Pacers Racing Team teammates Steve Crane and Jackie Gruendel overcame the heat, the hills, and the competition to capture the men and women's titles in the inaugural running of the Battle of the Boulevard 10K. The local running community turned out en masse on a warm and muggy morning to support this new event, with almost 1,400 runners descending Wilson Boulevard from the start in Clarendon, through the Arlington neighborhoods of Courthouse and Rosslyn to a turnaround point on Route 110 and then retracing their route back to Clarendon. Both Crane and Gruendel chose to make their decisive moves to break away from their competitors during the arduous uphill climbs on the return trip along Wilson Boulevard in the final 2 miles of the race. Crane, a 23 year old resident of Alexandria, VA recorded a winning time of 32:09, with runner-up Jason Weber of Arlington, VA running 32:49 and Michael Wardian, also of Arlington, finishing third in 33:04. Gruendel, a 32 year old who lives in Burke, VA broke the women's tape in 37:58, followed by Katie Nowak of Rockville in 38:18 and Katie Neeper of Parker, CO in 38:30. Tara Fenske was the third local finisher, and fourth overall, with her 39:32 performance.

Men's winner Steve Crane (in photo) is a recent transplant to the area who has made a major splash on the local road racing circuit in recent months, adding this title to his victory last weekend at the Frederick Half Marathon (1:08:30). Crane, a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, also had recent outstanding performances at the GW Parkway 10 Mile (3rd place - 49:45), Pike's Peek 10K (4th place - 30:14), and Cherry Blossom 10 Mile (17th place - 50:02). He is hoping to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials in June at Grandma's Marathon.

Women's winner Jackie Gruendel (formerly Concaugh) has been a long-time standout on the local road scene, who has only recently returned to prominence following a layoff due to foot surgery. Gruendel races frequently on the track as well as the roads and competed in a 1500 meter race on the track in Chapel Hill, NC on Friday evening, then returned late at night to compete at Battle of the Boulevard on Saturday morning. Like Crane, Gruendel is also an Olympic Trials hopeful.

In the masters competition, Pacers Racing Team member Linda Foley had a back-and-forth battle with training partner Becky Nathan throughout the race, with Foley winning the final skirmish on the Wilson Boulevard hills to cross the finish line in 40:35 ahead of Nathan's 40:46. Ted Poulos had a somewhat easier time handling the men's masters field as his 35:58 put him 32 seconds clear of second place Jim Seefeldt's 36:30.

All told, 1,356 runners completed the 10K course, with an additional 100+ walkers taking part in an accompanying 2K event, making this the largest debut race in recent memory in the DC area running community. The finishing times of all runners were a clear indication of the challenge presented by both the course and the weather conditions as most of the field recorded times that were 1 to 2 minutes slower than what would normally be expected. However, there were few complaints from the runners as most thought that the race merely lived up to its name. The typically top-notch organizational efforts of race director Kathy Dalby guaranteed a great race experience for all participants. Runners were greeted at the finish line with live entertainment, ample food and beverages, a wellness festival and children's activities presented by the Joy of Sports Foundation. Said Dalby, "The fact that we were able to combine this event with the Arlington Neighborhood Days celebration allowed runners to take a unique tour of our great town on streets not normally closed to vehicle traffic. We received a tremendous amount of support for this event from the Arlington community and we're hoping that with that continued support, we can make this event a mainstay of the local running calendar."

The event organizer, Pacers Running Stores, has long been known for its commitments to community involvement and philanthropy and continued to demonstrate those commitments by donating proceeds from the race to the National Kidney Foundation, the Arlington Police Charity Fund and the Joy of Sports Foundation. In addition, to stimulate community involvement in the event, the race hosted an Arlington Neighborhood and Business Challenge. The Arlington neighborhood with the most participating residents won a $500 grant for the community association's preferred charity, and the Arlington business with the most participants also received a $500 grant for its preferred charity. The winners were the Courthouse-Clarendon community association and the Full Circle Montessori School. Pacers co-owner and general manager Chris Farley had this to say about the successful debut of the Battle of the Boulevard: "We didn't want this to be just another race in the same way that we don't want Pacers to be just another running store. Our family members have been long-time Arlingtonians and we want our events and our business to contribute something back to the local community that's been so supportive of us over the years. We also wanted to make the National Kidney Foundation a major benefactor of our race since they are an organization that has very special significance for our family right now as my dad awaits a kidney transplant."

Whether you measure the success of this race by the level of the competition, the challenge of the course, the organization of the race, or its contribution to the local community, the debut of the Battle of the Boulevard was a huge hit. Let's hope that this race is around for many years to come.

Photos courtesy of Dan Hicok Photography

Full Race Day Results