Navigation
Welcome to the Washington Running Report
Van Metre 5M Race Report 2010
Van Metre Sponsors Make the Day Sunny
By James Moreland
Ashburn, VA
March 6, 2010
For the Washington Running Report
Muluye Gurmu moves up a place to from 2009 to win the race in 28:56.
During the past 18 years the Van Metre 5M has raised many hundreds of thousands of dollars for Children's Hospital. At the award's ceremony, Race Director Rick Rabil announced that the Van Metre family had contributed $10,000 of the more than $60,000 raised this year. As much as any race in the area, this event concentrates on youth. They have a large basket of random awards just for the children. Ronald McDonald was on hand to help the celebration as well.
For the top three men and women there was cash and that always brings fast times. The age groups only go two deep in ten year age groups with most of the prizes going to runners in the younger half of the age group. Their prizes were $50 and $35 gift certificates to the Glory Days Restaurant, right by the start of the race.
The weather is finally starting to break and we were treated to the nicest day so far this year. Many runners ran in shorts even as there were still islands of shoveled snow abounding. The course was well-marked with cones so that it would have been impossible to get lost. The five mile started at 8:30 with the 1 mile fun run right behind it.
With dozens of canceled and postponed races in February, racers were eager to be on the road again. This year's 5 mile had one hundred more runners finish than last year. Last year the course record (23:42) was set. Lining up this morning was third place finisher (24:56) Gurmessa Megressa (he was third in the 2009 Runner Rankings) and last year's top Ranked Runner Demesse Tefera.
As the runners blazed across the ChronoTrack mats it was soon obvious that there would be another close finish. Megressa has had some issues that cause him to drop from time to time. He did not finish today. Tefera had some brilliant races last year but he also has erratic efforts. That will not do when $300 first place money is on the line. Last July Megressa bested Dirk de Heer at the Autism 5K 15:18 to 15:30. Then in Arlington three weeks later, de Heer was a distant fifth at the Crystal City 5K in 15:03. Megressa was third in 14:56, while Tefera ran away from the field in 14:35.
Today five runners stayed close to the money. Dustin Whitlow of Ashburn improved on his Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K in 16:07 last fall to hang with Adam Condit in 25:26. Condit had run 16:11 at the Run for the Door, improving here with 25:19. Jake Klim of Bethesda, MD who was ranked 14th for 2009, had a slew of fine races, including going under 15:00 for the 5K. He was 15:08 at Crystal City. The week before that he had run a nifty 25:16 at the Twilight 8K in Rockville. Today he took third place cash, improving to 24:48 on a cool and windy course versus the hot and hilly night race.
Tefera and de Heer (breaking tape), both of Silver Spring, were very close but it was de Heer with just four seconds to spare who won in 24:18.
Last year's runner-up for the women, Muluye Gurmu, was chased to the finish by the top master in the region, Danielle Russell, last year, taking second 29:20 to 29:35. Last year's winner, Phebe Ko (27:54), was absent. This year Peggy Yetman (41) of Leesburg, VA has moved into the region from Texas since last fall. She immediately took down Russell at the Jingle All the Way 10K 37:18 to 37:49. That was for fourth overall. Today she was gunning for the top spot. Gurmu, just 26, had to uncork a special effort to hold on for the win 28:56 to 29:01.
Another new face, Gretchen Chick (28) of Washington, DC, was recently running from Brookline, MA, winning the Home of the Brave 5K last June in 17:24. She edged top competitor Sarah Spalding 29:33 to 29:45 for the last monetary award.
Linda Foley of Oak Hill, VA was the second fastest master in 32:09. Martha Merz of Annandale, VA was next in 32:24. Foley won the 45-49 division for the 2009 Runner Rankings with an Army 10 Miler in 1:05:49. For now, she repelled Merz who did not race enough to qualify for the 2009 Runner Rankings. Merz (in photo) did, however, run a blistering 30:42 at the St. Patrick's Day 8K last year. Perhaps we will see these two next week at Freedom Plaza, taking on the top seeded Danielle Russell.
Chan Robbins woke the sleeping giant Gerry Ives (on left in photo), encouraging him to race again after a ten-year hiatus. Ives started easy with a 7:20 mile, then took the momentum down the second mile hill to average faster than 7:00 per mile the rest of the way. His 35:18 is the fastest time for the 5M/8K for the 70-74 division in any race the last six plus years. It crushed the second best time, his 36:44 at the Star Kids 8K last October. Robbins took second in that division.
Jon Palks of Bowie, MD is on a tear since turning sixty, finishing second in the 60-69 division. Palks, a dedicated member of the 50 Plus Club, has raced 245 5-milers in the last decade, including 67 in 2008. Today's event was merely his 7th of the year.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
Age Groups by Net TimeFEMALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Time
===== ===== ======================= === ===================== =====
1 10 Muluye Gurmu 26 Silver Spring MD 28:56
2 84 Peggy Yetman 41 Leesburg VA 29:01
3 413 Gretchen Chick 28 Washington DC 29:33MALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Time
===== ===== ======================= === ===================== =====
1 230 Dirk De Heer 28 Silver Spring MD 24:18
2 9 Demesse Tefera 27 Silver Spring MD 24:22
3 5 Jake Klim 29 N Bethesda MD 24:48FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 1 - 19
1 103 Sarah Fisher 19 Potomac Falls VA 43:07
2 481 Danielle Gilchrist 19 Ashburn VA 45:32MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 1 - 19
1 215 Sam Coffman 16 Sterling VA 30:52
2 757 Steven Geyer 18 Leesburg VA 34:28FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
1 437 Sarah Spalding 28 Washington DC 29:44
2 625 Sarah Bard 25 Leesburg VA 31:17MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
1 241 Adam Condit 26 Ashburn VA 25:19
2 214 Dustin Whitlow 23 Ashburn VA 25:25FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
1 227 Christine Rehwald 30 Arlington VA 31:01
2 514 Michelle Cunningham 34 Centreville VA 31:53MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
1 750 Bart Borghuis 34 Arlington VA 26:48
2 699 Brian Szabos 36 South Riding VA 29:16FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
1 601 Linda Foley 48 Oak Hill VA 32:09
2 721 Martha Merz 47 Annandale VA 32:24MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
1 367 Bill Bray 45 Fairfax VA 28:03
2 684 Jean Christophe Arcaz 48 Rockville MD 29:03FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
1 459 Nancy Wallace 50 Ashburn VA 38:17
2 174 Elizabeth Baumgarten 53 Aldie VA 39:41MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
1 663 Bruce Halpin 53 Ashburn VA 31:08
2 697 Dave Ciccarelli 51 Winchester VA 34:23FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
1 602 Kari Sprecher 62 Leesburg VA 47:49MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
1 343 John Baxter 63 Fairfax VA 38:40
2 455 Jon Palks 60 Bowie MD 40:33MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
1 322 Gerald Ives 70 Washington DC 35:18
2 719 Chan Robbins 72 Arlington VA 39:43MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 409 Tom Georgelas 26 M Ashburn VA 32:03FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 44 Melissa Snodgrass 36 F South Riding VA 37:13
