Everybody goes for Potomac Pizza.

Food, glorious food!
What wouldn't we give for
That extra bit more
That's all that we live for

The huge parking lot was already being divided up with rows of tables for food and drink. Music was being setup. Moon bounces and balloons for the kids. Just before the race the Sergeant's Program warmed up the runners. The goodie bag included a shirt and a plastic bag with drawstring, which ended up filled with food.

The roads were slick, and as there were newly paved; the white paint on the road made it seems like an ice skating rink. Plastic fencing shuttled the runners over the timing mats just past 8:30 and the battle for Montrose soon began as the top athletes rambled over the quarter mile of Jefferson Street leading to the first down hill.

Normally, when there is a combined 5K and 10K, the fast runners in the 5K lead the pack. Not so here. The Africans were out in force again. In the 10K, last year they had eight of the top ten times, including three women. This year top ranked Steve Crane and masters great Andrea Wright were absent and the Africans swept the top nine places.

In past years the 5K race ducked into North farm at the mile mark and 10K runners would never see them again. This year the 5K turnaround was on the corner of Tower Oaks and even the top runners did not look as fast returning. After all, we were charging down the hill from the mile mark and they were climbing up the hill from the turnaround.

It was clear even before he reached mile two that tall Adam Bray (26) of Rockville, MD was going to be the first runner home. His time of 17:11 was very impressive for this roller coaster ride in the thick air after the rain had stopped. Dabuek Nelkamu (26) and Alexander Paplomata (27) of Silver Spring, MD ran closer together finishing next in 17:59 and 18:07. Eric Lawrence (40) won the masters in 20:18.

In photo Hirut Mandefro (left) with Elena Orlova.

Hirut Mandefro (23) of Silver Spring, MD is the top ranked runner for the summer season in the region. Her winning time of 18:12, fourth finisher, is indicative of the toughness of the course. Last month she ran the Kentlands 5K in 16:47. Indeed top ranked submaster Elena Orlova (38) of Gaithersburg, MD could not hide her frown as she climbed the hills. She finished in 18:45 and fifth finisher; while at Kentlands she had run 18:12.

Third place went to Jennifer Iosue (22) of Gaithersburg, MD. Back in 1999, Iosue, then 13, stunned the crowd at Pike's Peek running 37:27. Myra Washington (51) of Montgomery Village, MD won the masters in 23:31. Nearly two hundred runners finished the 5K, only these five broke twenty minutes.

By 20 minutes, the 10K leaders were 2/3 of the way done. The 1.5 miles from the 5K turnaround to the 10K turnaround were a steady uphill. The lane of the road was close. The only car was an oddly place SUV right in the middle of the road turning off Tower Oaks onto Preserve Parkway.

The weather really did not seem so bad but the legs just did not listen to command, "Scottie, we got have more power," answering back, "Aye Captain, we're giving all we got!"

At the turnaround the marshal turned us clockwise, which normally would have run us right into runners following us but runner traffic was light and spread out. Now came the return trip, which would start out with a generous downhill.

Only two of the Africans (in photo runners 2-4 in the 10K) were the same as last year. The winner last year in 29:30, Alene Reta, seemed to just lope along. Last year his follower was sixty meters back and seemed content or unable to make a move. As if orchestrated Reta won again this year (30:08) by about the same gap. Deres Deniboba was runner-up in 30:19. Dagbe Alemu, normally a regular runner locally, was third in 30:55. He may have been the summer champion in the Runner Rankings but winning the Kentlands 5K in 14:33 was his only race. Abiyot Abebe (21) was runner-up at Kentlands in 14:39 as well as for the runner-up for the Summer Rankings. He ran 31:09.

The second tier was lead by the New York contingency. Abraham Nyetich (27) was sixth overall in 34:31. Just past the halfway point Alemtsehay Misganaw (28) was still glued to the back of Buzunesh Deba (21). By the finish, Deba opened a small window to triumph 34:54 to 35:00. The third woman Alemgena Desta (27) of Silver Spring, MD was clearly having a tough day. She had triumphed at Kentlands last month in 16:37. This time she settled for 36:22.

Tenth place Bruce Halpin (52) of Ashburn, VA (in photo) won the masters in 39:45. It was certainly a solid time for the old guys but not in the league of Wright (33:40) or grandmaster Peter Darmody (37:38) from last year. And next year he will have to contend with 49-year-old Peter Rosario Gaithersburg, MD who finished one place back.

Winners of the ten year age groups received medallions and a selected gift from one of the many sponsors. Meanwhile, move out of the way. It is time for the food. The 5K finishers got first dibs but the food was plentiful well past the awards ceremony. Let us start off with bottles of ice tea and water. If that does not cool you down, head for the Gifford ice cream cart.

