Navigation
news detail
Fall Racing Season Gets Underway at the Prevent Cancer 5K
By James Moreland
Washington, DC
September 25, 2010
For the Washington Running Report
Before the race started one runner, Charlie Ban (left), was seen sprinting down Ohio Drive. Another runner noted, "There goes your winner and he even has a head start." He was right, about the win in 17:16. While he was finishing up his warm-up, runner-up Erik Makovsky was warming up his throat for his smooth rendition of our National Anthem.
The race caught the tail end of summer rebound with traditional mugginess, though it seemed cooler and more autumnal to the many volunteers, who were there to get the runners ready, guided, and later refueled.
The bright morning sun kept the runners' heads bowed as they inched forward to the ChronoTrack mats. At the start, Ban hurled himself down the river side of the road, while Makovsky took the FDR Memorial side. He knew in a half mile he would get a small edge in the tangent crossing the bridge into East Potomac Park. Kate Dart, 31, of Arlington, VA was the class of the field and dart she did straight down the center of the road.
Oft times adrenaline gets runners ahead of themselves on this flat fast course but Dart was relentless, eating up the ground and finishing as the third runner overall in 18:48 behind Makovsky's 17:54. She had to do all the work herself as she was all alone out there.
Second place Sonia Beckner, 37, of Reston, VA had a slightly different race. She powered out early but Dan Eddy, 59, of Alexandria, VA, who took four seconds to get to the mats, pulled alongside of her at the half mile.
It seemed as if he would move past her but they challenged each other stride for stride. Coming back across the bridge with a half mile to go Beckner made her move a started to pull away but with a couple hundred meters Eddy reeled her back in and squeezed by her to finish two seconds in front with 20:36 for top grandmaster.
The top master in the race was Allen Heywood, 46, of Washington, DC in 19:48. Heywood was making a return engagement after winning his age group last Saturday at the Run! Geek! Run! 8K from the very same spot.
These races from West Potomac Park are almost always fast races and coming up on October 10, there will another one. The Boo! Run for Life 10K well offer Heywood and hundreds of others another opportunity to crank out a fast race.
The big prizes in today's race went to the top three. For the men, Andinio Fluker, 25, of Washington, DC stayed strong in a close battle, winning in 18:58 as the last runner faster than 19:00. Heather Drake, 25, of Washington, DC (left) jetted out with the top ten runners, peaking at the first mile in 6:36. On the way back she was still battling for the tenth overall spot, men and women combined. At mile two she had slowed to 6:55 and must have looked back over her shoulder. Seeing no other women, she now knew she had third woman in the bag and she cruised to a very credible 21:31 finish.
Even before the race, one could tell this race had gone all out. The goodie bag was stuffed with samples. There was a good looking T-shirt. They had enough portajohns to support about 750 runners. But the competition is tough with three dozen races in the region this weekend, so races have to have a draw and they have to get the word out. The after-race buffet included sandwiches from Subway and scores of individually wrapped cookies. The bananas were ready to eat but not overripe, a big plus. The bottled water and energy drinks were in tubs of ice cold water, which should be the standard for warm day races.
All the while, a D.J. was playing enthusiastic music and "Saturday in the Park" was lots of fun. Prizes were light, only going one deep in ten year age groups but that is likely to change when the race grows next year. The potential is almost limitless. The park, which is truly the home field for Washington, DC races, can handle many more finishers.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Ag City Time
===== ===== ====================== == ===================== =====
1 549 Kate Dart 31 Arlington VA 18:45
2 622 Sonia Beckner 37 Reston VA 20:38
3 486 Heather Drake 25 Washington DC 21:31
MALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Ag City Time
===== ===== ====================== == ===================== =====
1 648 Charlie Ban 28 Falls Church VA 17:16
2 590 Erik Makovsky 37 Washington DC 17:54
3 652 Andinio Fluker 25 Washington DC 18:58
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19 (NET TIME)
1 465 Katherine Hekker 19 Washington DC 23:32 23:29 7:34
2 611 Nicole Alesio 19 Washington DC 26:09 26:07 8:25
3 556 Jami Kinnaman 9 Gaithersburg MD 37:32 37:21 12:01
MALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19 (NET TIME)
1 613 J P Rathburn 18 Fairfax Station VA 21:18 21:02 6:47
2 562 Murray Johnston 12 Alexandria VA 26:16 26:13 8:26
3 669 Pj Fitzgerald 16 Chevy Chase MD 27:32 27:18 8:48
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 29 (NET TIME)
1 530 Janelle Pierson 22 Lakewood CO 25:14 25:01 8:04
2 470 Amy Shioji 28 Reston VA 26:03 26:00 8:22
3 430 Shannon Nelson 28 Alexandria VA 26:54 26:51 8:39
MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 29 (NET TIME)
1 466 Elijah Mercer 20 Washington DC 19:16 19:13 6:11
2 534 Justin Sill 29 Washington DC 22:48 22:40 7:18
3 644 Kofi Osei 29 Washington DC 23:15 23:13 7:29
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 39 (NET TIME)
1 605 Dominique Taylor 32 Washington DC 23:21 23:12 7:28
2 676 Jennifer Nealon 31 Bethesda MD 23:33 23:13 7:29
3 628 Stephanie Hill 39 Reston VA 24:40 24:38 7:56
MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 39 (NET TIME)
1 678 Ivan Carter 35 Washington DC 21:38 21:37 6:58
2 606 Ralph Taylor 33 Washington DC 24:21 24:12 7:48
3 531 Rob Ruyak 33 Bethesda MD 25:05 24:59 8:03
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 49 (NET TIME)
1 630 Yvette Carlucci 47 McLean VA 23:20 23:16 7:30
2 415 Kate Carr 43 Washington DC 25:57 25:54 8:21
3 602 Patricia Gruen 40 Atlanta GA 30:11 29:58 9:39
MALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 49 (NET TIME)
1 664 Allen Haywood 46 Washington DC 19:48 19:48 6:23
2 559 Greg Mastel 47 Washington DC 21:40 21:40 6:59
3 581 Michael Hong 41 Arlington VA 23:28 23:21 7:31
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 59 (NET TIME)
1 624 Gillian Rowan 56 McLean VA 26:36 26:36 8:34
2 419 Julie Grooms 52 Lusby MD 30:52 30:47 9:55
3 636 Ann Rodriguez 59 Springfield VA 34:27 34:18 11:03
MALE AGE GROUP: 50 - 59 (NET TIME)
1 621 Dan Eddy 59 Alexandria VA 20:36 20:32 6:37
2 591 James Moreland 58 Gaithersburg MD 21:11 21:11 6:49
3 538 Christopher Singer 53 Washington DC 25:18 25:15 8:08
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 69 (NET TIME)
1 659 Mary Fredlake 60 Washington DC 29:25 29:24 9:28
2 485 Lucille Barale Ceurvor 60 Lawai HI 33:17 33:13 10:42
3 432 Marcia Carlucci 63 McLean VA 43:15 43:07 13:53
MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 69 (NET TIME)
1 677 Frank Webbe 62 Palm Bay FL 27:36 27:31 8:52
MALE AGE GROUP: 70 - 99 (NET TIME)
1 599 Ralph Bayrer 71 Washington DC 28:42 28:26 9:09
2 601 Robert Kelley 74 Springfield VA 35:41 35:26 11:25
3 578 Joseph Conti 73 Alexandria VA 49:49 49:41 16:00
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 466 Elijah Mercer 20 M Washington DC 19:16 19:13 6:11
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 496 Staci Lewis 30 F Washington DC 28:53 28:51 9:18
Check out our Photo Gallery.