In its fourteenth year, the Kensington 8K continues to lead the way for autumn races. This morning was the first truly autumn race morning this year with low fifties and crisp cool air. The gentle breeze felt good as the tightly packed group of more than 500 racers hugged the curve of the Carroll Place Circle to start the race.

Nearly all the pre race chatter was about the "hill". The ominous hill is a little heartbreaker of a staircase situated in perhaps the worst part of an 8K, to start the fourth mile. The first three and a quarter mile were pancake flat and many runners were surprised at how fast they were running. Leaving the park and turning up East Bexhill, the world was abruptly a high gravity place and even the cool morning seemed to heat up. At the top of the hill, runners were treated to a runaway quarter mile and then the last three quarters were "back to work."

Michael Wardian (in photo) seemed to be just loping along as he won for the third time in four years. Slowly slightly from last year, this Olympic Marathon Trials runner won easily in 25:47. Never worse than fifth in the last six years, Kareem Lanier of University Park, PA won the race in 26:27 in 2005. Today, he ran alongside George Ingham who had won the Navy Federal 5K last week in 17:01. With the stiff competition today Ingham ran even faster, fighting off surges by Lanier to earn runner-up in 26:53. Lanier was 26:56. Another Pacers man, Tim Fahey (33) of Alexandria, VA was right behind them finishing fourth in 27:00. Both the male and female winners were from Pacers.

From there, the times leaped back a minute to the 28s, five men racing close together. Max Lockwood of Washington, DC had been second overall in 2005 with 27:02 and third last year in 27:07. Coming back from Connecticut Avenue just past two miles he was locked up with grandmaster Dan Lawson (51) of Gaithersburg, MD. Lockwood noted that he really ran hard because he did not want Lawson to catch him. He just did hold him off 28:15 to 28:18. Both runners were seen discussing the race well after most of the racers had gone home.

Note that Lockwood had run 28:19 in 2003. In 2004, Lawson, then 48, ran fourth overall in 27:06. His time this year may be the grandmaster record and he was first master as well. Coming in close behind him was Jean Christophe Arcaz (46) of Rockville, MD. Arcaz won his division in 28:27.

Roland Rust (55) of Bethesda, MD was the next grandmaster. He announced that it was a new (five year) PR with 31:49. Rust has a lifetime PR in the 10K of 30:23. With five year age groups, he noted that next year would be real tough as Jim Hage of Kensington, MD would probably be returning and he turns fifty in February 2008. In the 60-69 age group, Jim Noone (63) of Fairfax, VA started out conservative hitting two miles just under 14:00. While others were girding for the hill, Noone turned on the jets. (In photo) he can be seen slapping watches in time with third overall Deborah Flynn of Gaithersburg, MD in 34:03. Next in line, top ranked Lou Shapiro (66) of Silver Spring, MD made it look easy gliding by runners on the East Bexhill monster to finish in 35:11.

Cindy Conant (46) lives in Kensington, MD. This is her turf. In the last five years she went from 13th women to fifth to second. Then last year she won it all in 32:53. This year she gave it all she had to try for consecutive wins. Her fastest of 32:21 was just short. (In photo) she trails Mary Christopher (23) of Washington, DC who won a close one in 32:19. Third place Flynn got off to a great start and was never challenged, finishing in 34:03.

The next two runners were younger in there combined age than Flynn. Catherine Skibo (23) bested Daphne Fuentevilla (27) both of Kensington 34:30 to 34:45. Helen Beven is well known on the streets of Kensington. Racing down the Parkway all the spectators were yelling out her name. She had started in 2002 improving a minute for the first three years, finishing second overall in 31:58 in 2004. The following year at forty she was second master but her times slowed with injuries. She hit the first mile and exclaimed, "That's too fast for me!" Not really, as she was again second in her age group in 35:59. Jean Betz (48) of Cabin John, MD had quietly gunned her down in the closing miles to win the division in 35:29.

Before the race, Alice Franks (59) of Rockville, MD was not sure she should be racing. She planned to "take it easy". She had won her ten year division the last two years in the mid 37s. Today, she eased up (Maybe because she plans to race tomorrow too!) and finished second in the division in 38:43. Deborah Gebhardt (59) of Adelphi, MD (in photo) will be following her closely into the new division. Today, she won handily in 38:05.

In the most senior division (70-99), Tami Graf (71) of Lusby, MD claimed she was just racing hard so that her male counterpart (age group winner) Bob Gurtler (72) of the Plains, VA would not beat her. Gurtler ran 50:08. Graf meanwhile blasted a Best of 2007 time of 47:15, nearly a minute better than the previous best.

