Photo: Chad Young, 2nd place finisher. By Alan Penberg

It's easy for an outsider to feel just a tad inadequate at the Somerset Elementary Back-to-School 8K Classic in Chevy Chase.

Part of it is the picture-perfect neighborhood, with lovely old homes on carefully manicured lots. Part, too, is the apparently perfect families, with handsome children, many of whom take part in the 2K and various kids runs after mom or dad participates in the main event. And this year, like most years, the weather was chamber-of-commerce perfect, crisp, clear and cool--the very essence of a perfect fall morning.

Still, most runners can't help but fall in love with this decidedly old-school community affair that raises money for the new school, currently in the middle of a rebuilding project--as if to prove that despite all appearances, the annual Back-to- School event is something the neighborhood needs and cherishes.

Matt Cooke, 24, from Washington, experienced none of that cognitive dissonance, however, as he won going away in 26 minutes 23 seconds. Cooke is a professional triathlete who graduated last May from nearby American University, where he ran under two-time Olympian and coach Matt Centrowitz. Cooke's former AU teammate, Chad Young, 22, was second in 27:34.

"I told Matt before the race, 'You go one and I'll go two,' " Young said. "I was fine with that."

Cooke broke away from Young, four-time race winner Anthony Belber, who finished third in 27:39, and the rest of the field after the first mile.

Janet Urbanski, 33, from Frederick, won the women's race in 31:31. Elizabeth Feldman, 36, from Chevy Chase (photo), was second in 31:50 and Ann Reed, from Columbia, took third in 32:12.

"I caught up to the woman leading [Feldman] at around a mile," Urbanski said, "and just tried to run steadily from there."

Feldman, who is training for next month's New York City Marathon, was pleased with her effort on what was for her a typically busy morning. Feldman's husband, Greg, shepherded sons, Jack, 7, and Wesley, 4, through the kids runs; their one-year-old daughter did not participate.

Award Winners

OVERALL MALE  (GUN TIME)
Place Num   Name                Age City                  Time    
===== ===== =================== === ===================== ======= 
    1   468 Matt Cooke           24 Washington DC           26:23 
    2   275 Chad Young           22 Bethesda MD             27:34 
    3   479 Anthony Belber       30 Washington DC           27:39 


OVERALL FEMALE  (GUN TIME)
Place Num   Name                Age City                  Time    
===== ===== =================== === ===================== ======= 
    1   363 Janet Urbanski       33 Frederick MD            31:31 
    2   462 Elizabeth Feldman    36 Chevy Chase MD          31:50 
    3   382 Ann Reed             29 Columbia MD             32:12 


MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 12   (NET TIME)
    1   447 Jamie Reingruber    11 Chevy Chase MD          38:52 
    2   427 David Atkinson      11 Chevy Chase MD          41:33 
    3   388 Robbie Thomas       12 Chevy Chase MD          42:17 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 12   (NET TIME)
    1   385 Kelsey Roberts      10 Chevy Chase MD          58:30 


MALE AGE GROUP:  13 - 19   (NET TIME)
    1   220 Adam Bookman        18 Chevy Chase MD          31:56 
    2   190 Michael Young       16 Chevy Chase MD          33:19 
    3   248 John Sanders Jr     15 Chevy Chase MD          34:05 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  13 - 19   (NET TIME)
    1   230 Molly Moulton       14 Bethesda MD             41:23 
    2   309 Elise Lang          15 Chevy Chase MD          41:48 
    3   405 Caroline Goodman    14 Chevy Chase MD          47:27 


MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 34   (NET TIME)
    1   243 Mike Sheehy         31 Chevy Chase MD          28:35 
    2   373 Sean Aronson        24 Washington DC           29:33 
    3   493 Chris Frazar        26 Silver Spring MD        31:08 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 34   (NET TIME)
    1   173 Jennifer Frink      33 Washington DC           33:28 
    2   358 Ann Gorman          34 Washington DC           37:14 
    3   362 Nicole Seibel       29 Bethesda MD             39:26 


MALE AGE GROUP:  35 - 39   (NET TIME)
    1   278 Chuck Graf          37 Chevy Chase MD          29:59 
    2   475 Carl Ramirez        39 Bethesda MD             31:01 
    3   293 Patrick O'Malley    38 Chevy Chase MD          32:40 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  35 - 39   (NET TIME)
    1   498 Jennifer Newman     35 Silver Spring MD        34:46 
    2   426 Amy Wood            35 Chevy Chase MD          38:10 
    3   478 Lisa Bell           36 Chevy Chase MD          39:53 


MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 44   (NET TIME)
    1   137 Ted Poulos          41 Mclean VA               29:19 
    2   510 Frank Trinity       40 Washington DC           30:46 
    3   517 Paul Folkers        40 Bethesda MD             33:18 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 44   (NET TIME)
    1   312 Anna Gunn           40 Chevy Chase MD          35:58 
    2   466 Wendy Ponvert       41 Bethesda MD             37:02 
    3   402 Kathryn O'brien     40 Washington DC           37:39 


MALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49   (NET TIME)
    1   303 David Andrews       47 Bethesda MD             29:29 
    2   101 Jim Hage            45 Kensington MD           30:31 
    3   270 David Wild          48 Washington DC           30:34 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49   (NET TIME)
    1   464 Ethel Guerrero      48 Arlington VA            41:41 
    2   318 Robin Frankel       46 Bethesda MD             41:55 
    3   302 Alison Curtis       46 Bethesda MD             42:14 


MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 54   (NET TIME)
    1   124 Jay Wind            53 Arlington VA            31:26 
    2   374 Jon Hiratsuka       50 Arlington VA            34:00 
    3   350 Larry Attanasio     51 Ellicott City MD        36:34 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 54   (NET TIME)
    1   218 Amy Ross            51 Chevy Chase MD          42:44 
    2   119 Elizabeth Sadoff    54 Washington DC           44:00 
    3   433 Ruth Epstein        51 Chevy Chase MD          49:05 


MALE AGE GROUP:  55 - 59   (NET TIME)
    1   134 Patrick Griffith    58 Alexandria VA           31:08 
    2   469 Jim Noone           59 Fairfax VA              33:07 
    3   320 Larry Cox           56 Chevy Chase MD          36:19 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  55 - 59   (NET TIME)
    1   128 Alice Franks        55 Rockville MD            36:38 
    2   338 Karolynn Coleman    59 Chevy Chase MD          42:16 
    3   340 Harlene Bernstein   55 Chevy Chase MD          45:34 


MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 64   (NET TIME)
    1   483 Jim Verdier         61 Alexandria VA           39:44 
    2   501 Lou Shapiro         62 Silver Spring MD        40:46 
    3   242 Jon McNeal          63 Silver Spring MD        41:23 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 64   (NET TIME)
    1   127 Susan McGregor      61 Washington DC         1:00:56 
MALE AGE GROUP:  65 - 69   (NET TIME)
    1   458 Dan Morgan          66 Chevy Chase MD          50:44 
    2   444 Larry Heilman       68 Chevy Chase MD          58:07 


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  65 - 69   (NET TIME)
    1   445 Anne Heilman        66 Chevy Chase MD        1:09:54 
    2   366 Lucky Marmon        65 Chevy Chase MD        1:09:56 


MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99   (NET TIME)


FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99   (NET TIME)

See complete results of the Somerset Elementary Back-to-School 8K Classic.

View the Photo Gallery.