Race winner Ray Pugsley in photo below by Kathy Freedman

Pouring! It was pouring, bringing us all the rain we had missed for the last six weeks, all in one day. After increasing numbers in the previous three years from 251 to 281 to 305, the growing numbers of runners enjoying this exceptional race were flooded away to 209.

The course is changed from previous years and includes three 180-degree turns, racing through neighborhood streets. None of the turns were hard to negotiate. The course would normally be lightning fast as there are next to no hills. Seven men in the last three years have been under 25:00, including last year's winner who busted a course record 23:55. In 2002, local runner Aaron Church of South Riding was runner-up in 26:35 to a fine runner from Blacksburg, Chris Seaton (24:32). The following year Church exploded to a wonderful 24:52, only to have the Russian/Kenya delegation dust him off in a dead heat 23:56, settling him back to third place.

For the women, the times have been fast too. In 2002, Victoria Klimina was fourth overall in a blazing 28:42 with Laura Freix, the top master, second in 31:14. The next year followed with Naoko Ishibe cruising in seventh overall in 27:52, Freix sped up to 30:47, though settling for fourth woman. Last year Sharon Lemberger tamed the field with a bold 28:08 for eighth overall with, you guessed it, Freix at the masters helm, improving to 30:29. Lurking in the shadows was standout racing ace, Alisa Harvey. At second place last year in 29:19, she put the field on notice for the masters in 2005. Instead of settling for masters, she pulled steadily away from the women's field and ran the fastest masters 5-mile of 2005, winning the race outright in 29:22. Three seconds is not really slowing down, considering the flooded roads she had to negotiate today.

There was a balloon "arch" at the new starting line but it lay on the ground battered by the rain. As we dashed around the first corner, it was obvious that no one would be getting lost today. There were hundreds of cones lining the way and every turn and all along the course were red signs with white arrows pointing the way home. Why can't all races arrange the course so expertly?

Male masters seem to get faster as they age. Mark Malander took the title with his 28:32 for third place three years past. Patrick Griffith, still a youngish 57, was fifth overall in 29:57. In 2003, Malander slipped back to the fifth spot but sped up to 27:49. Last year Jean-Christophe Arcaz picked up the title with an even faster 27:45. Today, Kyle Caudle finished seventh in 29:05 to steal overall masters honors from a lady, Alisa Harvey. Patrick Griffith, now sixty, recently ran the Navy Federal 5K in 18:29. Even with the heavy ran he was determined to fish for the top spot in the five-mile in 2005. When the gun sounded, he started off with his patented, "shot from the cannon start." It took the young'uns nearly a mile to shake him loose.

That lead pack contained Ray Pugsley of the Potomac River Running store as well as a regular top runner from the submasters division, Max Lockwood of Washington, DC (photo above by Jim Kelly), and young George Ingham of Herndon, VA. Fourth place David Kessler hung with the pack for about half the race. After that he ran alone. The next three places ran together and for the first four miles Patrick Griffith was the eighth spot separated from that pack, as was Kessler from the first pack. Alisa Harvey took flight in the final mile, passing Griffith. He gave chase and it propelled him to a year's best 5-mile time of 29:51. The great Norm Green set the Virginia State Record at 28:08 in 1993.

In the last mile, Pugsley revved his engines and pulled away to win in 25:58. Lockwood gave chase and came home in a swift 26:10. Ingham is just twenty. Do not be surprised if he comes back next year to set the record straight. He was third in 26:27. Hometown runner Jim Nielsen ran 28:40 for sixth place and, at the 39, is on the cusp of masterhood.

Lost in the excitement of a masters champion winning it all is that Jessica Erickson (photo by Jim Kelly), who was second in 32:08, is only 19. She will be faster next year.

The last half-mile of the race was run on a bike path parallel to the road, making it the fastest section of the race. Really the rain just cooled down the runners with unsalted fluids. We prayed for rain during August races. Still, the standing water everywhere made the times a little slower . . . for some.

