Runners charge down the final meters on Eisenhower Avenue.

What kind of day was it going to be for the GW Birthday 10K? A few weeks ago we took on a single digit degree day with a laconic finger of our own. The past few weekends, indeed much of last week, was spring-like, bounding to seventy degrees in some parts. Eisenhower Avenue is not known to gimme shelter from the ferocious fifty mph winds of the middle of week.

Sure, the predawn morning was a little brisker but as the sun arose but the winds were nowhere to be found and a huge crowd of Valentine's Day racers, many with rosy hearts painted on their cheeks, were treated to near perfect racing conditions.

Last year ten men ran 5:15 pace or faster. The top three finished in 31:15, glued together by three tenths of a second. Only two of them returned. Bert Rodriguez, tenth last year, had continued to improve all through 2008 and was given the number five bib. Last year's runner-up Steve Mance was given number four. They would be a battling as Rodriguez had run the Veterans Day 10K in 31:18 ahead of Mance's 31:31 to nearly match Mance's race here last year. Then Rodriguez topped it at the Jingle all the Way in 31:13. Aaron Church was lined up in the center. He had blazed a couple of boss marathons in the fall. He then finished third overall in 31:36 behind Rodriguez at the Jingle all the Way.

The three of them glanced around at the competition, which is always tough here. Still, Church agreed the competition makes you run faster. When the race started these three took on the overpass with alacrity joined in with just two other racers. Demesee Tefera (26) of Silver Spring, MD soon took command and onlookers said it was not even close as he swept to victory in 31:32. That was not a real surprise given that his race last year at Pike's Peek was third place overall in a scintillating 29:05. In second, Mouchine Outaleb (30) of Baltimore, MD had five races since coming to the area but only four overall wins. All were shorter races with 14:39 speed at the 5K. He outgunned the trio finishing in 32:01. Rodriguez is really enjoying being in the overall awards and held off Mance 32:13 to 32:23. Mance won the 20-29 division while Church in 32:41 downed the 30-39 division.

Runners decelerate in the corral.

At this point, it should be noted that these titans really ran even faster. The course was a tad long (6.362) instead of the normal 10K (6.213). The course is certified but sometimes it is tough to tell exactly where to turn when the course is off-road with a multitude of turns. Last year a few of the runners ran a tad long but most everyone was back on course due to a quick recovery from the marshals. This year it appears the 180 degree turn at the lake was started at the second turning when it should have been the first turn in. Savvy runners had already noted that their fourth mile was about a minute slower than the first three and later could tell that the final two were back on pace. GPS devices offered a secondary assurance the runners had got an extra .15 miles of racing pleasure gratis.

Sixth place Dickson Mercer (27) of Takoma Park, MD (34:11) edged two young runners Matias Palavecino (34:26) and Jared Campbell (34:31) as the only other runners to top race winner Hirut Mandefro (23) of Silver Spring, MD. Mandefro was the top Ranked Runner for 2008 in the Washington Running Report in a sizzling battle with Alemgena Desta. Today, Mandefro ran a brilliant 34:34, winning easily. Given that she had run 34:24 at Pike's Peek (a shorter 10K) she appears to be aimed at retaining her title. Michelle Lilienthal (26) came in from Minneapolis, MN to do battle. She keep the race competitive most of the way finishing in 35:13. Both times easily topped Kristen Henehan's win last year in 36:02 and the top four women did not return. This put last year's fifth place finisher Melissa Turner of Bethesda, MD feeling good about here chances. Tanner had run a fine Army in 59:52, a sub 36:00 equivalent for the 10K and finished third overall at the Marine Corps Marathon.

Muiuxe Gurma (24) of Silver Spring, MD, new to the area finished third overall in 36:35. Tanner again settled for fifth overall as Julia Rudd (26) of Herndon, VA is making herself known lately, running 38:01. Tanner's 38:17 seems slower than last year's 37:40 but the course...

In photo, Jack McMahon (78) of Rockville, MD, third in his age group, makes a solid case for going to five year age groups.

Greg Cauller (49) planned another junket to the area from York, PA. It was a fact finding trip to see what shape he was in. He crushed the masters field that was a little weak this year with a moderate 36:37. Last year's champion Andres Wright also had a slow time (for him) in 35:36. The course really is fast. Last year Wright ran 33:11 ahead of Cauller's 33:20 at Pike's Peek.

