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Valvoline Instant Oil Change Goblin Gallop 5K & 1K Fun Run
By James Moreland
Fairfax, VA
October 25, 2009
For the Washington Running Report
Photo above: Fun run start
It is scary how well this race goes. Fairfax Corner shopping center is filled with costumed critters milling around. The course is lined with orange Halloween named cones and costumed marshals pointing the way or manning the water station. The popular kids' fun run has hundreds of runners.
Even while scores of other races have dropped off, the 5K again has nearly a thousand finishers. Their ages ranged from one-year-old Cameron Craig (with assistance from his dad) to 87-year-old Walt Washburn who positively leapt onto the stage steps to receive his second place 70-99 award behind Chan Robbins (72), a youngster by 15 years. For the women, Mia McLean (6) of Fairfax Station, VA was the top six-year-old just behind an apparent cousin Anna McLean (9) of Ellicott City, MD. While many of the runners ran with families members, Gary Grimsley (55) left his mom Mary to gun down the division in 19:25 as well as soon-to-be-55 Steve Robinson, who won his division in 19:35. Mary Grimsley won a nice random prize, thinking they had her age group wrong. "I will be 90 in a week's time," she said as if there was nothing to it.
The winners of the race were easy to pick out warming up before the race. Ethiopian Abiyot Endale was back from New York. He is a 3:45 1500M runner who had won the We've Got Your Back 4M in 18:49 in May. That time for four miles would have been tenth overall in today's 5K. He won the venerable Capitol Hill Classic in 30:50 against stiff competition a week after the 4 miler.
With no one to press him, he coasted to a workman like 15:41. Jean-Christophe Arcaz is a top flight master who had been sixth overall as top master last year. He netted an identical 17:23 this year to take the runner-up spot. That is not to say he was the second runner to finish. That honor goes to women's winner Hirut Mandefro. She had been fourth runner overall to take the $1000 first prize on Saturday at the inaugural Race for World Peace 5K in 17:04.
For those who thought that race was tough with muggy, warm conditions soaked in hills, Mandefro ran 17:20 on a cool crisp day. The opening road of the course was aptly named Random Hills. She had to work hard to stave off soon-to-be-masters Elena Orlova of Gaithersburg, MD, who had won it all last year cruising home in 18:17. This year, Orlova, the top submaster and third overall in Summer Runner Rankings, had to improve by a lot (17:43) to hold off another swift submaster, Ilona Baranova, by a stride (17:45).
Of the top five finishers, these three women were second, fourth, and fifth. Richard Kuhl (46) of Fairfax Station, VA was the third male in 17:58.
You may notice that many of the top runners had a longer gap between their gun and ChronoTrack net time. Traditionally, these races are announced with, "There will be a long pause, followed by the G word." Today just after the pause a young three-year-old wandered in front of the starting line and the timers going on sound started the clock on the H word - "hold up a second." Once the child was cleared off the road, the mass of colorfully dressed runners weaved like a snake through the narrow shopping center streets before careening around the corner to enjoy the early and virtually only down hill stretch off the course.
The race had a generous prize structure with top three overall, followed by top three masters and then three deep in five year age groups. They stopped at 70-99. Some runners wondered why 85-year-old Race Director Dixon Hemphill (in photo), a former elite runner into his late seventies before a cycling injured retired him, might not champion extending the age groups. He noted that they do not get many older runners. Not withstanding Walt Washburn, who races scores of races a year regardless, many older runners do not venture out when they have to compete against runners much younger than them. Five years makes a whale of a difference in the older years. Ten years is an impossible gap.
The Sparkplugs returned with lively music and there was so much food, hotdogs, bananas, juices, and cookies. There were lots of nifty random prizes and the awards crowd was as large as any race.
Five of the top seven men were masters runners. Fourth overall Terry McLaughlin (49) of Spotsylvania, VA earned the top masters award in 18:13. McLaughlin, primarily a short distance racer, had his slowest of four 5Ks this month. In the other three he finished second overall each time. This was also his 45th race of the year. He must love the course because he jogged it once before the race and then cooled down on it again after the race.
The women masters took places five through nine. Last year's master winner, Monique Rico, would have been fifth this year. Neither Linda Foley nor Anita Freres were a factor then. However, in 2007 when they last raced, Foley was fourth overall in 19:37 followed by Freres as second master in 20:02. This year Foley (47) takes top honors in 19:57 with Freres again in 20:02. Next year Freres will be 45 and gunning again for Foley's spot.
