadesse of Ethiopia (1:13:53). Waynishet Abebe, an Ethiopian runner who lives in D.C., was 3rd in a personal best time of 1:14:10, just a few weeks after winning the Atlantic City Marathon.
Lindsay O’Brien of Washington, D.C., in her second half marathon, finished 7th overall and was 2nd American. Her time, 1:18:54, was more than a minute faster than her last attempt at the distance.
O’Brien was a three-time cross country All-American at Yale who took a break from competitive running and now trains with Georgetown Running Club.
“I’m trying not to be daunted by the distance,” she said. “This was a good step in the right direction.”
The men’s race was led by a pack of three: Girma Gebre, Siraw Kebede, and Nahom Mesfin, all from Ethiopia.
They raced side by side, charging together up a tough hill in National Harbor. But at the 12-mile mark, Gebre made a strong move to win decisively in 1:04:40.
Gebre has been living in New York with his manager, Alem Kahsay, who said Gebre’s background is in the middle distances. Mesfin, though, is no slouch in the leg speed department, either: He has competed in two Olympics in the steeplechase, and said he spent most of the past nine months training at altitude in Flagstaff, Ariz. Mesfin, however, admitted that Gebre’s move was simply too strong to match.
“Anyway, I’m happy,” he said, smiling after his third-place finish.
The men’s chase pack of four included Georgetown Running Club’s Kieran O’Connor.
O’Connor, 26, has only been running competitively for a few years. But he has already won a marathon and was the 8th American in Boston in 2012. After earning a master’s degree at a university in Cairo, Egypt, O’Connor recently moved to D.C., joined Georgetown Running Club, and – for the first time – started doing speed work under the eye of coach Jerry Alexander.
Going into today’s race, O’Connor’s half marathon best was in the 1:09s. He took it out easy, he said, on the opening downhill from the start in Mount Vernon; men and women were flying ahead of him. But then they started coming back – 5:05 miles clicking away.
At the top of the hill in National Harbor, O’Connor knew his goal of breaking 1:07 was within his reach. And rather than be intimidated by the professional runners surrounding him, O’Conner dropped them on the way to running 1:06:49 – good for 4th overall and top American.
In the visually impaired national championships, Aaron Scheidies, like Johnson, appreciated having extra time to train.
Scheidies won the men’s division last year in 1:18:05. This year, in the week’s before the original race date, Schiedies finished 2nd in the visually impaired division of the triathlon at the London Paralympics. Afterward he took a vacation.
Guided by Georgetown Running Club’s Dave Wertz, Schiedies won his second straight national championship and claimed a new personal best and event record of 1:16:24.
“I didn’t expect it, so I’m really happy with the time,” he said.
Adjusting to a New Race
The Wilson Bridge Half Marathon was supposed to be Briana Whelan‘s tune-up race for the Marine Corps Marathon, her first attempt at 26.2 miles.
When it was postponed, Whelan did not find a replacement race. She nonetheless had a great experience in her first marathon, which she ran with her cousin and uncle.
As for this morning, the Washington, D.C., resident and running newbie ended a two-week break to finish her third half marathon of 2013.
Chris Beeler, a U.S. Army colonel on a year-long assignment in the District, has been training with DC Road Runners and planned to use the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon as a confidence booster for the Army Ten Miler, held on October 20. Her goal race complete, it was hard to stay motivated to run another race, she said.
“But in the end,” she said, “it is what it is, and it was a beautiful day today.”
Miguel Gonzales of Manassas, Va., said the shutdown and the postponement it forced derailed his training. In the 1990s, he ran professionally, but with a busy job and four daughters between 2 and 9, Gonzales – until about a year ago – had more or less stopped running altogether.
“I got to 200 pounds and said I need to lose some weight,” he said. And while today was tough for him and he “felt horrible,” Gonzales said he thought of today’s race as a fresh start.
Mark Geiger of Waldorf, Md., finished his first half marathon, culminating several months of training. He said he could not remember the exact reasons he started running about a year ago – only that he started with walking and, week by week, added a little more running.
“I think it worked out better because the weather today was better,” said Geiger, referring to the rescheduled date.
The weather this morning was perfect for racing. October 6 in Washington, D.C., on the other hand, was a hot day. And let me tell you: This runner has woken up on many such race days and thought to himself: Man, if there’s any way this race could be postponed …
The crisp, cool fall weather and the picturesque setting of the Paxton Campus, provided the perfect backdrop for the fourth annual Ghost, Goblins and Ghouls Spooktacular 5k and Scarecrow Sprint Fun Run. The event had a “spooktacular” theme, complete with a costume contest, Halloween themed entertainment, and store trick or treating. Participants came dressed in an array of amazing costumes – there were superheroes, ninja turtles, Disney characters, Care Bears, princesses and a zombie bridal party – to name a few. Everyone arrived not only ready to run, but ready for the costume contest as well.
