Since turning fifty, Randon Fritsch had been perched all alone on top of the female 50-54 age group runner rankings in the Washington Running Report. In 1996 she was named the Female Master's Long Distance Runner of the Year by the Potomac Valley Association of the USATF. Where has she been lately?

Last January Randi seemingly evaporated from the competitive mid- Atlantic running scene. "I was running down a sidewalk after work when I stepped on a small twig that caused my ankle to roll under my foot," she says. "The pain and the swelling were very slow to go away." During her recovery phase she focused much of her time and energy chairing the Crystal Ball Committee to benefit the South Baltimore Homeless Shelter. By early summer she was able to resume training, but refrained from the local racing circuit.

When talking to Randi about road-racing, understand that she is one serious competitor. As much as she teases many of her male training partners about being "so oo competitive," when she pins on a number she is all business. She expects to do her best every time she goes to a race. Her best is measured against her PRs . . . not recent PRs but her all-time PRs!

She has run two marathons: New York to qualify and then the 100th Boston, and at her age assiduously avoids the distance. Indeed, she ran the 100th Boston with cameras in hand, and may have spent more time taking pictures than running the event. Later, a friend discovered the nature of her middle-distance competitive spirit. "He went to the Sallie Mae packet pickup two weeks after Boston, and registered me on the spot to avoid race- day hassles when he discovered I didn't have a number yet! It was an innocent act in good faith, because he knew I was going, but he didn't know that I only planned to watch. I didn't want to run in a large, visible race if I were not prepared to do my best."

With her competitive philosophy, she has limited her events to a few races this year. Some have been for fun, and others just to test her healing. In May, she ran the Baltimore Women's Classic side-by-side with daughter Jen, and ran through the Brew-to-Brew 5 Miler a month later to support the South Baltimore Homeless Shelter. The Spirit of Gettysburg 5K was her summer race, followed by the monstrous Hood-to-Coast Relay in August. Her women's master's team won the Army Ten Miler in October. Her highlight for the year came in early December when she won a local 5K outright, with her daughter taking second. "It won't be long before Jen's beating me," she beamed. Randi began running many years ago. She was initially motivated by the early Bonnie Bell series and the Lady Equitable in Baltimore. She laughs about her early times compared to now. "I used to run those 10K's in 51 to 52 minutes. I would train all year just to run those races." Still, as in many other areas of life, those events served to draw out her talents and propel her to the top of the nationally ranked runners in her age group. She is very excited about the Avon Global Women's Circuit, and in particular the June 27 event scheduled in Baltimore. "Women's races are awesome," she volunteers, "because they make women feel like they can accomplish something. The esprit, the camaraderie at these events makes them very, very special." Since Bonnie Bell and the Lady Equitable were prime reasons for her eventual emergence, she is hoping that the Avon series will discover hidden talent in other women. With that in mind, she wants to develop her current positions as a delegate on the Baltimore Road Runners Executive Board and the Women's Long Distance Running representative on Potomac Valley USATF committees into a voice of action for women's running initiatives in the area.

Her plans for 1998 are still sketchy, but include Cherry Blossom, returning to Friehofer's 5K for Women, and organizing a women's team for the 1998 Hood-to-Coast Relay. Her current training is focused on a January half-marathon. With that kind of winter base, and a reinvigorated coaching connection with mentor James Pryde, Jr., look for Randon Fritsch to proceed to the top of the charts in 1998.

PRs after turning 50: 5K 18:43 - 1996 10K 39:08 1996 5M 31:30 - 1995 10M 66:16 - 1996