At the finish, runners were treated to a smorgasbord of runner food. Lots of perfectly ripe bananas, apples, muffin, cookies, and delightful sandwiches tempted the discerning pallet. Even with all the rain, case after case of bottled water was a lovely sight to hydrate the runner on the inside. There was a trifecta of sports drinks too.

Around back at the Broadlands Nature Center it seemed like Christmas in October. There were scores of children's toys begging to be taken home. We were warned the awards ceremony might take a long time. The overall awards went three deep in cash, $300-$200-$100. The age groups were two deep in ten-year age groups, certainly very generous for a two hundred-person race. They consisted of dinners at Glory Days. That went quickly. Next came the random awards. There were more than one hundred; so many that the tag number box was separated into kids and adults. We all acted like kids, whooping and hollering about all the many great awards given.

(Photo left by Jim Kelly) Third place George Ingham.

A sampling:
** Lunch for two at the Tuscarora Mill
** 4 - $250 gift certificates to South Riding Nurseries (from KT Landscape)
** 2 passes to Showcase and Multiplex Cinemas
** $20 gift certificate to Olive Garden
** 2 dinners at Red Robin
** 21 free desserts - TGI Friday's
** 4 - $25 gift certificates and a gift basket from the Main Ingredient
** 9 public skate admission passes to the Ashburn Ice House
** 4 tickets to Redskins/Eagles Game
** a weekend stay at Wintergreen

The kids' prizes were set out on three large folding tables and even the winners milled around to get a look at what the other kids would be winning. The plan was to gather more than $200,000 for the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

The Web site for the race is Van Metre 5 Mile.

Awards

FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                    Age City                      Time  
===== ===== ======================= === ========================= ===== 
    1   340 Alisa Harvey             40 Manassas VA               29:22 
    2   169 Jessie Erickson          19 Herndon VA                32:08 
    3   208 Theresa Conroy           41 Richmond VA               33:37 


MALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                    Age City                      Time  
===== ===== ======================= === ========================= ===== 
    1     2 Ray Pugsley              36 Ashburn VA                25:58 
    2   364 Max Lockwood             35 Washington DC             26:10 
    3   170 George Ingham            20 Herndon VA                26:27 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1   232 Kathryn Stephens         17 Leesburg VA               39:52 
    2   222 Elizabeth Raggio         18 Sterling VA               41:40 


MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1   310 Joshua Chartier          14 Fairfax VA                30:40 
    2   176 John Oleynik             19 Atlanta GA                37:26 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29
    1   233 Erica Hall               27 Ashburn VA                36:19 
    2   320 Erica Pacheco            25 South Riding VA           37:27 


MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29
    1   236 David Kessler            27 Manassas Park VA          27:42 
    2   136 Chris Fair               26 Fairfax VA                38:53 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1   129 Colleen Taylor           36 Ashburn VA                37:00 
    2    24 Maria Crawford           37 Ashburn VA                38:21 


MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1   346 David Kent               33 Arlington VA              28:30 
    2   348 Jim Nielsen              39 Ashburn VA                28:38 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1   178 Elizabeth Ottaway        41 Alexandria VA             36:55 
    2    33 Mary-Gretchen Johnson    41 Leesburg VA               37:59 


MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1   350 Kyle Caudle              40 Alexandria VA             29:04 
    2   694 Larry Goldfarb           46 Washington VA             30:25 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1   214 Linda Fauteux            53 Herndon VA                42:46 
    2   313 Debbie Settle            50 Ashburn VA                44:48 


MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1    20 James Moreland           53 Gaithersburg MD           35:49 
    2   213 Richard Fauteux          53 Herndon VA                36:04 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69


MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69
    1    11 Patrick Griffith         60 Alexandria VA             29:49 
    2   158 John Haubert             63 Alexandria VA             33:41 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 98


MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 98
    1   185 Gabriel Banfi            70 Boca Raton FL             40:03 
    2   248 Dick Coogan              73 Mclean VA                 48:36

Full Race Day Results