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Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8K
By James Moreland
Arlington, VA
November 1, 2009
For the Washington Running Report
Race Director Ray Pugsley lamented that all of his first time races seem to be on a rainy day. Four years ago they tried an evening race in Ashburn and the roads turned into a river. Still, two-time winner of the Boo! Run for Life 10K, David Miller thought the cool morning with a light rain would be perfect for racing. However, with seven Potomac River Running store locations, that may in fact turn out to be case.
Sure, rain is wet but it is not as tough as nearly saturated air. Weather that is hard on spectators is usually great for racers. Prize money often brings out top competition. This race had $2000 just as the Race for World Peace did the week before. However, that was a winner-take-all $1000 for the winners--Demesse Tefera and Hirut Mandefro. The Cause split the dough between the top three overall $500-300-150, with a taste for the top master ($50).
Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Tefera found his way to the front of the starting line. He may have the only runner on the front line without a PRR race shirt. Tefera was joined by Nathan Brigham and Will Viviani as top prospects. Tefera had won it all at the St. Patrick's Day 8K in the spring with 24:18 with Viviani playing second fiddle in 24:44. Brigham had been tenth at the Pike's Peek 10K in 2008 with 30:55 while Tefera had been third in 29:05, merely a couple of strides from victory.
Pugsley, the current top dog among the region's masters runners, knows the field. Steve Magness (25) of Vienna, VA was given bib #2. Puglsey was fourth at the Inaugural Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K near the Reston store and watched as Magness dismantled two former top ranked runners Steven Crane (15:15) and Abiyot Abebe (15:22) with an excellent 15:05. Note: the "rain" that day was only the lightest of mists.
Bib # 1 was awarded to Samia Akbar. Akbar (in photo below) was ranked 4th in the Summer Runner Rankings. She had been runner-up at the Rockville Twilight 8K in 27:32. It almost seemed as if she was pulling away before the gun sounded. She claimed afterwards that she was really happy to win. Her time again in 27:32 to match the hilly summer race was more than two and half minutes ahead of her nearest rival.
At the finish line we got mobile reports that Tefera and Magness were neck and neck coming into the final quarter mile. Then the lead motor cycle turned onto to North Quincy and the runners had about one-sixth of a mile of firmly downhill to the finish. Magness made the turn first. He looked casually over his shoulder and saw that the race was over and glided across in 24:31. Tefera let the top prize go and visibly resigned himself to second place. He came to a stop at the finish in 24:38.
Brigham still had Viviani on his heels going after the third cash spot. He was the third to break 25 minutes in a swift 24:53. Viviani just missed in 25:04. Eleven runners broke the 6:00 pace mark. The twelfth runner was the top master Steven Maguire (42) of Arlington, VA in 30:27.
Top master Linda Foley (47) of Oak Hill, VA has more than once been an overall winner. Today, she was sixth overall in 32:01. The other two cash spots went to women from Maryland. Michelle Miller (28) of Damascus was runner-up in 30:03 with Bethesda's Kristin Andrews (28) not far behind in 30:20. Miller had a big improvement over her runner-up spot in 18:44 at the Poolesville 5K in September. Andrews improved on her Twilight 8K of 31:23. Cash does help bring out the best.
Fewer than half of those who signed up came out to race. Only four runners over 60 appeared at all. Although it was raining, the weather was really not bad for racing.
Denise Betke (60) of Falls Church, VA was the fastest grandmaster (50 and older) in 39:13. That was faster than anyone in that division ran all during the summer, including third-ranked Alice Franks, who ran the Twilight 8K in 39:29.
The top grandmaster for the men was none other than Jay Jacob Wind, who will be 60 this January 12th. His time was 35:32.
After the race runners used their special wristbands to earn special discounts at local restaurants. Food and drink after a race is a must to earn the gold standard.
