Event record 541 finishers in the 5K as both men and women's records fall.

You just knew the Page's Run 5K was going to big bigger and better than before. This race always has a plethora of volunteers. As with many of the school races, the track is an ideal staging area and a perfect spot for a fast finish. Before the race, Churchill Coach Paul Jacobson announced his team of nearly twenty harriers would be running in the race. He noted that it was one of his best teams. Of course before the race, the youngsters announced they would be running, not racing. They would save their best efforts for coming school meets.

This race was about community involvement. The race has many people who contribute but chose not to run. Some are walkers; all were smiling. The good natured jostling at the starting line was a story of the joy of athletics; enjoying the cool crisp first days of autumn. There were awards categories for high school students and for teachers but the race was not so much about competition as it was savoring the day. Still, Jacobson (in photo) delivered on his promise that he was ready, taking the top masters spot in 18:05 a full minute faster than last year.

Before the 5K started, there was a fun run on the track for the really young. The 5K did have age groups 10 and under as well and lots of young finishers. At 8:59 there were still only about five runners on Gainsborough Road getting ready to getting ready to start over the ChronTrack mats. The families and friends of runners and the runners were still enjoying the morning over by the packet pick-up. Shortly afterward, Coach and Race Director Steve Bettis herded them over to the starting line.

The course, which circled the school, was well marked and the first and last quarter mile had more cheerleaders than you can shake a stick at. Victory Lane was one of the charming streets raced down but the track team members announced forebodingly just past the first K, "Here is the hill." Not to worry, it was noticeable without the "tour guides." The third K was down; then the fourth was up. The final K cruised back in front of the school and charged onto the track past the dancing cheerleaders, invigorating music, and then on the final turn, around the track sprinting under the balloon arch.

Once past the finish line, race announcer Joe Rubenstein exhorted to runners to, "Go get some refreshments; then come back to the stands and sign up for the random prizes." There were scores of random prizes many worth more than $100 dollars to lucky winners. Others had a harder time tearing themselves away from all the food, which included hot pizza from Potomac Pizza, scores of hotdogs, wraps, and sandwiches, to complement the bottled water, Gatorade, and soft drinks. During the early morning chill, runners also enjoyed hot coffee. This race knows how to feed a runner, especially the voracious appetite of the teenage runner.

There were probably as many random awards as there were merit awards and that was a lot. The awards went three deep in three sub 20-year-old categories as well as the traditional ten year age groups. The masters division was a generous three deep as well.

Top overall male and female finishers win a weekend getaway to historic Boston. Airfare and luxurious hotel stay are included in the package. That was sure to bring out the speedsters. Michael Wardian had set the event record last year in 15:37, with Chad Young hanging with him all the way to the track. Young has the top teacher record with 15:42.

Before the race, hot shot Patrick Reaves (23) of Silver Spring, MD was seen jetting out striders. He had an excellent summer, including an overall win at the vaunted Annapolis 10 Mile. Then a shadow passed over the road and the tall dark "Clint Eastwood" of runners solemnly strode up to the starting line. Steven Crane (27) of Arlington, VA (in photo) was the top dog, the head honcho, the runner with the mostest, the Summer Runner Rankings champion. He had eight overalls wins and a sub 15:00 5K on his resume.

Most of the runners were still recording the sounds of the word GO and putting that plan in motion as these two elites jetted off in the distant. Crane likes to be a front runner and often can coast to the finish. Not today. From Boone, North Carolina, Ryan Woods (29) made him work until the last half second, losing by about the width of his race bib in a new course record of 15:07.

For the women, Anya Oleynik was a teen when she set the course record in 18:33 just two years ago. Last year she ran alone to win again in 19:07. Now in college she has not raced as much as before. Still, she had to be one of the early favorites. As the slim young women lined up, Melissa Tanner (27) of Bethesda, MD (in photo) stood out. She had won Riley's Half Marathon on a hot and 'hillacious" course in late July. She also had a 17:47 5K on our nation's birthday celebration. She moved out quickly and Oleynik would end her reign.

Kathryn Neeper (24) of Washington, DC came in from Colorado last year and started her DC tour with a nice 38:18 GW Birthday 10K. Cate Fenster (36) of Potomac, MD did her earlier rushes in the Deep South. Both of them kept Tanner anxious with no chance to ease up. All three broke the course event but Tanner did it first, finishing in 18:00.

Sixth place Sushila Nanda (47) of Arlington, VA happily cruised to the masters title.

Multiple College Scholarships to be Granted By Page's Memorial Foundation Scholarship
The solid medallions brought smiles to a lot of runners' faces. The glorious fall day warmed up nicely after providing the runners with near perfect racing weather. The delightful race, for a worthy cause, has it all:

Moderately fast and interesting course
(Well marked, marshaled, and measured)
Lot of awards both random and by time in many categories
Abundant quantity and quality and variety of refreshment
Modest entry fee
Racing weather time of year
Great music

With all the many races to choose in the region, this is one race you should not miss.