The 5k race started at 4 pm and took several hundred participants from the Paxton campus throughout the neighborhood streets. The course offered a “spooktacular” feel and is rumored to be haunted. The overall winner was Paul Schoeny, of Hamilton, Va. This was his first time running the Spooktacular 5k, and he finished in a quick 17:24. He enjoyed the race and described the course as “fast and scenic.” He found the event to be fun for the whole family and plans to return next year. On the women’s side, 36-year-old Elizabeth Hollis of Leesburg crossed the finish line first in an impressive 20:45. This was Elizabeth’s second time running the 5k and she improved her time by a full minute from the year before. In 2012, she placed third for women, and was excited for her win.
“I enjoy this race, it is a fun event. It was great to win this year!” she said.
She plans to be back next year to defend her title. A portion of the proceeds from the 2013 race will go to the Road Runner’s Club of America’s Kids Run the Nation Program. This program is a gender inclusive, mulit-week youth running program for children in grades kindergarten through six grade.
Shortly after the race was the costume contest and Scarecrow Sprint Fun Run. There were three entry categories for the contest – Individual, Couple and Team. In order to be eligible, you have to complete the full 5k run wearing your costume. One participant, dressed as a zombie bride, said it was “very challenging” to run in a full length wedding dress. However she did find the event more entertaining than most 5ks, as everyone is “excited for Halloween and focused on enjoying all the event has to offer.” Costume winners received an award for their efforts, and much admiration from the community that gathered for the event. The Scarecrow Sprint Fun Run was open to ages two and up and all participants received a finisher’s medal when crossing the finish line.
Before and after the race the family fun continued with Leesburg’s Shocktober-fest, also located at Paxton Manor. From 3 – 8 pm, there were fun house tours, concession vendors and even a beer garden for adults. “The Last Ride” coffin simulator experience was also set up for those who dared to give it a try! Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night throughout the month of October, the Paxton Manor is open for those who are brave enough to walk her haunted halls.
The Ghost, Goblins and Ghouls 5k and Scarecrow Sprint Fun Run, was a successful, family event that sparked Halloween spirit in all of its participants. From the fast 5k run in elaborate costumes, to the Halloween-themed music, and even a haunted house for those brave souls, this Leesburg event is definitely one to make a yearly family tradition.
-Emily Dusen
With a strong lead in the Marine Corps Marathon, Army Capt. Kelly Calway had her opportunity–run harder now or spend seven months regretting it. With an impending deployment to Kuwait waiting for her a week later, the cool day in Washington was her chance to take care of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
She was able to pull things together and close out the race with a 2:42:15, 45 seconds to spare and a 5:48 lead over Gina Slaby. She finished 25th in the 2012 Olympic Trials while running in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.
“My daughter is going to be thrilled,” she said. “Hazel is six and so competitive, she loves hearing about when I win.”
It was a somewhat surprising win, given the limited training window she gave herself. Busy with command responsibilities in Monitou Springs, Colo., she rotated out in advance of her deployment and had roughly a month to get into racing shape.
“I spent a lot of that time at Stanford with my husband, running my workouts on that great track,” she said. “I had about a week here after running the Army Ten-Miler (57:06 for sixth place) and got a good tuneup on Hains Point. They had the mile markers out.”
Though her parents now live in Washington State, Calway, then Kelly Brown, attended West Potomac High School and North Carolina State, and got to see teammates and friends from earlier in her career.
“Erin (Taylor) and Kelly Swain were out there on the course, I knew them from Lake Braddock and Erin from college,” she said. “Claudin (Hull) Magnum was out there, she went to state, too.”
Magnum, a Quince Orchard alumna, finished fifth in 2:50:47.
Five minutes behind her, Gina Slaby of Virginia Beach(2:48:03), and Emily Shertzer of Jonestown, Pa. (2:48:07), completed the military sweep of the women’s podium. Slaby is a Navy Supply Corps Officer and Shertzer works for the Army National Guard, while also serving in the Air National Guard.
Slaby qualified for the trials two weeks before at the Chicago Marathon. The other half of the duo, Shertzer, did a lot better than she had expected.
