Heading down Lakeshead Road to the park, the weather was no longer spring.

Race day sign up was sparse

Spring time seemed like a good time to check out one of the faster 5K courses in the Tidewater area, specifically in Williamsburg, VA. The racing year was already getting off in a hurry with tons of swift times at the Shamrock Sportsfest and further north in Washington, DC at the St. Patrick's Day 8K. Wednesday night the mood was up. The first couple of eighty degree days had just passed. Many of the local runners with the Colonial Road Runners were off to Walsingham Academy for their regular workout. Tonight, the workout moved off to the fields surrounding the track as there was a track meet. Local track coach and top ranked masters runner John Piggott was on hand. Piggott had already run two marathons, two half marathons, and a 10K. Still, all he could talk about was the upcoming Colonial Relays.

"I will try to come and watch the race, Saturday," he said. He had won the Queens Lake 5K last year in 16:38. He was challenged all the way by the fast improving and now national class Stephen Chantry. Chantry (52) had set a course age group record with his 16:40 runner-up spot. Not far behind was the ailing Michael Mann (37) of Hampton, VA in 16:49. Mann is fighting cancer and still ran that fast.

When Chantry was running his first Queens Lake 5K back in 2003 and running 17:58. Chuck Moeser, then 52, was setting the state record for the 5K - 50-54 in 16:29. Chantry was only the sixth fastest master in the race. By 2005, Chantry was feeling his oats and now a grandmaster he took over the reigns formerly held by Rick Platt of Williamsburg, VA. Platt a former 2:23:55 marathoner was still setting records only now they were after Chantry had set them first. In 2005, Chantry ran 17:12, while Platt ran 18:13.

Runners bundled up as temperatures dropped fifty degrees in just four days

When Platt aged up in 2006, he quickly set that age record in 18:11. With Moeser taking time off, Platt was building a case for top dog in the division. On March 24th at the Scope It Out 5K Moeser popped a 17:08 (10K = 35:44) on a flat, fast jaunt in West Potomac Park. Moeser claims it is his slowest 5K ever. Really, he has three slower 5Ks in the last six years. Still, he is the Virginia State 5K champion for 45-49 and 50-54 and his first race in the south should take out Patrick Griffith's 17:45 record for 55-59.

Platt did not sit still for a moment. The following weekend at the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K he blasted a 35:34 (35:31 chip) for the state record. The venerable Mel Williams had held the record with 36:41 for more than a dozen years. It was a supreme effort besting his already Best of 2007 time of 38:11 from March by 2:40.

Ever confidant, Moeser lined up and topped all grandmasters at the Cherry Blossom 10M the very next day. His 58:12 (10K = 35:01) is faster than John Hosner's Virginia record. Hosner holds three titles for ages 55-69. Bill Rodgers holds the records between ages 45-54 and finished far behind Moeser with 1:07:16. Moeser proclaimed that he will be showing us all his best at the Pike's Peek 10K later in the month.

The snow covered trees and dark skies formed a tunnel for shivering runners racing to the finish

Meanwhile, Chantry has been crossing the country looking for competition. At the National Indoors Masters in Boston last month, he earned top billing in his division in two events, the mile in 4:47:39 and the 3K in 9:28:12 as well as a swift 800M in 2:09:92. Moeser notes that, he "does not have the speed" for the 800M but looks forward to some other track work.

Chantry's nemesis at the grandmaster spot comes from Nolan Shaheed (57). Shaheed a national champion and record holder ran the mile in 4:46:00, the 3K in 9:10:27, and the 800M in 2:09:54. So, the first day of April Chantry raced off to the Carlsbad 5K, billed as the world's fastest 5K. He knocked off the competition finishing an astonishing 19th master in a deep field while winning the grandmaster title with 16:29, minus a second for the chip. Even Shaheed fell, racing a "mere" 16:32. With John Price, the Virginia State record keeper, using chip times for records these days, it would have been adios to Moeser's record for good. He is too old to make a further claim.

The Queens Lake course was to be the site of Chantry's record and perhaps one for Platt as well. After all, his split of 17:42 at Ukrops was faster than Griffith's record. The course was not going to be too hot as it had been cooling off all week from the eighties. The course races through New Quarter Park for about a mile before turning down a suburban street and circling back again to the park. There are no hills at all but the road wafts up gently from time to time until the last third of a mile, which is downhill.

Snow drifts across the way as runners warm-up before the race

Saturday morning awakened with wet gobs of snow! The wind, which was mild at first, picked up a bit during the race. Platt was heard to say at the start, "Let's get this thing started before I change my mind." With slushy snow blinding the runners and splashing all around, runners were eager to get moving and darted out quickly. There would be no records today. Adam Canning (21) pulled quickly away and won easily in 16:18. Chantry was again runner-up. This year's 17:03 was perhaps a better race than last year's 16:40 and the good money says, with three years left, Moeser's 5K record is going to fall.

Platt was sixth overall in 18:27 and that was surely a better race than his record 18:11 from last year. Jim Bates of Hampton, VA has joined the grandmasters fray and topped him with 18:19. Four years ago, Bates ran 16:47 on this course. Maybe Chantry will not have to travel so far to get the competition he wants.

State record holder Joan Coven (65-69 - 23:18) set a course age group record with 24:30. The field, normally around two hundred runners was more than cut in half. Also, the Colonial Relays canceled Saturday's events due to the weather.

Awards

Men Overall
1. Adam Canning         21 Williamsburg 16:19
2. Stephen Chantry      52 Williamsburg 17:04
3. Steve Menzies        43 Langley AFB  17:35
Women Overall
1. Laura Shannon        44 Williamsburg 20:18
2. Connie Glueck        42 Williamsburg 20:43
3. Carol Bartram        43 Yorktown     22:54
Men 14-and-under
1. Graham Wilson        13 Newport News 19:28
Men 15-19
1. Sean DeZalia         15 Clinton      18:40
Men 20-24
1. Jon Guillen          24 Langley AFB  19:15
Men 25-29
1. Karl Bressler        27 Williamsburg 19:18
Men 30-34
1. Richard Barhydt      33 Newport News 22:08
Men 35-39
1. Jack Lovett          37 Newport News 17:53
Men 40-44
1. Ken Bohan            44 Sound Beach  18:11
Men 45-49
1. Terry Imbery         49 Yorktown     19:14
Men 50-54
1. Jim Bates            51 Hampton      18:20
Men 55-59
1. Rick Platt           56 Williamsburg 18:28
Men 60-64
1. Larry Arata          62 Williamsburg 24:57
Men 65-and-over
1. Dick Pierce          68 Rescue       24:16
Women 14-and-under
1. Gaylin Glueck        12 Williamsburg 25:05
Women 15-19
1. Susan Leach          18 Williamsburg 30:14
Women 20-24
1. Shelley Spacek       23 Williamsburg 32:49
Women 25-29
1. Christina Race       29 Newport News 23:31
Women 30-34
none
Women 35-39
1. Ellen Womeldorf      35 Williamsburg 23:08
Women 40-44
1. May Sleigh           40 Williamsburg 47:41
Women 45-49
1. Claudia Nimmo        47 Williamsburg 28:21
Women 50-54
1. Shirley Stephens     50 Yorktown     26:59
Women 55-59
1. Linda Whittaker      57 Williamsburg 24:52
Women 60-64
1. Judy Hanna           62 Williamsburg 35:52
Women 65-and-over
**1. Joan Coven         65 Williamsburg 24:31 

Even with a 9:00 AM start, the cars are still running with lights on!

Full Race Results