Steve Maguire wins the masters cash.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
FEMALE
Place Num Name Ag City Time
===== ===== =================== == ===================== =======
1 1 Samia Akbar 27 Herndon VA 27:32
2 573 Michelle Miller 28 Damascus MD 30:03
3 502 Kristin Andrews 28 Bethesda MD 30:20
MALE
Place Num Name Ag City Time
===== ===== =================== == ===================== =======
1 2 Steve Magness 25 Vienna VA 24:31
2 939 Demesse Tefera 28 Silver Spring MD 24:38
3 782 Nathan Brigham 26 Laurel MD 24:53
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 99
1 878 Linda Foley 47 Oak Hill VA 32:01
MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 99
1 31 Steven Maguire 42 Arlington VA 30:25
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19
1 311 Audrey Benton 18 Washington DC 44:36
2 828 Falzah Holder 17 Washington DC 58:27
3 813 Caitlin Blankenship 8 Vienna VA 1:03:36
MALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19
1 997 Regis Peeples 18 Arlington VA 30:44
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24
1 781 Kristin Hart 23 Ashburn VA 30:52
2 208 Kat Cheshire 24 Arlington VA 37:09
3 449 Laura Phelan 23 Arlington VA 39:20
MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24
1 906 Moise Joseph 22 Dulles Airport VA 25:45
2 909 Mark Drath 23 Arlington VA 26:22
3 467 Doug Cassaro 24 Alexandria VA 35:55
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29
1 761 Stefanie Tocco 26 Arlington VA 34:23
2 473 Francesca Di Silvio 28 Washington DC 37:15
3 717 Jaclyn Cain 25 Fairfax Station VA 38:01
MALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29
1 940 Will Viviani 27 Arlington VA 25:04
2 907 Birhanu Zeleke 25 Washington DC 25:37
3 3 Dave Miller 27 Leesburg VA 26:12
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34
1 755 Nicole Atwell 31 Clifton VA 31:50
2 227 Kelley Thompson 30 Washington DC 34:57
3 864 Allison Greene 30 Alexandria VA 41:35
MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34
1 117 Joel Adams 32 Manassas VA 27:21
2 49 Jonathan Blakeslee 31 Fairfax VA 32:17
3 904 Andrew Martin 34 Arlington VA 32:44
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39
1 971 Maureen Forsyth 35 Washington DC 34:17
2 296 Heather Kauffman 36 Arlington VA 39:57
3 169 Kerry Crum 38 Vienna VA 40:23
MALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39
1 791 Scott Anderson 35 Washington DC 27:11
2 884 David Kent 37 Arlington VA 29:44
3 580 Russell Inman 36 Bethesda VA 32:30
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44
1 50 Martha Howar 44 Leesburg VA 36:40
2 251 Karen Dorigan 44 McLean VA 38:49
3 36 Jeannie Labella 44 Bristow VA 44:46
MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44
1 843 David Reynolds 44 Arlington VA 32:32
2 577 Alex Novelli 41 Washington DC 34:57
3 258 Michael Montgomery 40 Re VA 36:24
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49
1 535 Maura Levesque 46 Vienna VA 37:47
2 754 Michelle Lauzon 46 Arlington VA 39:07
3 217 Lesley Weller 46 Washington DC 42:20
MALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49
1 686 Bert Klein 48 Arlington VA 33:25
2 879 Thomas Foley 47 Oak Hill VA 35:13
3 664 David Labahn 47 Leesburg VA 35:34
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54
1 554 Cheryl Scholl 51 Stafford VA 43:38
2 669 Sandy Wendler 54 Vienna VA 44:46
3 163 Karen Loulakis 53 Great Falls VA 44:50
MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54
1 368 Robert Cheshire 50 Montclair VA 37:11
2 297 Judd Warner 50 Washington DC 37:33
3 891 Fritz Dutch 51 Arlington VA 40:37
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59
1 576 Leanne Layne 57 Springfield VA 59:16
2 505 Ann Rosser 57 Arlington VA 1:19:08
MALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59
1 900 Jay Jacob Wind 59 Arlington VA 35:31
2 435 Jon Hiratsuka 56 Arlington VA 36:10
3 663 David Donahue 57 Conneaut Lake PA 36:21
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64
1 652 Denise Betke 60 Falls Church VA 39:13
2 642 Bonnie Neuren 60 Olney MD 1:01:56
MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64
1 905 Chris Wren 61 Arlington VA 36:16
2 649 Joe Boyle 64 Oak Hill VA 46:01
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69
MALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99
MALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 652 Denise Betke 60 F Falls Church VA 39:13 39:13 7:54
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 376 Paul Wind 24 M Arlington VA 40:53 40:34 8:10
Linda Foley wins the masters division.