“I had a terrible month in September running a 20k (New Haven) and a half (Navy-Air Force Half) and it was not good confidence building,” she said. “July and August were great, so I was glad September was a fluke, but it really made me question my preparedness.”
| Top 10 women’s finishers | ||||
| 1 | Kelly Calway | 2:42:16 | 29 | Manitou Springs, Colo. |
| 2 | Gina Slaby | 2:48:04 | 32 | Virginia Beach, Va. |
| 3 | Emily Shertzer | 2:48:08 | 33 | Jonestown, Pa. |
| 4 | Emily Potter | 2:50:25 | 34 | Southern Pines, N.C. |
| 5 | Claudin Mangum | 2:50:48 | 32 | Raleigh, N.C. |
| 6 | Rachel Booth | 2:51:25 | 32 | Springfield, Va. |
| 7 | Samantha Bower | 2:53:32 | 23 | New York, N.Y. |
| 8 | Christina Noordstar | 2:55:01 | 37 | Tierra Verde, Fla. |
| 9 | Paula Pridgen | 2:56:05 | 27 | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 10 | Amanda Allen | 2:56:41 | 26 | Boston, Mass. |
| Full results | ||||
Much like Girma Bedada and Kelly Calway‘s efforts, Mike Kunzer‘s race at the Marine Corps Marathon was the culmination of years of preparation and training.
But Kunzer wasn’t focused on winning the race. He was thrilled to have finished, and it showed on his ebullient face.
“My coworkers had been nudging me to give this a shot,” he said. “It took a while but I got up to the distance.”
He credited his wife with supporting him through his training, dropping water bottles off for him during his long runs from his Manassas home.
“I don’t think I could have done it without her help,” he said. “She’s excited to run the Cherry Blossom race, now.”
More than 6413 runners from the Washington area finished the race, out of the 23,513 total, the second largest number of finishers in race history.
Andrea Burkhart of Washington, D.C. didn’t run as fast as last year, but didn’t mind being out on the course a little longer.
“It’s a lot more fun than running in Hurricane Sandy,” she said. “But it wasn’t so bad last year, because I came back and did it again, and I’ll do it again next year, too.”
She didn’t run as fast as in 2012, but that didn’t bother her.
“I ran a happy pace rather than all out, and that was a little more fun,” she said.
Rob Shepherd of Germantown, Md. was walking in a straight line after the race, durability he attributes to his diet.
“Eating real food, staying away from toxins and no meat,” he said. “Eighty percent raw, lots of juices.”
He didn’t find any vegan protein shakes at the various aid stations, but he still felt good for most of the race.
“I had to dig those last two miles, but it felt great to finish,” he said. “The support, the marines along the course, it was all great.”
As happens in many races, some characters dressed up for the run.
“It’s not a kilt if you wear shorts underneath,” said German Alba of Great Mills, Md., clad in a tartan-patterned cut of wool and apparently only a tartan-patterned cut of wool. “Otherwise you’re just a guy in a skirt.”
He was glad to have missed the windy 2012 race, which would have made him regret his wardrobe choice.
“It’s really, really, really comfortable,” he said. “So liberating. A few friends convinced me to give it a try a few months ago and I’m enjoying it. I saw a few other guys wearing them out there and we waved to each other.”
Matt Brennan of Vorhees, N.J. ran the entire race dressed as a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee, a costume he wore in exchange for a late entry to the race.
“My girlfriend was running the race, her sister, my brother, my mom was running–it was her first marathon,” he said. “I heard they all signed up and I wanted to do it too.”
There was apparently a women running in an iced coffee cup costume, too. Brennan had run Chicago two weeks before, so he was trained for the distance. He probably prepared with a few runs in the costume, right?
“I tried it on for the first time last night,” he said. “It took a few miles to figure out how to run in it, how I could position my arms so it wouldn’t flap in my face. Once I got settled in, by 13 miles, I kind of forgot I had it on.”
It wasn’t all fun and games, though.
“I actually wish I had more caffeine in my system,” he said.
Wire-to-wire.
It almost has no place in any talk about a marathon, maybe only in a tall tale. The race is too long, too grueling, too open to disruption.
But Girma Bedada did it at the Marine Corps Marathon, running 2:21:31.
“I was in good condition and had good training,” he said through a translator. “I knew this week that I was going to win.”
It’s not a stretch, for a 33-year-old marathoner with a 2:13 to his credit. But without a prize purse to draw him here, versus other races with even a modest award, the Ethiopian, who has been living in the United States for seven months and living mainly in Columbia, Md., said a more universal currency attracted him.
“It’s a military race, I respect them,” he said. “When I learned about it, I wanted to do it.”
He went hard from the gun, averaging 5:25 pace for the largely-uphill first 5k before settling into running generally 5:15 pace for most of the race. He said he wanted to go for Jeff Scruffins‘ 2:14:01 course record. His modest lead grew more dramatic shortly after the first mile mark. He passed halfway in 1:08:59.