All proceeds from the Goblin Gallop go to support the John Quadrino Foundation to Benefit Children with Cancer.The Foundation is an all-volunteer, Northern Virginia-based charity that provides direct assistance to families of children with cancer in the Washington DC metro area.
Photo above: Before the race Paul Bousel (second 55-59) and Merrilee Seidmen (first 55-59) share a hug.
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FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Ag City Gun T Net T Pace
===== ===== ====================== == ===================== ===== ===== =====
1 1 Hirut Mandefro 23 Silver Spring MD 17:20 17:17 5:34
2 1046 Elena Orlova 39 Gaithersburg MD 17:43 17:40 5:41
3 1045 Ilona Barvanova 37 Gaithersburg MD 17:45 17:41 5:42
MALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Ag City Gun T Net T Pace
===== ===== ====================== == ===================== ===== ===== =====
1 1059 Abiyot Endale 23 Bronx NY 15:41 15:38 5:02
2 1041 Jean-Christophe Arcaz 48 Rockville MD 17:27 17:23 5:36
3 1001 Richard Kuhl 46 Fairfax Station VA 17:58 17:53 5:46
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 99
1 918 Linda Foley 47 Oak Hill VA 19:57 19:51 6:24
2 1044 Anita Feres 44 Reston VA 20:02 19:56 6:25
3 946 Laura Freix 48 Centreville VA 20:52 20:46 6:41
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 99
1 681 Terry McLaughlin 49 Spotsylvania VA 18:17 18:13 5:52
2 1076 Shawn Johns 44 Alexandria VA 18:39 18:36 5:59
3 981 Matt Anderson 43 Fairfax VA 18:48 18:44 6:02
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 01 - 14
1 335 Jessica Bachelder 13 Fairfax VA 23:43 23:30 7:34
2 123 Natalie Nelson 12 Potomac Falls VA 24:33 24:28 7:53
3 915 Michaela Estes 12 Centreville VA 27:37 27:07 8:44
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 01 - 14
1 1034 John Lapointe 14 Arlington VA 18:44 18:40 6:01
2 979 Greg Anderson 14 Fairfax VA 19:34 19:30 6:17
3 1094 Johnny Pace 12 Centreville VA 21:10 21:05 6:48
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 15 - 19
1 884 Riley Louden 17 Annandale VA 21:57 21:46 7:01
2 885 Charlotte Louden 15 Annandale VA 24:02 23:50 7:41
3 298 Courtney Manzo 19 Casanova VA 24:11 23:52 7:41
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 15 - 19
1 251 Brian Yudkin 15 Annandale VA 19:23 19:19 6:13
2 419 Steven Hurwitt 17 Ashburn VA 19:26 19:22 6:14
3 903 Nikolai Llana 17 Sterling VA 19:36 19:33 6:18
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 24
1 613 Molly Strickland 23 Centreville VA 23:19 23:01 7:25
2 83 Kate Hattemer 21 Fairfax VA 23:17 23:04 7:26
3 187 Jamie Zhang 21 Rockville MD 24:07 23:49 7:40
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 24
1 276 Ben Dwertman 23 Washington DC 23:14 23:01 7:25
2 603 Christopher Moore 23 Reston VA 24:23 23:39 7:37
3 555 Alex Iszard 24 Fairfax VA 24:04 23:47 7:40
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 25 - 29
1 265 Melissa Allbritton 25 Springfield VA 24:49 24:41 7:57
2 546 Diane Pane 25 Leesburg VA 25:04 24:58 8:02
3 694 Dawn Kresslein 26 Leesburg VA 25:11 25:00 8:03
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 25 - 29
1 605 Brad Holzwart 28 Fairfax VA 19:11 19:01 6:08
2 324 Travis Putnam 29 Woodbridge VA 20:49 20:42 6:40
3 425 David Merz 27 Oak Hill VA 22:03 21:58 7:05
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 34
1 999 Sarah Boatright 32 Fairfax VA 19:56 19:48 6:23
2 886 Rebecca Larson 30 Fairfax VA 23:09 22:59 7:24
3 611 Monique Barber 32 Broadlands VA 24:28 24:08 7:46
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 34
1 1014 Gregory Richards 33 Arlington VA 18:58 18:51 6:04
2 607 Ryan Hughes 32 Vienna VA 20:26 20:18 6:33
3 386 Jeremy Phelps 33 Centreville VA 21:54 21:40 6:59
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 35 - 39
1 155 Tina Welsh 39 Manassas VA 27:44 25:41 8:16