Awards - Women

FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                Age City                  Time    Cat 
===== ===== =================== === ===================== ======= === 
    1   490 Melissa Tanner       27 Bethesda MD             18:00     
    2   317 Kathryn Neeper       24 Washington DC           18:08     
    3   438 Cate Fenster         36 Potomac MD              18:16     
MASTERS:      40-99        (NET TIME)
    1   284 Sushila Nanda       47 Arlington VA            21:48   
    2   489 Marlela Rivas       47 Alexandria VA           22:33   
    3   268 Robyn Cohen         42 Potomac MD              24:21   

FEMALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 10  (NET TIME)
    1   419 Laura Heller        10 Bethesda MD             31:08   
    2    16 Paige Verona         9 Murrysville PA          31:12   
    3   239 Sydney Weinstein     9 Potomac MD              34:31 S 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  11 - 14  (NET TIME)
    1   544 Taylor Manderscheid 13 Monrovia MD             21:53   
    2   586 Michael Greenberg   14 N Bethesda MD           23:17   
    3   493 Elana Schrager      13 N Bethesda MD           24:28   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 19  (NET TIME)
    1   482 Regan McLaughlin    16 Fairfax VA              24:42 S 
    2   400 Shelly Montgomery   16 Fairfax VA              24:47   
    3   483 Michelle Gellman    19 Potomac MD              25:38   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29  (NET TIME)
    1     2 Anya Oleynik        20 Gaithersburg MD         19:44   
    2   607 Tara Peterson       23 Washington DC           21:30   
    3   558 Megan Donnelly      21 McLean VA               21:52   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39  (NET TIME)
    1    15 Stephanie Verona    39 Murrysville OR          22:19   
    2   395 Shannon Paciorek    34 Gaithersburg MD         23:48   
    3   541 Danielle Newman     31 Alexandria VA           25:13   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49  (NET TIME)
    1   618 Cindy Ranck         45 Potomac MD              24:29   
    2   543 Leslie Goransson    47 Arlington VA            26:35   
    3   425 Lynn Fanaroff       45 Potomac MD              27:10   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59  (NET TIME)
    1   220 Iris Madison        51 Gaithersburg MD         25:53   
    2   588 Kim Gibson          55 Bethesda MD             26:23   
    3   209 Alda Mandell        58 Potomac MD              27:46   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69  (NET TIME)
    1   264 Victoria Detitta    60 Potomac MD              32:58   
    2   426 Linda Schwartz      66 Potomac MD              34:00   
    3   509 Novak Deanette      64                         41:13   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99  (NET TIME)
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
    1   180 Jillian Wojnar      12 F Rockville MD          27:20 

Awards - Men

MALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                Age City                  Time    Cat 
===== ===== =================== === ===================== ======= === 
    1   455 Steve Crane          27 Arlington VA            15:07     
    2   351 Ryan Woods           29 Boone NC                15:07     
    3   562 Patrick Reaves       23 Silver Spring MD        15:55     
MASTERS:      40-99        (NET TIME
    1    12 Paul Jacobson       45 Gaithersburg MD         18:05 T 
    2    89 Eric Lawrence       41 Potomac MD              19:41   
    3   459 Steven Schallenkamp 54 Kingston NY             19:54   
MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 10  (NET TIME)
    1   256 Noah Pereles         9 Potomac MD              24:26   
    2   619 Alex Ranck           9 Potomac MD              27:23   
    3   216 Jake Copenheaver     9 Potomac MD              28:25   
MALE AGE GROUP:  11 - 14  (NET TIME)
    1   227 Daniel Valero       14 Potomac MD              19:39 S 
    2   149 Sushen Thiyagarajan 13 Potomac MD              19:48 S 
    3   100 Matt Kogan          14 Potomac MD              20:10 S 
MALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 19  (NET TIME)
    1   366 Rob Bock            18 Silver Spring MD        17:42   
    2   155 Sei Masuoka         16 Potomac MD              18:55 S 
    3   102 Justin Rheingold    15 Potomac MD              19:27 S 
MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29  (NET TIME)
    1   505 Brian Burke         29 Herndon VA              16:31   
    2   532 Patrick Murphy      24 Washington DC           16:34   
    3   513 Aaron Anderson      25                         17:03   
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39  (NET TIME)
    1   105 John Sides          34 Washington DC           19:38   
    2   583 Jon Regetz          31 Arlington VA            20:23   
    3   564 Eric Brooks         36                         20:27   
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49  (NET TIME)
    1   441 Ronald Busch        47 Germantown MD           19:58   
    2   563 Dan Guerrero        46                         20:59   
    3   116 Tracy Vargo         45 Potomac MD              21:25   
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59  (NET TIME)
    1    71 David Dickson       54 Olney MD                20:08   
    2     9 James Moreland      56 Gaithersburg MD         20:54   
    3   552 Roger McCleskey     54 Arlington VA            21:27   
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69  (NET TIME)
    1   148 Tom Mills           61 Gaithersburg MD         25:01   
    2    66 Keith Ord           65 Potomac MD              26:57   
    3   258 David Brown         66 Potomac MD              29:51   
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99  (NET TIME)
    1   584 Val Lewton          71 Washington DC           33:51   
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
    1    65 Zachary Weinstein   15 M Potomac MD            19:50 

Full Race Day Results