Matthew Swann (11) of Bethesda, MD (In Photo)hurried through the first mile in 6:30 and so unlike young'uns, never did flame out, cruising to an easy age group win in 33:35.

Before the race and after there were motivating sounds from the DJ. Thankfully, the weather was cool as the bottled water went very fast. There were oranges and lots of bagels and muffins. The results were up quickly with the help of the Montgomery County Road Runners Club. The course was well manned and marked beautifully. Volunteers were seen at all the road crossings and mile splits were announced at the mile markers.

There was a two mile race that had lots of runners and walkers as well as a 1K fun run for the youngest runners.

Awards

FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS
    1 Mary Christopher    23 Washington DC        32:19  
    2 Cindy Conant        46 Kensington MD        32:21* 
    3 Deborah Flynn       51 Gaithersburg MD      34:03* 
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
MALE OVERALL RESULTS
    1 Michael Wardian     33 Arlington VA         25:47  
    2 George Ingham       22 Herndon              26:53  
    3 Kareem Lanier       34 Lincoln Univ PA      26:56  
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 12
    1 Cori Caggiano       12 X                    45:02  
    2 Catherine Gregory    9 Washington DC        47:16  
    3 Mikaela Glass        9 Kensington MD        47:16  
MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 12
    1 Matthew Swann       11 Bethesda MD          33:35* 
    2 Alexander Van Holle 12 Kensington MD        37:00  
    3 Peter Caggiano      10 X                    39:07  
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  13 - 19
    1 Charlotte Kirwan    13 Bethesda MD          40:29  
    2 Emily Kleinburd     16 Bethesda MD          41:21  
    3 Abby Bieber         16 Bethesda MD          41:22  
MALE AGE GROUP:  13 - 19
    1 Joshua Ellis        13 Bethesda MD          33:56  
    2 Simon Timmerman     14 Kensington MD        36:06  
    3 Logan Snyder        14 North Potomac MD     38:23  
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29
    1 Catherine Skibo     23 Kensington MD        34:30  
    2 Daphne Fuentevilla  27 Kensington MD        34:45  
    3 Kristen Felix       21 Rockville MD         38:37  
MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29
    1 Chris Johnson       26 Washington DC        28:08  
    2 Ben Pederson        23 Washington DC        29:14  
    3 Adam Fung           27 Silver Spring MD     29:32  
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1 Kathleen Sylvester  32 Kensington MD        37:06  
    2 Jennifer Heaton     34 Kensington MD        37:29  
    3 Lucia Acin-Andion   33 Silver Spring MD     38:00  
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1 Tim Fahey           33 Alexandria VA        27:00  
    2 Martin Lanz         34 Washington DC        28:09  
    3 David Kent          35 Arlington VA         28:10  
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1 Jean Betz           48 Cabin John MD        35:29  
    2 Helen Beven         42 Kensington MD        35:58  
    3 Judy Lyons          42 Kensington MD        36:12  
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1 Jean-Christ Arcaz   46 Rockville MD         28:27  
    2 Mark Hand           40 Arlington VA         29:51  
    3 Albino Castro       47 Brookeville MD       31:39  
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1 Deborah Gebhardt    59 Adelphi MD           38:05* 
    2 Alice Franks        59 Rockville MD         38:43* 
    3 Carolyn Breen       50 Bethesda MD          40:29  
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1 Dan Lawson          52 Gaithersburg MD      28:18* 
    2 Roland Rust         55 Bethesda MD          31:49  
    3 John Wallerstedt    51 Kensington MD        33:36  
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69
    1 Barbara Wendell     64 Annapolis MD         53:36  
    2 Teresa Revanna      61 Falls Church VA    1:02:40  
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69
    1 Jim Noone           63 Fairfax VA           34:03  
    2 Lou Shapiro         66 Silver Spring MD     35:11* 
    3 Clifford Gaddy      61 Kensington MD        36:01  
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99
    1 Tami Graf           71 Lusby MD             47:15* 
    2 Jeanette Chambers   72 Arnold MD            55:01* 
    3 Lilli Metzger       71 Silver Spring MD     56:40* 
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99
    1 Robert Gurtler      72 The Plains VA        50:08  
    2 John Chambers       71 Arnold MD            55:01  
    3 Nathan Katz         81 Kensington MD        58:01* 
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline

Full Race Day Results
Race Day Report for 2007
Photo Gallery 2007
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