According to the calendar, spring starts on March 21. But for thousands of Washington-area runners, the season of renewal began on March 15 at 9:30 a.m. when a representative from the Irish embassy waved the starter's flag at the 15th St. Patrick's Day 10K on Pennsylvania Avenue.

And after the winter we've had, it was not a moment too soon. Breezy and cool conditions were of little consequence, so long as the sun shone brightly, which it did throughout the race and post-race festivities. Hundreds of runners bedecked themselves in shamrocks, kilts and green top hats in the annual rite of Irish spring.

Left: Chris Banks repeats. Jim Strand, #231, of Potomac, MD, came in 12th. Photo courtesy of Alan Penberg

But for the fastest, not much changed over the course of 12 months, because Chris Banks and Casey Smith each defended their titles in the men's and women's races. Banks opened a small gap after two miles, and while runner-up Glen Mays kept things close, he never seriously challenged for the lead. Banks won in 31 minutes 16 seconds, with Mays eight seconds back.

Smith, meantime, was engaged in a tight battle with Meghan McLaughlin, 24, from Alexandria, who recently moved to the area, and Heather Hanscom. But Smith pushed the middle miles--"I don't have much confidence in my kick," she said--and held on to win in 35:41. McLaughlin was three seconds back, and Hanscom was third in 36:00.

Left: Casey Smith at the 6 mile mark. Photo courtesy of Alan Penberg

Smith was well pleased with her effort. "I think that's a [personal best]," Smith said, although it turns out she ran 35:29 last fall at the Georgetown 10K. McLaughlin, likewise, was pleased. She graduated recently from Radford College near Lynchburg, VA, and runs for Cathy Pugsley's Potomac River Running team, affiliated with her store opening very soon in Ashburn.

Banks, 24, returned to the D.C. area after an eight-month stint living and training at altitude in Albuquerque, NM. He ran 2:18:51 in February at the marathon national championship in Birmingham, AL, to finish eighth. "I felt pretty good the whole way," Banks said, happy to race well just one month after his marathon. "I took a couple of peeks back just to make sure I was okay."

Left: Michael Wardian takes third with 31:48. Photo by Kathy Freedman

Third place went to Michael Wardian from Arlington, who ran 31:48. Wardian also ran the marathon national championship. "I finished last," he said, which was true enough, but he gamely hobbled across the finish line in 2:35. "I blew up at 18 and everyone behind me dropped out. This race felt easy today."

So it's really just a state of mind, this running business, particularly on St. Patrick's Day, when the world is green rather than white and hope springs eternal.

Male Award Winners

Overall 
1 Chris Banks          24 M ALEXANDRIA VA      00:31:16 00:31:18 
2 Glen Mays            32 M WASHINGTON DC      00:31:24 00:31:26 
3 Michael Wardian      28 M ARLINGTON VA       00:31:48 00:31:48 
4 Chris Farley         26 M ARLINGTON VA       00:32:14 00:32:15 
5 Michael Christmas    24 M WASHINGTON DC      00:32:19 00:32:22 
6 Chris Chattin        39 M COLUMBIA MD        00:32:33 00:32:35 
7 Thomas Mccarney      27 M ARLINGTON VA       00:32:48 00:32:48 
8 Jim Hage             45 M KENSINGTON MD      00:33:13 00:33:13 
9 Chuck Moeser         51 M STERLING VA        00:33:30 00:33:30 
10 Joel Frushone       36 M WASHINGTON DC      00:33:37 00:33:38



Ages 19 and under
1 Mike Tantino         19 M College Park MD    00:34:29 00:34:30 
2 Ian Marcus           17 M Potomac MD         00:38:43 00:38:48 
3 Tarik Aougab         15 M Potomac MD         00:39:39 00:39:44



Ages 20 - 24
1 Michael Toth         24 M Washington DC      00:34:50 00:34:50 
2 Gregory Holden       23 M Falls Church VA    00:34:53 00:34:53 
3 Vincent Evener       24 M Silver Spring MD   00:35:11 00:35:13 



Ages 25 - 29
1 Robert Schneider     26 M College Park MD    00:34:31 00:34:31 
2 Owen Leimbach        27 M Washington DC      00:34:52 00:34:55 
3 William Uher         28 M Dale City VA       00:34:53 00:34:59 



Ages 30 - 34
1 Patrick Reed         33 M Annapolis MD       00:34:01 00:34:01 
2 Jim Strand           32 M Potomac MD         00:34:18 00:34:19 
3 David Kent           30 M Arlington VA       00:34:38 00:34:40 



Ages 35 - 39
1 Ian Clements         38 M Arlington VA       00:35:05 00:35:07 
2 Tom Banchy           35 M Catonsville MD     00:35:09 00:35:11
3 Malcolm Lester       35 M Washington DC      00:35:53 00:35:55 



Ages 40 - 44
1 Jean-Christ Arcaz    42 M Rockville MD       00:35:14 00:35:16 
2 David Haaga          41 M Rockville MD       00:35:16 00:35:21 
3 Terry Mclaughlin     42 M Spotsylvania VA    00:35:23 00:35:24



Ages 45 - 49
1 Dan Lawson           47 M Gaithersburg MD    00:34:56 00:34:57 
2 Jim Wadsworth        46 M Washington DC      00:35:00 00:35:01 
3 David Wild           48 M Washington DC      00:38:47 00:38:57  



Ages 50 - 54
1 David Webster        50 M Stevensville MD    00:36:17 00:36:18 
2 Bennett Beach        53 M Bethesda MD        00:37:44 00:37:46 
3 Dan Eddy             51 M Kingstowne VA      00:37:49 00:37:55 