“I had a pain in my foot, but knowing I was going to win made it go away,” he said with a smile.
Coast Guard Lt. Patrick Fernandez took second in 2:22:51, reeling in Bedada as much as he could, cutting his 2:10 lead to 1:20 in the last mile and a half, but it wasn’t enough. Still, Fernandez, 26, an Alexandria resident, was buoyed by a PR and his all-time-best finish in the race, following a third-place finish in 2011 and sixth in 2012.
He followed coach George Buckheit‘s advice in putting his race together.
“He told me, don’t go out and be the aggressor, just kind of settle in, get an idea of the competition, and that’s what I did,” he said. “I sat back, I made sure to hold back on the downhills because some other runners were sprinting down them, but that early in the race it’s a good way to hurt yourself.”
That wasn’t an issue in mile nine this year, because a major course change eliminated a loop following Canal Road off of the Key Bridge, a tight turn and steep uphill into the Pallisades before turning down Foxhall Road into Georgetown. The course instead routed out and back on Rock Creek Parkway.
“You can’t complain about taking the hill out,” he said. “I really like running Rock Creek Parkway, it’s true racing, just tracking guys down, focusing on not letting anyone get any distance on me.”
Third place finisher Richard “Skeeter” Morris of Burkeville, Va. notched a roughly five-minute PR on his way to running 2:24:01.
“I could see the clock on my way up the last hill and just knew I had enough to get there, but not in time to break 2:24,” he said.
He was planning to go out at 5:30 and hold that, but the uphill that was not struck from the course, Lee Highway, held him to a 5:37 average for the first 5k.
“I didn’t get out the way I wanted, but I got a second wind from miles 13 to 20,” he said. “The last two miles were a little rough. My eyes were getting spotty going under the bridges.”
The 25-year-old coaches track and cross country at his alma mater, Nottoway High School, and recently coached at Longwood University.
Morris is coached by fellow William and Mary alumnus Ed Moran, a coach for the Pacers-New Balance team.
| Top 10 men’s finishers | ||||
| 1 | Girma Bedada | 2:21:32 | 33 | Columbia, Md. |
| 2 | Patrick Fernandez | 2:22:52 | 26 | Alexandria , Va. |
| 3 | Richard Morris | 2:24:02 | 25 | Burkeville, Va. |
| 4 | Timothy Richard | 2:25:57 | 25 | North Little Rock, Ark. |
| 5 | Michael Wardian | 2:27:06 | 39 | Arlington, Va. |
| 6 | Jake Buhler | 2:27:08 | 26 | Edmond, Ola. |
| 7 | Japheth Ng’ojoy | 2:27:51 | 25 | El Paso, Texas |
| 8 | Chris Pruitt | 2:29:41 | 31 | Arlington, Va. |
| 9 | Eric Delion | 2:29:50 | 30 | Winchester, Calif. |
| 10 | Ben Payne | 2:31:32 | 32 | Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. |
| Full results |
Four miles into last year’s Army Ten-Miler, Kerri Gallagher surged to catch the lead pack. One of her previous miles had been just under 5:30, a pace she worried would catch up with her late in the race.
The defending champion’s goal this morning was to run 5:30s across the board. Gallagher thought it might be too ambitious, she said. But she also knew, with Olympic trials qualifier Elizabeth Maloy and Olympian Julie Culley entered in the race, 5:30s might simply be needed to win.
Today the 24-year-old, Washington, D.C., resident and Pacers-New Balance runner perfectly executed her race plan: defending her title while setting a new event record of 54:56 – a little faster than 5:30 per mile.
Running a race every year – and having previous years’ results to live up to – can add to the pre-race nerves, Gallagher said during the award’s ceremony. But not ATM.
“The ‘wounded warriors’ are incredible,” she said of the 89 injured service members who kicked off the race 10 minutes before the open start, racing in wheel chairs or running using prosthetic limbs.
“You start thinking of your race and your struggles and then you look up. You think, ‘If they’re doing it, you can do it.’ So it’s really great to feed off their energy. Good or bad race, it’s going to be a good day.”
Maloy passed Culley late in the race to take 2nd in 56:02. Culley, who is training for the New York City Marathon, was 3rd in 56:13.
It was Maloy’s first race longer than 6k, not to mention her first race since the last U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials, where she competed in the 5,000. Afterward, Maloy said she took a long break, and is now enjoying running while working in public relations.
Marathoner Tezata Dengersa was fourth in 56:36, leading her IR4G team in the women’s open team competition. She has now placed well inside the top ten in four straight ATM appearances.