2 173 Kellie Prosser 39 Fairfax VA 26:29 26:03 8:23
3 302 Anh Nguyen-Ko 36 Centreville VA 26:52 26:20 8:29
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 35 - 39
1 263 Jeffrey Roth 35 Baltimore MD 19:55 19:36 6:19
2 908 David Moysey 37 Fairfax VA 20:09 19:58 6:26
3 724 Andrew Parker 35 Fairfax VA 20:31 20:26 6:35
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 44
1 1109 Genemarie Pade 40 McLean VA 21:51 21:42 6:59
2 200 Jennifer Lazio 41 Alexandria VA 23:03 22:57 7:24
3 126 Constance Pullella 40 Leesburg VA 25:23 25:11 8:07
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 44
1 683 David Soria 41 Manassas VA 20:16 20:10 6:30
2 617 Michael Zatz 42 Oak Hill VA 22:57 22:43 7:19
3 716 Todd Hicks 44 Centreville VA 22:54 22:44 7:19
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 45 - 49
1 922 Julie Hayden 49 Ashburn VA 21:28 21:21 6:52
2 329 Laura Morrison 45 Springfield VA 26:08 25:24 8:11
3 1092 Lidia Baca 46 Manassas VA 26:48 26:33 8:33
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 45 - 49
1 953 James Dunn 49 Leesburg VA 19:09 19:02 6:08
2 984 Bronson Armstrong 47 Marshall VA 19:30 19:26 6:15
3 625 Douglas Landau 49 Oak Hill VA 20:58 20:53 6:43
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 54
1 264 Becky Roed 50 Springfield VA 23:43 23:35 7:36
2 995 Nina Van Winkle 50 Vienna VA 24:45 24:11 7:47
3 300 Kathy Manzo 54 Casanova VA 25:01 24:42 7:57
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 54
1 947 Steve Robinson 54 Herndon VA 19:35 19:31 6:17
2 985 Steven Johnson 52 Alexandria VA 20:21 20:16 6:32
3 1091 David Pinnick 52 Manassas VA 21:04 20:54 6:44
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 55 - 59
1 96 Merrilee Seidman 55 Alexandria VA 25:18 25:14 8:07
2 1108 Linda Ridenour 56 Bethesda MD 25:27 25:22 8:10
3 862 Carla Bourgeois 56 Delaplane VA 30:38 29:56 9:38
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 55 - 59
1 831 Gary Grimsley 55 Springfield VA 19:25 19:20 6:14
2 97 Paul Bousel 56 Alexandria VA 20:26 20:22 6:34
3 955 Neal Riemenschneider 55 Winchester VA 20:40 20:36 6:38
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 64
1 786 Gretchen Bolton 64 Bethesda MD 30:52 30:15 9:44
2 808 Valerie Golowaty 61 Herndon VA 42:16 41:02 13:13
3 887 Kathy Cooper 60 Herndon VA 45:00 44:19 14:16
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 64
1 596 Michael Kush 64 Burke VA 23:05 22:53 7:22
2 584 Geoffrey Gage 60 Reston VA 26:08 25:57 8:21
3 347 Edward Guryansky 62 Fairfax VA 29:56 29:19 9:26
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 65 - 69
1 829 Rosemary Jellish 65 Alexandria VA 38:24 37:06 11:57
2 365 Harriet Hulings 65 Burke VA 48:13 47:04 15:09
3 822 Carol McLean 68 Springfield VA 49:57 47:59 15:27
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 65 - 69
1 420 Richard Pane 66 Oak Hill VA 22:56 22:50 7:21
2 364 Joseph Hulings 68 Burke VA 27:09 26:03 8:23
3 120 Richard Wiley 65 Centreville VA 27:36 27:24 8:50
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
1 809 Tami Graf 73 Lusby MD 31:45 31:37 10:11
2 701 Judith Jaffe 70 Vienna VA 32:41 32:28 10:27
3 446 Winnie Gordon 76 Fairfax VA 44:35 43:42 14:04
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
1 869 Chan Robbins 72 Arlington VA 23:32 23:27 7:33
2 983 Walt Washburn 87 Vienna VA 43:48 42:21 13:38
3 823 David McLean 74 Springfield VA 54:59 52:59 17:04
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 441 Manggon Comsan 26 M Herndon VA 23:04 23:04 7:26
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 307 Heather Buller 22 F Haymarket VA 25:45 25:17 8:08
Photo above: Waiting for an award, random or won.
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Comments
"the early and virtually only down hill stretch of the course."
Thank you for saying this, I swore the course was 75% up hill and people didn't believe me! It's a fun one though!