Ages 55 - 59
1 Patrick Griffith     58 M Alexandria VA      00:37:44 00:37:45 
2 David Lowe           55 M Chevy Chase MD     00:39:30 00:43:48 
3 Bob Chase            57 M Falls Church VA    00:40:22 00:40:29 



Ages 60 - 64
1 John Elliott         64 M Columbia MD        00:40:41 00:40:44 
2 John Churchman       60 M Arlington VA       00:41:57 00:42:03 
3 Warren Prunella      61 M Rockville MD       00:42:16 00:42:21 



Ages 65 - 69
1 Robert Smith         69 M Comus MD           00:50:56 00:51:02 
2 Alan Melvin          65 M Springfield VA     00:51:31 00:52:03 
3 Terrnce Mccartay     67 M Leesburg VA        00:52:28 00:52:41 



Ages 70 - 74
1 George Yannakakis    71 M Glencoe MD         00:45:47 00:45:52 
2 Jack Mcmahon         72 M Rockville MD       00:48:47 00:48:56 
3 Fedor Mesinger       70 M Fort Washington MD 00:49:06 00:49:13 



Ages 75 - 79
1 Paul Lackey          78 M Arlington VA       00:56:39 00:56:46 
2 Ray Blue             78 M Oxon Hill MD       01:10:32 01:10:39 



Ages 80 - 99

Female Award Winners

Overall



1 Casey Smith          23 F ARLINGTON VA       00:35:41 00:35:42 
2 Meghan Mclaughlin    24 F ALEXANDRIA VA      00:35:44 00:35:45 
3 Heather Hanscom      25 F ALEXANDRIA VA      00:36:00 00:36:00 
4 Susannah Kvasnicka   30 F GREAT FALLS VA     00:36:10 00:36:11 
5 Sharon Servidio      29 F ALEXANDRIA VA      00:36:28 00:36:29 
6 Denise Knickman      34 F BALTIMORE MD       00:36:37 00:36:38 
7 Patty Fulton         37 F SILVER SPRING MD   00:37:01 00:37:02 
8 Lory Gray            23 F ARLINGTON VA       00:37:20 00:37:22 
9 Sharon Donovan       28 F ARLINGTON VA       00:37:26 00:37:28 
10 Lisa Thomas         27 F ALEXANDRIA VA      00:38:09 00:38:11 



Ages 19 and under
1 Pamela Davis         17 F Falls Church VA    00:43:13 00:43:28 
2 Casey Megargee       15 F Ashburn VA         00:50:24 00:50:57 
3 Mary Naylor          16 F Warrenton VA       00:50:33 00:53:46



Ages 20 - 24
1 Karina Lubell        22 F Washington DC      00:41:28 00:41:44 
2 Deborah Vinton       23 F Washington DC      00:41:34 00:41:59 
3 Denise Cardamone     24 F Washington DC      00:42:03 00:42:13



Ages 25 - 29
1 Holly Roberts        27 F Silver Spring MD   00:40:38 00:40:42 
2 Marie Knight         25 F Arlington VA       00:40:47 00:40:51 
3 Jamie Hagerbaumer    25 F Washington DC      00:41:01 00:41:05 



Ages 30 - 34
1 Diane Herehan        31 F Alexandria VA      00:39:08 00:39:10 
2 Vicki Lang           34 F Columbia MD        00:39:10 00:39:12 
3 Laurie Dempsey       32 F Alexandria VA      00:41:40 00:41:44



Ages 35 - 39
1 Maria Kozloski       38 F Washington DC      00:40:10 00:40:13 
2 Terri Rath           39 F Ashburn VA         00:41:51 00:41:56 
3 Adina Wadsworth      35 F Washington DC      00:43:13 00:43:18 



Ages 40 - 44
1 Pat Wilkerson        44 F Columbia MD        00:40:46 00:40:48 
2 Julie Hayden         43 F Ashburn VA         00:41:10 00:41:14 
3 Ruth Ohara           40 F Alexandria VA      00:42:10 00:42:13 



Ages 45 - 49
1 Debbie Flynn         46 F Gaithersburg MD    00:44:04 00:44:21 
2 Merrilee Seidman     48 F Alexandria VA      00:45:58 00:45:59 
3 Bernadette Flynn     45 F Fairfax VA         00:46:25 00:46:28 



Ages 50 - 54
1 Betty Blank          50 F Falls Church VA    00:42:32 00:42:35 
2 Sandra Adams         53 F Winchester VA      00:43:35 00:43:38 
3 Alice Franks         54 F Rockville MD       00:45:22 00:45:31  



Ages 55 - 59
1 Heidi Pirie          58 F Leesburg VA        00:47:34 00:47:45 
2 Priscila Prunella    59 F Rockville MD       00:47:44 00:47:54 
3 Linda Kearney        56 F Oak Hill VA        00:48:11 00:48:11  



Ages 60 - 64
1 Sharon Dolan         61 F Gaithersburg MD    00:42:55 00:42:55 
2 Jane Metzler         61 F Falls Church VA    00:52:10 00:52:21 
3 Sharon Wright        60 F Washington DC      01:01:27 01:02:31 



Ages 65 - 69
1 Tami Graf            66 F Lusby MD           00:53:52 00:53:55 
2 Anne Casey Bryant    66 F Washington DC      01:06:13 01:08:16  



Ages 70 - 74
1 Lee Glassco          72 F Mclean VA          01:13:31 01:15:06 



Ages 75 - 79
1 Kay Morrison         76 F Rockville MD       01:07:01 01:08:58 



Ages 80 - 99
1 Hedy Marque          85 F Alexandria VA      01:10:12 01:10:22

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