Army Captain Kelly Calway – 5th in 57:06 – also has a history of running well at ATM. A graduate of West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, she finished second here in 2010. She then stepped up her training to finish 25th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials two years later.
Calway had been struggling with illness and injuries. This was her first race since February.
Now her running is back on track. And after running the Marine Corps Marathon next week, Calway said she will be deployed to Kuwait to serve as an intelligencer officer in an infantry battalion.
Brigitta Woodcox, 49, of Woodbridge, Va., was top female master in 58:27, 9th overall.
A Bold Move
(Photo by Dickson Mercer: A big lead pack forms during the opening mile of the Army Ten-Miler.)
In the men’s race, as the lead pack coasted over the 14th Street Bridge with two miles left, Chris Kwiatkowski decided it was time to go.
The 24-year-old, Washington, D.C., resident was in a lead pack with Brazilian Army teammates Solonei Silva, Paulo Paula, and Frank Caldeira, as well as Aron Rono of the U.S. Army and Ethiopia’s Dereje Girma. Tesfaye Sendeku, last year’s champion, and U.S. Army’s Augustus Maiyo, last year’s runner-up and Marine Corps Marathon winner, had fallen off the pace.
“I had to break it open,” said Kwiatkowski, who, like Gallagher, runs for the Pacers-New Balance team. “I had to try and win.”
His move jolted the Brazilians, who took the first three spots in 48:04, 48:06, and 48:08 to sweep the International team competition title. Kwiatkowski, though, held on for 4th in 48:17, a personal best of close to a minute and an improvement on his sixth place finish in 2012.
Brazilian Army Coach Jose Pinheiro said this was the strongest ATM team the Brazilian Army had ever fielded. His athletes, he said, were motivated by the strong U.S. Army teams that won the International Cup three years in a row, before which the Brazilian team won as many consecutive titles.
“They trained to win as a team,” he said. “It is not important to win individually. We trained to do the best we could as a team.”
Caldeira’s 3rd place finish matched his result from 2012. For Silva, who won the race, and Paula, this year’s ATM was their first. But they have plenty of experience racing together, having finished 6th and 7th in the identical time of 2:11:40 in the most recent World Marathon Championship.
Rono was just a second behind Kwiatkowski, and said he was pleased with his result. He finished basic training in March, has been training with Army’s World Class Athletes Program (WCAP) for less than a year, and is getting used to longer distances, he said. Born in Kenya and a graduate of Azuza Pacific University in California, he is now coached by Olympian Dan Browne, a former WCAP runner who won ATM in 2004, 1998, and 1997. (Ray Pugsley, of Potomac Falls, Va., who finished 2nd to Browne in 1998, was the top master today in 53:01.)
“It was really cool seeing the Army guys all along the course,” Rono said. “It is great team building we have in the Army.”
Members of the Fort Myer, Va.-based 3rd U.S. Army Infantry Regiment, known as “the Old Guard,” provide everything from security to the National Anthem. They work at the starting line, run the aid stations, and work in medical tents. They set everything up and break everything down, putting in a 12-hour work day beginning at 3:30 a.m.
“It’s a very complicated effort that we put a lot of energy into making run smoothly,” said Col. James Markert, the Old Guard’s Regimental Commander who led the operation.
Not long before the cannon fired this morning, Markert posed for a photo with his son, James, 15, who ran the race.
It was James’ first race longer than 5k.
“I walked a little bit but I made it to the end,” he said.
There were 35,000 registered runners, including 689 teams. There also were more than 3,000 people running at Army stations around the world. Full team and individuals results are up at ATM’s website.
Running in first-year races can be a roll of the dice sometimes.
Planned water stops can disappear. The course distance can be off, or markers point you in the wrong direction.
But Saturday’s Race for Every Child 5k in Freedom Plaza had none of those distractions. Top finishers at the event that benefits Children’s National Health System reported a well-run race.
“Markers were all in the right place spot. Plenty of cops, plenty of workers out there. It was just amazing,” men’s winner Travis Boltjes, 34, said. “How well it was run. The entertainment they had. I think it speaks that they know what they’re doing. It’s just a fantastic race.”
Boltjes, who is stationed in Washington with the Air Force, made the men’s race less than exciting, finishing in 16:48 – more than a minute in front of the runner up.
“I’ve won a few (races),” he said. “My time, I’m happy with it, but there are probably 50 runners in D.C. that can beat me by a solid two minutes.”
Erin Corcoran, associate director at Children’s National, said the hospital had workers who had helped throw other races and walks even though this was the hospital’s first. That made Saturday morning smooth.
