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Beautiful Day – Beautiful Way
By James Moreland
Gaithersburg, MD
September 4, 2010
For the Washington Running Report
The second wave.
The Kentlands/Lakelands 5K race, in its 17th rendition (Saturday, September 4, 2010), started as a small community race with fewer than 300 finishers in the first half dozen years. The race was complicated by lots of turns and some pace-changing hills. By 2000, the race had moved up to more than 800 finishers and continued to grow. Runners loved racing through a secluded community with some great scenery. In 2007 the race, which had started by the community center crested a huge hill, moved to Main Street. Now there was a lot more parking and the shops and stores got even more involved in making the event prosper. Those last four years the race grew to more than a thousand finishers in the 5K as well as scores more in the kids' events. This year nearly matched 2009 record total of 1287. 
The newer course is much faster and the winning times were always below fifteen minutes. Last year's winner Demesse Tefera had set the record with 14:31. This year he dropped not far past the first mile and another local favorite Gurmessa Megressa took the lead. He pulled away from nearly everyone racing a blistering 4:44 pace. Last year Joe Wiegner had finished with a solid 15:30 for fifth overall. This year he hung on for dear life finishing a stride behind Megressa (photo) in 14:44. Third place Tim Schaefer matched his 15:24 from last year when he had finished fourth.
The race was part of the Maryland Senior Olympics so there was a lot of fast "older folks." Runners know there competition. Jim Wright, 61, knew that Tim Morgan would very soon be sixty. In a taste of future battles, he held on by a second in 19:10. Last year Morgan had lost a photo finish to Richard Adams in 18:51. Adams who ran 19:23 will soon be sixty as well. In their current division they had to deal with newly minted Peter Darmody who won the division in 18:37. 
Marty Horan had just turned fifty. In past years, he had more than once finished in the top five overall. Today he was third grandmaster in 19:00. He might have won his 50-54 division if the race had been two weeks later. Top grandmaster (photo) Dan Lawson (17:41) would then have moved on to the 55-59 division. That division may be the most competitive in the region with Dave Shafer and Maurice Pointer joining the division this month as well. The division already has national class racers Stephen Chantry and Chuck Moeser.
Lou Shapiro, finishing off his 68th year, just held off John Elliott, 72, in a close battle 21:33 to 21:44. Bernie Gallagher will be turning seventy in less than twenty days. His is gearing up to take on top flight runners such as Elliott. The ageless Nianxiang Xie, 83, reached the finish line in 28:31. 
For the women last year, Christie Ramsey had a sensational race knocking two seconds off the event record with 16:35. Two years ago Elena Orlova (left) had run a so-so 18:10. Then last year on the cusp of forty she finished right behind Ramsey in the third fastest time ever here with 16:40. At the start of this year's race, Orlova the consensus top masters runner in the region, looked confident. Gaithersburg has been her home for a number of years now and she was ready. It was clear right away that Ramsey was off her game and that Orlova would run away with the race. She took down Alisa Harvey's masters record 17:25 with an excellent 16:54 victory. That was the sixth fastest finish ever for the women. Emily Harrison came all the way from Flagstaff, AZ to take the runner-up spot in a very credible 17:32. Ramsey settled for third in 18:02.
This race goes along narrow streets in the community. Parking was prohibited and scofflaws were towed. Roads were blocked off so that runners could imagine a world with roads but no cars. Even still with more than 1200 finishers, the race had wave start going off in one-minute intervals. Seventh place Leslie Knibb started in the second wave but her net time in 20:25 proved her ready for the first wave.
Before the race top grandmaster Win Persina was asking everyone what pace they were planning. "I am going to try for 6:45," she said, "but I am going to start out slow." Sure enough, she turned on the jets a half mile bursting past runners to hit the mile in 6:40. She remained very steady until the final climb up past the clubhouse when she seemed to be flagging somewhat. A couple of runners started to pass her on the long downhill leading back to Main Street. "I was going to let them go," she noted, "until I heard someone in the crowd say ‘Catch them, girl.'" Then she used her track training to regain place and finished with a nifty 21:18. The only woman in her fifties to run faster is Debbie Flynn who won in 2006-8. Flynn set the 50-59 mark with 20:19 in 2006. World class Sharon Dolan twice had faster times also but in her sixties, including the event record 21:01 in 2002. 
