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Van Metre 5 Mile Race Report 2009
By James Moreland
March 28, 2009
Ashburn, VA
For the Washington Running Report
The race starts its 17th Chapter.
Those weathers mavens keep telling us we need rain. I thought it was April showers bring May flowers. The nice fine spray we had at 8:30 AM when the race started would be a godsend at a mid-summer race such as the Twilight 8K. Today it was going to mean we would need our hands to windshield wiper our faces every couple of hundred meters.
Last year's champion and record holder (24:15) Steve Crane was on hand and he has a new coach. Bouncing up and down before the race was Gurmesa Megressa who had defeated Crane in 2007 on the old course, which, that year, was about two tenths of a mile long. He had run a flashy 25:04 to Crane's third place 25:11. Do the math and add Abebe Abiyot who was ranked third to Crane's fourth for all of 2008 and it seemed certain a new record would be coming. Two weeks ago at the giant St. Patrick's Day 8K, Abebe had finished fourth in a near photo finish with a surging Bert Rodriguez in 24:55. Megressa had pulled short. The following week, he signed up for the National HM and did not finish that either. Today, he was all smiles and said his leg was fine.
The race jolts runners awake with a brief seventy meter downhill; then the rest of the mile is a gradual uphill. The only real hill starts just before the first mile ends.
(In photo), tall, dark, stranger Abraham Ng'etich (27) was in town from New Rochelle, NY. It was clear early that it was going to be a two man race. At the finish when many runners were still reaching the half way point, Ng'etich blazed across first to set a new event record with 23:43. Crane was about fifty meters back and under his former event record with an excellent 23:52. Megressa's race was a workman-like effort, breaking 25:00 and shrugging off fourth place Abiyot's 25:17. Both of these runners can bring more than they had today. Elisha Tanui (26) of Kenya was fifth in 25:37.
For the masters Jim Nielsen (43) of Ashburn, VA exploded to a huge finish in 27:37 after finishing last year in 29:15. He worked his way near the top but was squeezed by a lonely second as Mark Malander (51) of Oak Hill, MD (in photo just ahead of Nielsen) came in first in the over forty set with the fastest grandmaster time of 2009. Malander has raced sparsely in 2009. His other races include an age group win at St. Patrick's in 27:53 and a fourth place in February at the USA Cross Country Championship 8K in 29:08. Third master and twelfth overall Gary Grilliot (45) of Reston, VA had a sharp 28:14. He ran 28:27 at St. Patrick's for second in his age group.
The race stayed with two deep in ten year age groups. Still, they had tons of random prizes. Nearly everyone who stayed, walked away smiling with a nice gift.
In the senior class, Krupakar Revanna (65) of Falls Church, VA is already having a monster year. He took done the redoubtable Lou Shapiro, the consensus champion all through 2008, with a remarkable 33:51 at St. Patrick's. At Van Metre, he jetted out with a sub 7:00 mile and held the pace to finish in 35:03. Last year, in an elite field, that only earned him fourth. Today, he won easily. Chan Robbins took the seventy & older crowd with a nearly identical 37:56 that he used to win St. Patrick's.
Women's winner Phebe Ko won a slew of races last year though none were at this distance. As with last year she ran the National HM. This year she nearly three minutes faster than her 2008 time for a fourth overall 1:17:09. Flying through the rain, she completely overmatched the field. She cruised home in a dynamic 27:54. She had been ranked fourth in 2008; last year's top ranked runner Hirut Mandefro had won a St. Patrick's with similar aplomb.
In both races the second and third runners remained the same. Muluye Gurma slowed just a little to 29:20 from her 28:38. Remember an 8K is about fifty meters shorter. Danielle Russell (in photo) had trumped a lot of masters with 29:24. Seeing Gurma closer propelled her to a 29:35 finish. Barb Fallon Wallace stayed cool winning her division a just under a six minute pace with 29:55. After that, it would be nearly four minutes before the cheering crowd would see another woman.
Just like last year Elizabeth Starr (52) of Aldie, VA was top grandmaster with Shawn Miller coming in second.
The race is the opening event for the six premier events in Loudoun County, Virginia that form the Loudoun Race Series.
The race was happy to be able to use much of the race proceeds to help benefit Children's Hospital. They presented a $50,000 check to help build a new wing at the hospital.
Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)
Age Groups by Net Time
FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Time
===== ===== ======================= === ===================== =====
1 499 Phoebe Ko 26 Baltimore MD 27:54
2 544 Muluye Gurma 25 Silver Spring MD 29:20
3 482 Danielle Russell 44 Ashburn VA 29:35MALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Time
===== ===== ======================= === ===================== =====
1 406 Abraham Ng'etich 27 New Rochelle NY 23:43
2 586 Steve Crane 27 Arlington VA 23:52
3 541 Gurmessa Megressa 28 Washington DC 24:56
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 1 - 19
1 151 Ashleigh Baggett 18 Annandale VA 43:07
2 585 Elizabeth Mitian 13 Ashburn VA 43:40MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 1 - 19
1 253 Zach Deaton 17 Ashburn VA 30:07
2 532 Chris Lyforn 17 Leesburg VA 31:00FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
1 550 Woineshet Gebessa 24 Washington DC 34:22
2 523 Karen Haddon 23 Aldie VA 36:08MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
1 549 ABebe Abiyot 22 Washington DC 25:16
2 8 Elisha Tanui 26 Kenya 25:37FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
1 4 Barb Fallon Wallace 35 Alexandria VA 29:55
2 114 Christine Ronan 35 Ashburn VA 33:37MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
1 507 Michael Vega 30 Ashburn VA 28:22
2 474 Michael Elabarger 36 Leesburg VA 28:33FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
1 254 Linda-Ann Newsome 43 Ashburn VA 34:59
2 421 Liz Camire 44 Leesburg VA 35:47MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
1 498 Jim Nielsen 43 Ashburn VA 27:37
2 407 Gary Grilliot 45 Reston VA 28:14FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
1 32 Elizabeth Starr 52 Aldie VA 38:49
2 476 Shawn Miller 52 Ashburn VA 41:32MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
1 510 Mark Malander 51 Oak Hill VA 27:36
2 343 Gary Grimsley 54 Springfield VA 30:34FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
1 311 Mary Proctor 60 Reston VA 47:28
2 425 Kari Sprecher 61 Leesburg VA 48:22MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
1 210 Krupakar Revanna 65 Falls Church VA 34:59
2 160 Bill Koetter 60 Ashburn VA 38:41FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
1 11 Chan Robbins 71 Arlington VA 37:56
2 327 John Gluck 71 Alexandria VA 41:32MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 292 Muhannad Abu-Saleh 36 M Ashburn VA 37:55 37:29FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 149 Sarah Eamigh 24 F Winchester VA 44:40 43:49
The race gets underway.
Check out some Race Day Photos