The race offered multiple water stops along the 3.1-mile course and live music at the finish line festival.
In addition to the 5k, the event offered a kid’s fun run, which drew 400 youngsters.
More than 3.900 people signed up for the race, and as of Saturday morning, the events had collected nearly $660,000. Its goal was to raise $850,000, and the money going toward medical research and wellness and preventive services.
The hospital has other higher-priced fundraising events, but entry fees started at $25 and topped off at $45. “We wanted to do something where the whole community could get involved,” Corcoran said.
Matt Rodjom, 33, was one runner drawn to the race because of its philanthropic mission.
The Fairfax resident had a daughter who stayed at Children’s National for two weeks about two-and-a-half years ago to have a third of her right lung removed because of a cyst.
“I was expecting a few little issues with turns and stuff like that,” Rodjom said. “Other than starting a few minutes later than normally, it went pretty good.”
Rodjom finished fifth overall with a time of 19:00.
Boltjes kept checking the event’s website in days before to see if the race was canceled.
The shutdown of the federal government forced other Washington-area races – like the Wilson Bridge Half Marathon and the Run! Geek! Run! 8K — to postpone their events because it relied on federal services.
Rodjom, a legally blind runner, typically runs the Wilson Bridge race, which doubles as the half marathon national championships for blind athletes.
Twenty runners ran it last year, but will have to wait to November this year when the race will be rescheduled.
“I was worried it wouldn’t go,” Boltjes said. “I kept the website all the way up to this morning, and they said it was on. I ‘m happy they went with it.”
The race started and stopped by Freedom Plaza, running down Pennsylvania Avenue to Third Street. It then ran down to D Street, and after a short out-and-back on Independence Avenue, came back up 3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The thought of postponing or canceling the event was never an issue. The hospital already permits for the streets of D.C., which remains open despite the federal government shutdown. They just can’t use Freedom Plaza.
“It didn’t impact us at all,” Corcoran said. “We decided to move the activities onto the street which we already had the permits for.”
The biggest hiccup the race had was starting at 8:40 rather than the scheduled 8:30 because of delays in handing on race-day bib pickups.
With hundreds of runners already in the starting corral, the race emcee had to keep the crowd’s attention by such things as starting the wave like you would normally catch at a baseball game.
“More people picked up their packet this morning than we anticipated,” Corcoran said. “We just wanted to make sure every single person was able to participate. That’s why we delayed it.”
The delay did little to help runners standing in the unseasonably warm October sun, Mason Brayman, 43, of Washington, said.
“The heat and humidity kind of slowed everyone down a bit,” he said after the race. The thermostat registered in the mid 70s as the race started.
Brayman, of Capital Area Runners, finished second in a time of 17:58.
Chappy Rago, 28, of Bethel, Conn., came in third with a time of 18:13.
The warm weather didn’t appear to slow woman’s winner Caroline Rothemel, who crossed the finish line in 19:21.
The 16-year-old junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School doesn’t even run cross country in the fall. She plays field hockey in the fall.
“I was hoping to get an accurate time of what my PR could be because I’ve never really raced a 5k before,” she said.
Rothemel does run track with her school in the fall, competing in events from the 800m to 2-mile, where her best time is 12:11.
Robin Glaser, 25, of Baltimore finished second in 19:32. Priti Bhansali, 37, of Millersville, Md., came third with a time of 20:11.
When Amanda Garzon was making preparations to host the third annual Hydrocephalus Association 5k Run/Walk on September 29, she knew that many of the runners participating would not have a first- hand knowledge, or even an awareness of the disease. Many would be standing on the starting line on the mild Saturday morning in late September mainly because they were searching for a local, flat, and fast 5k race to include in their competition schedule. At the same time, however, Garzon, the Co-Chair of the race and the Director of Media and Marketing for the Hydrocephalus Association (HA), hoped that by drawing local attention to the HA cause, she could raise awareness and build support for finding treatment and a cure for the disease.
Garzon knows all too well about the impact hydrocephalus can have on lives. Her 13-year old daughter, Gabriela, has suffered from the disease since she was a baby, and has had 15 brain surgeries. Hydrocephalus, a condition characterized by the buildup of fluid in the ventricles of the brain, afflicts over one million Americans. Anyone can get hydrocephalus, at any age, and there is no cure. The primary treatment is the implantation of a shunt in the brain, a surgery with a high failure rate requiring repeated revisions.
By hosting the event at East Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., the Hydrocephalus Association was able to raise over $62,000 for the cause, and attract more than 550 participants. In addition to the 5k Run/Walk, the event also included a Kids Fun Run and a performance by Annie Baney, a Nashville area singer-songwriter known for her alternative pop-country style.