For the grandmasters, I tried to be helpful and tell Paul Bousel (55) of Alexandria, VA that the chips were supposed to be worn in your hat this year. He said laughing, "Don't worry; with ten year age groups there will be plenty of young guys ahead of us." Then he left me standing on the mats and blasted out to win the division in a swift 40:57. In truth, he had been fourth last year in 40:54 while Bill Raabe ripped the field in 37:42.

For the masters women, Pam Lovett (46) accompanied her husband Jack all the way from Newport News, VA to take the title in 42:56. She said she was just coming north to visit her mom but we suspect she was scouting out a top spot in the rankings by taking down some of the competition on their own home ground. Ofelia Perotti of Alexandria, VA is the first lady in the grandmaster in the DC area. After winning the region title in 2007 she dropped one slot in 2008. This winter her time dropped almost four minutes at the Jingle all the Way 10K to 44:06 versus 40:47 in 2007. Last year she ran the GW Birthday 10K in 40:57 just three seconds behind Bousel. This year she was still second grand behind Bousel coming to the final bridge when a determined James Moreland gunned past year to finish in 44:34 to her 44:34. Clearly, she was the second best masters female; clearly she was not up to her usual bright standards.

Richard Pane (65) of Herndon, VA continues to shine racing 45:23 to top newly minted senior Geoffrey Vincent of Alexandria, VA (46:08). Chan Robbins took his customary top spot in the 70 and over division with 48:25. Linda Kearney (62) of Oak Hill, VA had a marvelous 51:25.

After the race, runners returned into the AMC theaters to warmth. I found myself lecturing some novice runners (would be nutritionists) between bites that indeed pizza is good food. The results were posted quickly and age group winners earned gift certificates to Pacers Running Stores.

Award Winners

                MALE OPEN
  1  725 Demesse Tefera       26 Silver Spring MD  31:31.8 
  2  729 Mouhcine Outaleb     30 Baltimore MD      32:00.0 
  3    5 Bert Rodriguez       29 Arlington VA      32:12.4 
                FEMALE OPEN
  1  727 Hirut Mandefro       23 Silver Spring MD  34:33.9 
  2  716 Michelle Lilienthal  26 Minneapolis MN    35:12.8 
  3  726 Muiuxe Gurma         24 Silver Spring MD  36:34.1 
              MALE AGE GROUP: 01 - 14
  1  312 Jack Tobe         12 Washington DC        68:03.8 
            FEMALE AGE GROUP: 01 - 14
             MALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 19
            FEMALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 19
  1  226 Jessie Daley        16 Oak Hill VA        45:03.5 
             MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 29
  1    4 Steve Mance       24 Arlington VA         32:23.0 
  2  766 Dickson Mercer    27 Takoma Park MD       34:10.2 
             FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 29
  1  747 Julia Rudd         26 Herndon VA          38:00.7 
  2    7 Melissa Tanner     27 Bethesda MD         38:16.5 
             MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 39
  1  189 Aaron Church        33 South Riding VA    32:40.9 
  2  299 Monte Hawkins       32 Falls Church VA    35:21.2 
             FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 39
  1  701 Liz Aquino         34 Springfield VA      42:12.9 
  2  653 Agatha Engel       30 Alexandria VA       44:15.3 
              MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 49
  1  753 Greg Cauller        49 York PA            36:36.8 
  2  550 Bryan Mikesh        44 Fairfax VA         38:31.5 
            FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 49
  1  350 Pamela Lovett       46 Newport News VA    42:56.0 
  2  608 Brooke Curran       40 Alexandria VA      44:45.7 
             MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 59
  1  150 Paul Bousel        55 Alexandria VA       40:56.3 
  2  232 James Moreland     56 Gaithersburg MD     44:33.4 
             FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 59
  1  215 Ofelia Perotti      52 Alexandria VA      44:44.7 
  2  146 Carole Jones        51 Ashburn VA         47:13.7 
              MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 69
  1  555 Richard Pane        65 Herndon VA         45:22.1 
  2   56 Geoffrey Vincent    60 Alexandria VA      46:07.2 
            FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 69
  1  547 Linda Kearney       62 Oak Hill VA        51:24.5 
  2  404 Mary Proctor        60 Reston VA          63:15.2 
             MALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99
  1  632 Chan Robbins        71 Arlington VA       48:25.2 
  2  385 Alan Rider          72 Reston VA          55:32.4 
             FEMALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99

Full Race Day Results

George Washington Birthday Classic 10K Web site