Racers hurries along the final straightaway to the finish.

School's out for summer but more than 400 hundred runners of all ages drove up Robinson Road to sign up at Severna Park High School for the Annapolis Striders Dawson's Father's Day 10K. This inexpensive race is not only the 3rd leg of their Championship series but serves as the 4th leg of the Maryland RRCA Grand Prix Series. The first series is for bragging rights for the club, the second is for statewide kudos.

While costs of virtually everything are going up, up, up, this professionally managed race with enthusiastic volunteers cost only ten dollars on the final day. It was only three dollars for members and five dollars for others beforehand. No, there was not a race t-shirt, but come on it summer and even running along the shaded bike trail a shirt was not really needed.

Before the race runners got a good look at the goodies awaiting them once they had made the 6.2 mile trek. National Sporting was there with a large exposition. Volunteers were already unloading crates of bananas and filling large tubes with ice to cool down the 2 -liter bottles of soda and water. Off to one side tables were filled with bagels, variety of cookies, and salty pretzels. No one could doubt that they were prepared for the heat. Fleet Feet Annapolis had just opened a little more than a year ago. Today there were again present with neat coffee mugs with their logo as gifts for the runners. They had a raffle for prizes. The store is just a short drive over the bridge form the DOCK in Annapolis.

The race course in its second year had dodged some of the early hills of yore. They did not seem to be much of a traffic issue perhaps it was because the police made a large presence. One officer joked as he was being hurried out on the course by his fellow officer before the race, "I had to get my bib."

The race started in the bus lane on the school grounds and quickly u-turned down Robinson Road. Staring with a brief downhill is always not as running revved their engines. The next mile and half the course zigzagged through the residential neighborhood before hitting the trail. The trail does go up but the rise is barely discernable. Near the "top" runners received some water before mentally geared to press "down" the hill. Mile five is just past Robinson Road. Runners make a short out and back before charging back to the school.

Before the race male runners had their bibs marked as father and/or grandfathers and there were awards for them as well. After the race random award winners were offered either gift Certificates to Dawson's Wine and Spirits or a 12 pack of soda. It seems as if some of the random winners need to get together.

Overheated runners could march back inside the school for air conditioning and rest rooms. Still, as hot as it felt on the road, after the race the day was sunny and pleasant to mingle and check out the expo.

Sheryl Kline (45) of Arnold, MD (in photo) was confident of a repeat victory but she was looking for a solid time as well. She has not been running that many years yet, so she tossed out a weak, "I am still not recovered from ZOOMA," the half marathon she raced to start the month. Grizzled veterans pointed out that that was plenty of time. The irrepressible Ronnie Wong (61) of Catonsville, MD had raced two races that day: Bel Air Town Run in 20:07 and the HCS Burleigh Manor 5M in 36:21. The following week he finished third overall at the Ridge Runner Marathon in 3:36:00.

At the start, he darted out with Kline in tow. Both passed the first mile around 6:20. There were three other women faster than 7:00 at the mile. Still, it seems certain that Kline would win. The heat and the humidity, now there are some solid reasons, slowed her more than she wanted but she got a good look at the competition and easily won. In fact in the final quarter, she edged by Wong - who had raced the Patterson 4-Mile the day before.

You know you are a legend when a runner gets excited about beating you. Wong again held off "legend" John Kirkpatrick (64), this year by nearly a minute. However, this year Bernard Wright of Pomfret, MD who had run 41:08 at DARCARS Pike's Peek in the spring proved he could handle any weather to win the 60- 69 division.

Scott Koehler returned as champion. Dave Berardi (47) of Baltimore, MD (in photo below) was the masters champion. He pointed out that runners were even more heat challenged last week. He had run the Survivors Challenge 7M. Marjorie Boyd repeated as the top masters woman.

Annapolis Ten Mile in August
Annapolis Strider Club President and Co-Race Director of the 33rd Annapolis Ten Mile race (Lisa Fontaine) announced that this year was going to be another great racing premium - a Microfiber Running Jacket - Convertible to Vest. The registration for the race that always fills up began June 1, 2008.

The race will be run from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD at 7:50 am Sunday, August 24, 2008. Check out our 2007 Race Report.

Check back for Full Race Results and age group winners
RRCA Grand Prix Series results will be updated soon
Annapolis Striders Series will be updated soon.
Read last year's 2007 Race Report with photos and age group results.