Leading the race was celebrity lead runner Wilson Komen. Komen, 35, a native of Kenya and 2:17 marathoner, is a professional distance runner, local running coach, and sales representative at Georgetown Running Company in Washington, D.C. He finished smoothly (and apparently effortlessly) in a time of 16:26.7. Komen learned of the race through DC-area resident Hollin Dwiggins, who suffers from hydrocephalus. He says he was inspired by her story as well as those of other hydrocephalus survivors, and wanted to help build awareness for their cause.
Komen recruited five of his athletes to run the race, including Joe Fisher, who finished 6th overall in a time of 18:34.8. Fisher was pleased with his performance at the race, noting that he was continuing to build back his fitness level after undergoing rehabilitation for a stress fracture last year.
Finishing first overall for the women in the race was DC resident Liz Clapsis, 35, who crossed the finish line with a time of 20:41.3 in her first 5k race ever. Though a runner in high school, Clapsis has only recently getting into road racing, and has been more focused on training for the longer distances, completing the Navy-Air Force Half Marathon on September 14. Clapsis trains with the DC Road Runners and EZ8 Running Group, and was inspired by a friend to sign up for a 5k as a complement to her longer distance training. Finding the HA 5k through a Google search, she was aiming for 7 minute miles, but was pleasantly surprised to find herself the lead runner and finished strong to take the top award.
Also running in the race was Jessica Ford, 22, of Ithaca, N.Y. Ford traveled to D.C. for the race in support of HA, where she formerly worked as an intern. A hydrocephalus survivor herself, diagnosed at age 16, Ford is currently asymptomatic and counts herself lucky to have never needed brain surgery. An avid runner, Ford has completed four marathons and her goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon one day.
Making the day a family affair, the Crenshaw family of Fairfax, VA came out in full force in support of daughter Rhyan Crenshaw, 15, who suffers from hydrocephalus. Mom Dawn, dad Calvin, brother Tristian, and Rhyan’s aunt and grandparents all came out to walk or run the race. Dawn Crenshaw notes that while Rhyan has dealt with hydrocephalus since she was eight months old, they have done their best to encourage her to lead as normal a life as possible, to include taking dance classes, playing soccer, and other active pursuits that make her happy.
For more information on how you can support the cause of the Hydrocephalus Association, visit their website at http://www.hydroassoc.org/
The message to participants in Sunday’s Prevent the Cancer Walk/Run 5K was simple: get healthy and get tested.
According to the American Cancer Society, Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. More than 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer and approximately 500,000 will die from cancer in 2013. Further, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly one-third (30 percent) of all cancer cases can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, and physical inactivity.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 5th annual untimed 5k convened runners of all abilities to engage in physical activity and learn about strategies for reducing the risk of developing cancer. Starting and ending at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., the course followed the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail with views of the Southwest waterfront and U.S. Capitol in the distance.
After the race, runners were invited to take pictures with the Nationals’ president mascots and practice their swings in the team’s official batting cages. Participants were also encouraged to view several booths around the park featuring free health screenings and procedures including blood pressure tests, skin cancer assessments, and flu vaccinations.
Jim Wood, managing director of external affairs for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, said the race is the Foundation’s premier event to drive its mission of “saving lives through prevention and early detection.”
“Even a small amount of daily activity – running or walking – will reduce cancer risks,” Wood said. “We are a mission-driven organization, so this event is all about health and wellness and getting active.”
Wood estimated that nearly 150 teams from around the area participated in the fun run and walk, making this year’s event the biggest yet. Participants contributed more than $140,000, which will support the Foundation’s research, education, community outreach, and patient advocacy activities.
Teams consisted of businesses, families, and groups of friends – all running to commemorate someone close to them affected by cancer.
David Barmore and Zach Olson of Washington, D.C. joined colleagues from the Podesta Group to raise money and support cancer prevention awareness.
“It was fun to get up early on a Sunday and do something healthy for a good cause,” said Barmore. He also ran for his late grandfather who passed away from cancer.
Olson was joined by his four-month pregnant wife, Emily, who completed the entire 3.1 kilometers with ease. Emily expressed the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and credited her success in the fun run to frequent swimming and jogging sessions.
Katie and Ryan Connolly and their three kids Addyson, Haydin, and Emma of Vienna, sported “Cancer Conquers” tees during the race. The family stuck together on course, running as part of Prevent Cancer 5K Chair Allison Hutchins’ team, and said they were looking forward to getting out on the Nationals’ field for batting practice.