Hardly a surprise, Alice Franks, 62, (photo) won her division in a rout. Tam Graf, 74, came all the way from Lusby, MD to participate in the Senior Olympics and take another division victory. She was challenged by Barbara Garner, winning with a time of 31:34. Garner started a few waves behind but had a net time of 32:26. Evelyn Pizzonia, 74, was third but her sister Jeannie, 75, will give Graf something to think about for next year as she had a net time of 32:09.
The course is almost a total loop course; the finish stops about hundred meters before returning to the start. This leaves a perfect spot for runners to hop on over to the food court. First in sight is cold bottled water. Even the morning was almost chilly for Labor Day weekend. By the time racers finished, things had warmed up. Next came the banana stand, no green, no black, just good old bright yellow. And they gave you a whole one. But if you dawdled in the sticky bun line you would fall behind in the shaved ice cone line. Do not take too line to decide what flavor or the line in front of the Potomac Pizza line could get out of hand.
The only thing missing was a band, except like the Rock ‘N' Roll Half Marathon, this race had at least three bands on the course. We are not sure whether the race planned that or some musicians just could not miss the opportunity for a captive audience but it was great. The loudest band was on at the corner of Schiffley Square Road helped runners to mount the only real hill on the course.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
MALE OVERALL (Gun Time)
1 1 Gurmessa Megerssa 30 Washington DC 14:43
2 999 Joey Wiegner 28 North Bethesda MD 14:44
3 1063 Tim Schaefer 32 Gaithersburg MD 15:24
FEMALE OVERALL (Gun Time)
1 1147 Elena Orlova 40 Gaithersburg MD 16:54*
2 894 Emily Harrison 24 Flagstaff AZ 17:32
3 725 Christine Ramsey 27 Waldorf MD 18:02
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
MALE AGE GROUP: 2 - 14 (Net Time)
1 232 Thomas Calbos 13 Gaithersburg MD 19:25
2 342 Ryan McCann 14 Gaithersburg MD 20:09
3 362 Liam Walsh 12 Gaithersburg MD 22:44
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 2 - 14 (Net Time)
1 16 Taylor Knibb 12 Washington DC 22:36
2 1152 Juliette Rosenberg 11 Bethesda MD 23:47
3 201 Elizabeth Holmstead 14 Gaithersburg MD 25:09
MALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 19 (Net Time)
1 199 Eric Holmstead 17 Gaithersburg MD 16:10
2 1106 Josiah Carstens 15 Union Bridge MD 19:27
3 1271 Chris Carren 19 Damascus MD 20:05
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 15 - 19 (Net Time)
1 1344 Gillian Kramer 15 Germantown MD 23:09
2 859 Alexandra Cantrell 15 Gaithersburg MD 27:07
3 761 Megan Quackenbush 17 Germantown MD 30:11
MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24 (Net Time)
1 965 Ed Aramayo 24 Baltimore MD 15:55
2 203 Alex Booth 22 Bethesda MD 17:14
3 1311 Tom Benning 23 Washington DC 18:30
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 24 (Net Time)
1 1056 Anna Vaudin 23 Germantown MD 22:20
2 1032 Sarah Keckler 22 Gardners PA 22:52
3 815 Kelly Mahoney 24 Rockville MD 28:27
MALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29 (Net Time)
1 3 Beruk Debrework 27 Washington DC 15:55
2 5 Seife Geletu 28 Washington DC 16:03
3 517 Jake Green 26 Reston VA 16:16
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 25 - 29 (Net Time)
1 725 Christine Ramsey 27 Waldorf MD 18:01
2 1188 Michelle Miller 29 Damascus MD 18:08
3 520 Diana Pool 29 Frederick MD 19:05
MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34 (Net Time)
1 1075 David Wertz 34 Arlington VA 16:26
2 519 Roland Chattaway 33 Frederick MD 17:34
3 1053 Richard Cohen 31 Bethesda MD 18:31
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 34 (Net Time)
1 681 Margaret Polcawich 33 Derwood MD 20:31
2 723 Elizabeth Hollis 33 Rockville MD 20:52
3 136 Andrea Kafka 30 Washington DC 22:48
MALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39 (Net Time)
1 1272 Scott Koonce 38 Gaithersburg MD 17:35
2 127 Billy Beane 36 Gaithersburg MD 18:30
3 876 Aron Kahsay 35 Kensington MD 18:39
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 35 - 39 (Net Time)
1 961 Cristina Burbach 36 Washington DC 20:40
2 1132 Leanna McKenzie 37 Gaithersburg MD 22:26
3 260 Amy Wychulis 36 Damascus MD 22:35
MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44 (Net Time)
1 933 Douglas Woods 41 Gaithersburg MD 18:10
2 149 Peter Bandettini 44 Bethesda MD 18:22
3 922 Bryant Russell 41 Sterling VA 18:34
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44 (Net Time)
1 1147 Elena Orlova 40 Gaithersburg MD 16:53*
2 39 Michele Potter 44 Germantown MD 23:02
3 1083 Christine Valenti 44 Gaithersburg MD 23:06
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
MALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49 (Net Time)
1 406 Paul Jacobson 47 Gaithersburg MD 17:20
2 833 Mark Neff 48 Derwood MD 17:29
3 404 John Way 45 Montgomery Vill MD 19:26
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 49 (Net Time)
1 40 Leslie Knibb 47 Washington DC 20:25
2 957 Veronica Kerr 45 Derwood MD 23:27
3 689 Jean Arthur 47 Silver Spring MD 24:40
MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 (Net Time)
1 1230 Dan Lawson 54 Gaithersburg MD 17:40*
2 1228 Marty Horan 50 Gaithersburg MD 18:58
3 151 Mark Prebilic 51 Poolesville MD 20:58
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 54 (Net Time)
1 1338 Win Persina 50 Washington DC 21:15
2 663 Myra Washington 53 Montgomery Vill MD 22:42
3 331 Paula Galliani 50 Gaithersburg MD 23:25
MALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 (Net Time)
1 949 Peter Darmody 55 Gaithersburg MD 18:36
2 847 Timothy Morgan 59 Damascus MD 19:09
3 1040 Richard Adams Jr. 59 Herndon VA 19:22
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 55 - 59 (Net Time)
1 671 Lennie Magida 59 Potomac MD 26:52
2 193 Paula Chiplis 57 Silver Spring MD 26:58
3 978 Allison Wakenight 59 Rockville MD 28:04
MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 (Net Time)
1 57 Jim Wright 61 Gaithersburg MD 19:08*
2 58 David Adams 63 Gaithersburg MD 21:42
3 1318 John Patterson 61 Gaithersburg MD 23:21
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 64 (Net Time)
1 777 Alice Franks 62 Rockville MD 24:55
2 945 Nora McGlaughlin 60 Laytonsville MD 39:22
3 986 Trudy Ashbrook 63 New Bern NC 42:38
MALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 (Net Time)
1 64 Lou Shapiro 68 Silver Spring MD 21:29
2 655 Michael Golash 67 Washington DC 22:24
3 63 Joe Clorety 67 Crownsville MD 23:25
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 65 - 69 (Net Time)
1 300 Barbara Samels 65 Rockville MD 35:45
2 62 Jeanette Novak 66 Damascus MD 37:07
3 1118 Marsh McJunkin 68 Bethesda MD 38:50
MALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 74 (Net Time)
1 66 John Elliott 72 Columbia MD 21:42*
2 192 Henry Hamburger 70 Bethesda MD 24:31
3 480 John Gluck 73 Alexandria VA 25:08
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 74 (Net Time)
1 534 Tami Graf 74 Lusby MD 31:32
2 65 Barbara Garner 71 Baltimore MD 32:26
3 189 Evelyn Pizzonia 74 Montgomery Vill MD 41:18
MALE AGE GROUP: 75 - 79 (Net Time)
1 756 Robert Smith 76 Comus MD 50:31
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 75 - 79 (Net Time)
1 96 Jeannie Pizzonia 75 Montgomery Vill MD 32:09*
2 546 Yvonne Aasen 79 Westminster MD 36:02
3 662 Martha Trimmer 81 Mount Airy MD 48:50
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
MALE AGE GROUP: 80 - 84 (Net Time)
1 571 Nianxiang Xie 83 Rockville MD 28:28*
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 80 - 84 (Net Time)
1 662 Martha Trimmer 81 Mount Airy MD 48:50
In photo fourth place Michelle Miller (18:10) holds off 40-44 division winner Douglas Woods (18:12).