Henry Kipchirchir, from Kenya (photo left), has been racing extensively in this country for a little more than two years; Wilson Komen, also from Kenya and seven years Kipchirchir's senior, arrived here and began racing only last fall.

At the 21st Sallie Mae 10K on Hains Point, Kipchirchir, 20, showed off his experience and demonstrated a decided lack of deference to his elder compatriot. From the start, Kipchirchir ran three consecutive 4-minute 40-second miles, dropping Komen after two miles and leaving him unhappily settled in second place. Kipchirchir's winning time was 29:56. Komen, who finished 12th at the Boston Marathon in April, ran 30:24; Aleksey Khorhlov, from Russia, took third in 30:49.

The women's race was a bit more of a nip-and-tuck affair, with last month's Pike's Peek winner, Victoria Klimina from Russia, adding a Sallie Mae title to her growing collection with a time of 33:34. Atalelech Ketema, from Ethiopia, led through the early going but couldn't cover Klimina's 5:20 effort between miles four to five. Ketema faded to second in 34:09. Maria Busienei, 18 and the winner of the Broad Street 10 Miler on May 2 in Philadelphia, took third in 35:15. (In the photo above, author Jim Hage looks on as Atalelech Ketema surges in her approach to the finish.)

While the fastest runners tend to capture the imagination, at Sallie Mae in particular attention must be paid to the elders, many of whom have been running the race since its inception in 1984. This year, despite the warm, humid and sometimes rainy conditions, 1,206 runners finished. And Sallie Mae--the student loan people, of course--significantly increased the kitty for both the masters division and the intercollegiate team challenge with $10,000 to the winning school's general scholarship fund, which again was claimed by Bucknell University.

Gennady Temnikov, 42, from Russia, successfully defended his 2003 masters title, running 31:17 and finishing seventh overall. Chris Chattin, 40, from Columbia, who has been making the proverbial hay since the sun started shining in January upon his 40th birthday, took second. Close on Chattin's heels and running a fine race to take third was Chuck Moeser, 52, from Sterling.

Former nationally-ranked triathlete Lee DiPietro, 46, from Ruxton, Md. (photo left), showed no ill effects from her recent Boston Marathon and won the women's masters title in 36:38. Maria Spinnler, 42, from Hagerstown, Md., was second in 38:05. Patti Shull, 46, from Ashburn, took third 38:26.

Hedy Marque, 86, a Washington institution as venerable as Social Security--and a whole lot more reliable--finished in 1:19:04. Always reaching higher, Marque professed dissatisfaction with her effort. Marque's daughter, Marjorie, 52, from Alexandria, finished second in her age group.

Another generation-spanning team, Dixon and Peter Hemphill, are looking forward to returning to family competition. Dixon, 79, a spectator at Sallie Mae, will race again in June at his 55th Middlebury College reunion in Vermont. Son Peter, 45, from Centreville, carried the family colors on the course at Sallie Mae and ran well to break 40 minutes.

For more information about the Sallie Mae 10K, see the race Web site.

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