George Washington University students and members of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service-driven fraternity, Beth Stradder, Jen Muething and Patton Linder, encouraged six peers to run the race as a way to raise money for cancer research and prevention. Each student ran for someone they know who has been diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s a cause that’s really important to us since we all know someone who has been affected by it,” Stradder said. The group will also organize a team for the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life to raise money in the fight against cancer.
Other runners credited the event as a motivator to get in shape. Lauren Phillips of Washington, D.C. said she gained weight after graduating from high school and recently developed a stringent exercise and diet routine to shed the extra pounds. Phillips signed up for the race with friend Daenia Peart, also of D.C., as a reminder to keep up with daily runs.
Runners left with a wealth of important health information as well as a variety of cancer prevention tips. How can you take steps to reduce your risk of cancer? The Prevent Cancer Foundation explains four simple steps can significantly help:
- Eat healthy
- Be active
- Don’t smoke
- Get screened
To learn more about the Prevent Cancer Foundation and for more information about cancer prevention, visit: http://preventcancer.org/.
It’s Saturday morning and the sun is just starting to rise over the Potomac, spreading its orange rays over the rowers out on the water. It’s quiet and cool. The roads are empty. Near Whitlows on Wilson in Arlington, though, a sleepy Saturday morning disappears – a timing clock counts down to the 5k start time.
It’s Clarendon Day; Every September, the community celebrates the unique flavor of the Clarendon neighborhood with a street fair, live music and children’s activities. The day kicks off with a pair of 5k and 10k races, both of which start in front of the Whitlows restaurant and finish near the Rosslyn metro station.
The Clarendon Day 5k and 10k races’ tagline of “Be the Boss of Wilson Boulevard” dovetails with the lore that precedes them in the running community. The downhill start has tricked many a runner into going out too fast and then having to deal with burning legs for the last third of the race. Participants have the option of running both races, provided he or she can finish the 5k and still make it back up Clarendon Boulevard in time for the start of the 10k an hour later. Plenty of people do find their Saturday morning beginning with a 5k, a metro ride or trot back up the hill to the start and a 10k immediately after. One area man, Ryan Hunt, lost a bet and ran both races in a full suit and tie; placing 5th in the double division and proving you really can “suit up” for any occasion. For Owen, an Arlington resident dressed in traditional running attire, the double proved to be a challenge, “I went all out in the 5k and found myself beat up before I even started the 10k, but the spectators and the signs along the route really pumped me up.”
Not everybody could be duped by the hill. Local favorite and Asics sponsored Claire Hallissey toed the line facing tough competition from another local runner, Kristen Anderson. These two women faced off at the DC Road Runners Track Mile in July and both broke the Clarendon Day 5k course record, with Hallissey finishing in 16:37 and Anderson in 16:48. After her win, Hallissey jogged back up the hill for the start of the 10k, where she finished second to Pacers-New Balance’s Kerri Gallagher. Of decision to double, Hallissey said “I’m very familiar with that hill since I live in Clarendon, but it was the thought of the 10k to come which really helped me to hold back on the pace going down it the first time.” Hallissey also clinched the Women’s Double victory with a combined time of 51:56.
Pacers-New Balance’s Kerri Gallagher, a 1500 meter specialist who finished 5th at the 2013 Track and Field Championships, might claim that 10-milers and 10ks are not her forte, but she proves racing different distances might just be a recipe for success. The New-Yorker-turned-Virginia-resident’s finish at the Clarendon Day 10k in 34:30 broke the previous course record by over two minutes and has her feeling optimistic about Oct. 20’s Army Ten-Miler, where she will return to defend her 2012 title.
On the men’s side, American University graduate Mark Leininger led wire-wire to win the 5k in 14:54 and local running club The Dojo of Pain’s Chris Pruitt claimed second in 15:09. In the 10k, Chris Kwiatkowski and Paul Thistle, training partners with the Pacers-New Balance team and first time racers on the course, finished one-two. Kwiatkowski claimed the win and a new course record of 30:08 with Thistle finishing in 30:41 to claim second in his first attempt at the 10k distance. They are looking to build on their 10k performances at November’s .US Road Racing Championship 12k in Alexandria. The race lineup includes the Championship 12k a 12k open division, 5k and ½-mile kids’ fun run.
For some local runners like Hunter Benante, the day was a good chance to run part of the Marine Corps Marathon course. “I’ll be running on that same road on Marine Corps race day and it’s great to get out there and get a feel for the course. Plus, the double is just great fun.” For some runners, the morning races are the best way to start a day devoted to a community filled with runners. Said one Clarendon resident, “Clarendon Day is definitely one of my favorite days of the year- a 5k, street fair and drink specials? What more could you ask for?”
What more indeed. It’s just another day at the races.
