Start of the 5K race. All photos by Randy Sager.

The rain, which drenched the huge National Race for the Cure on Saturday, June 7, disappeared for the much smaller Oy Vay 10K and 5K. The welcome 60-degree temperature was, however, somewhat marred by high humidity. But the runners, who have been braving the rain throughout May and the beginning of June, did have dry feet, and they did not have to face the normally hotter temperatures of June.

The 10K course, of which the 5K covers half, is challenging but not overwhelmingly so. The rolling hills demand that runners pace themselves well. The hills are neither too steep nor too long, and a flat stretch or downhill follows each uphill. But the hills keep coming. In the 10K, this writer ended up following runner Joe Shaffner (40). He tackled the course just right and finished in 49:25. He ran up each hill evenly--with strength, without slowing--and allowed himself to recover on each flat or downhill. He never allowed a downhill to burn him out. He even had the strength to kick up the last hill, which comes well after the five-mile marker, at a fast pace.

The 5K runners started first, at 8 am. In the men's competition, Michael Murray (22) finished first in 16:45. He was in town for the weekend and decided he wanted to run a race. The Oy Vay 5K was the only one in Montgomery County on this particular weekend, so he registered. It was somewhat of a test race for him; he is just recovering from a hip flexor injury. He admitted he went out a little faster than he should have and said he was tiring on the return of the out-and-back course. But he kept a firm lead of almost a minute on Ted Poulos (41), who finished second in 17:44. This time was Poulos's best for this course, but he was displaced as the three-year winner of the 5K. He finished first in 2000, 2001, and 2002 with times of 17:51, 19:43, and 18:02. Jean-Christophe Arcaz (42) took a close third in 17:50.

In the 5K women's competition, three 15-year-olds claimed the top three places. Frances Jeffrey-Coker (photo left), Paige Marcus, and Katie Sushinsky finished in 22:09, 22:34, and 23:52, respectively. One might assume the three knew each other, but they had never met before. Jeffrey-Coker is a member of the Northwest Cross-Country team, the Maryland State Champions. Jeffrey-Coker described the course as "not the hardest, but not the easiest." Sushinsky had never run a race before--she is a dedicated soccer player--but she had a goal to finish in under twenty-five minutes and did so. Halima Anmadu (27, not 15) finished in fourth place in 23:55. But another 15-year-old, Rachel Solnick, finished fifth and claimed first in the under-nineteen age group in 24:28. Solnick and Marcus actually do know each other; they compete on the Churchill Cross-Country and Track teams.

The 10K race started next at 8:15 am. Participating in the men's competition, Aaron Church (27) wanted to break the time of 31:30. He did so by six seconds and claimed first place in 31:24. He described the course, which he ran for the first time today, as "challenging." This race was his last hard workout preceding Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota on June 21, in which he hopes to break 2:22 and qualify for the Olympic trials, which will be held in Birmingham, Alabama on February 7, 2004. Todd Martin (33) finished second in 32:47, and Paul Rades (30) took third in 33:11.

In the 10K women's competition, Lisa Reichmann (29), the winner for the past two years, was displaced by another Lisa: Lisa Kallenbach (35) finished in 41:37; Reichmann in 43:06 (surpassing her 2002 winning time of 43:30). Marcie Knapp (40) finished in 43:32 to claim third place. Reichmann was ahead of Kallenbach until just before mile four, when Kallenbach passed her.

Kallenbach was in from Providence, RI, visiting the area for her brother's surprise fortieth birthday party. Charles Kallenbach (39), who has run the 10K three years in a row and finished in 48:57, joked about "importing a ringer" who came to town and claimed first place. Lisa was supposed to pace Charles throughout the race, but Charles encouraged her to go on ahead. She said, "I was supposed to be [his] rabbit, but I jumped ship." He takes pride in his sister, and he revealed that she is doing a lot these days: she just graduated from medical school and is competing in the Tiverton Olympic Distance Triathlon with her husband in six days on June 14. Reichmann was good-natured about taking second place, laughing about "the ringer from Rhode Island." She described the Oy Vay 10K as "near and dear to my heart." Not only has she run the race since at least 1999, but her mother works at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, the beneficiary of the race (www.hebrew-home.org). Reichmann is not going to sit still after this race; she is racing the Lawyers Have Heart on June 14.

Three hundred sixty-seven runners took part in the Oy Vay races this year. The Hebrew Home has held the fun and rigorous local race for eleven years now. The race may be a small one, but it is drawing more and faster runners each year and offering increasingly attractive prizes for the top three male and female finishers and the age group winners.

Winners of the 10K, from left to right: Aaron Church, Todd Martin, Paul Rades, Lisa Kallenbach, Lisa Reichmann, Marcie Knapp.