You want breakfast? There was French toast, eggs in tortilla wraps and scores and scores of fresh bagels, emphasis on fresh. Save the power bar and the chocolate chip cookies for later. Take me over to the Potomac Pizza van. They had stacks of pizza boxes six feet high. Fritos showed us the love with bags of the new Chili Cheese and Jalapeno Fritos with cheese packets on the side. More Giffords! There was a large barrel of yogurt and of course apples and oranges.

Makes you spin like a top trying to decide which item to sample next. 10K is not far enough to lose weight at this smorgasbord

Awards 10K

MALE OPEN (Gun Time) 
    1   324 Alene Reta          27 New York NY        30:08
    2   360 Deres Deniboba      26 Silver Spring MD   30:19
    3   800 Dagne Alemu         27 Silver Spring MD   30:55
   
FEMALE OPEN (Gun Time)
    1   350 Buzunesh Deba       21 Bronx NY           34:54
    2   323 Alemtsehay Misganaw 28 New York NY        35:00
    3   327 Alemgena Desta      27 Silver Spring MD   36:22
   
MALE MASTERS (Gun Time)
    1   339 Bruce Halpin        52 Ashburn VA         39:45
          
FEMALE MASTERS (Gun Time)
    1   244 Saleema Ross        55 Fort Washington MD 52:45
     
MALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 19  (Net Time)
    1   130 Alex Donnenfeld     19 New York NY        47:29
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 19  (Net Time)
    1   288 Andrea Sunshine     16 Bethesda MD        47:45
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29  (Net Time)
    1   822 Abiyot Abebe        21 Silver Spring MD   31:08
      
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29  (Net Time)
    1   362 Danielle Siebert    24 Rockville MD       44:44
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39  (Net Time)
    1   329 Tomofumi Watanabe   39 Potomac MD         39:28
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39  (Net Time)
    1   238 Lisa Reichmann      34 Gaithersburg MD    42:10
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49  (Net Time)
    1   330 Peter Rosario       49 Gaithersburg MD    40:56
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49  (Net Time)
    1   179 Melissa Keller      40 Rockville MD       55:13
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59  (Net Time)
    1   190 David Landau        53 Potomac MD         42:45 
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59  (Net Time)
    1   203 Iris Madison        51 Gaithersburg MD    55:01
    
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69  (Net Time)
    1   351 Earle Fingerhut     66 Potomac MD         57:41
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69  (Net Time)
    1   331 Barbara Szoradi     67 Washington DC      58:29
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99  (Net Time)
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99  (Net Time)

Race Director Robin Lerner, a fine runner herself having just run the Parks Half Marathon (net time 1:47:55), announces the race's awards.

Awards 5K

MALE OPEN (Gun Time) 
    1   779 Adam Bray           26 Rockville MD       17:12
    2   839 Dabuek Nelkamu      26 Silver Spring MD   18:00
    3   812 Alexander Paplomata 27 Silver Spring MD   18:09
FEMALE OPEN (Gun Time)
    1   824 Hirut Mandefro      23 Silver Spring MD   18:14
    2   804 Elena Orlova        38 Gaithersburg MD    18:47
    3   829 Jennifer Iosue      22 Gaithersburg MD    21:14
   
MALE MASTERS (Gun Time)
    1   681 Eric Lawrence       40 X                  20:18
       
FEMALE MASTERS (Gun Time)
    1   746 Myra Washington     51 Montgomery Vill MD 23:30
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 19  (Net Time)
    1   772 Sam Greenberg       16 Rockville MD       23:55
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  15 - 19  (Net Time)
    1   650 Dafna Feith         17 Bethesda MD        28:51
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29  (Net Time)
    1   679 Ken Kulwicki        29 Abingdon MD        22:54
      
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29  (Net Time)
    1   786 Erika Hyrowski      23 Rockville MD       28:16
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39  (Net Time)
    1   601 Daniel Ackerman     30 Arlington VA       21:36
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39  (Net Time)
    1   623 Pam Cibula          32 Gaithersburg MD    22:45
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49  (Net Time)
    1   781 Richard Theimer     46 Rockville MD       22:41
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49  (Net Time)
    1   631 Robyn Cohen         42 Potomac MD         24:47
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59  (Net Time)
    1   644 Alan Elsner         54 Rockville MD       22:00
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59  (Net Time)
    1   612 Lainey Bernstein    55 Potomac MD         28:07
    
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69  (Net Time)
    1   732 Bill Sollers        69 Silver Spring MD   26:50
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69  (Net Time)
    1   831 Joan Schwartz       60 Potomac MD         32:14
   
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99  (Net Time)
    1   709 Francisco Penha     71 Frederick MD       28:24
   
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 99  (Net Time)

Full Race Day Results
Race Day Report for 2008
Photo Gallery 2008