In photo above Matt Centrowitz (right) coasts through the first water stop at 1.5 miles.

Every year since 1975 runners have been coming to Annapolis to see new renovations to Navy Stadium. For many years, the runners circled around the stadium grounds up Taylor Avenue and back down Farragut Street before taking Rowe Boulevard into town. A quarter of the way through this classic ten-mile race, runners wheel down Main Street and fly past a normally tourist filled dock. For years runners had turned right into the Naval Academy to race down along the water for a couple miles. The last few years, runners made a quick return up the next block and took King George Boulevard back across the inlet to the Navy Academy Bridge. In the old days, the bridge was a drawbridge and totally flat. Now runners start their fourth miles crossing the 2700 foot long bridge, which climbs to 145 feet before crossing the Severn River to the twisting, turning hills of the middle of the race.

In 2005, runners were treated to the best weather in years, mild with light rain for the summer classic. This year was perhaps the second best weather in recent history. The 7:50 AM start had runners enjoying a light breeze and 70 degrees. The start was again on the west side of the stadium. Crossing the scoring mats at the start, runners pass at about 500 runners per minute. Passing by the first mile marker in 7:30, runners could still here race announcer Evan Thomas exhorting the last of the starters across the line. Last year's weather and the many fast times, added nearly seven hundred more finishers in this year's race.

This is a people's race with lots of food and drink for everyone. Nearly every year the premium costs more than the entry fee. In addition to the signature ice soaked towels each finisher gladly took, finishers were given a fleece jacket this year. With no cash prizes, it is not surprising that only two men from the top ten last year repeated. Three of the top ten women returned from last year, none of the top three.

Since 2000, the winning times have slowed somewhat with fewer than twenty-five finishers breaking the coveted hour mark. Last year Susannah Kvasnicka, broke the mark with 59:22, the first woman in many years to do so. Jeff Olenick from the Howard County Striders surprised mega race winner Michael Wardian in a duel of titans, 51:28 to 52:14.

This year young Matt Centrowitz (16) darted out to an early lead winning in a fine 55:01. Centrowitz (junior) is the son of the former American record holder in the 5K, now a coach of elite runners in Washington, DC. He had finished tenth overall last year in 57:34. The next three runners were more than a minute back, including runner-up Mark Cucuzzella (39) of Shepherdstown, WV who was third last year in 55:24. He ran 56:07, trailed closely by Rob Wetzel (17) of Crofton, MD in 56:17 and hometown runner Scott Koehler in 56:31.

For the women, Sun Feng (37) of Columbia, MD [photo left] stepped up for a solid victory in 62:16. She is known has a top marathoner, finishing sixth overall, first women in the 2005 B&A Trail Marathon breaking three hours by four hundredths of a second. This year she won the Delaware Marathon in May with 2:59:22. The battle for second was again a tussle. Emily Lipman (30) of Baltimore, MD took the runner-up spot in 63:18. Melissa Cole (27) of Pittsburgh returned and improved on her fourth place time from last year (65:22) with 64:00 but she still netted the same place as Mary Davison (33) of Chesapeake, VA slide in just ahead of her with 63:40. They were just a few feet apart in the chip time, making for some urgent sprinting up the final 200 meter hill.

Charles Powell (40) was the top master in 60:18 for tenth place. Last year Michael Woodman led the pack with 55:36. Larry Levy of Reading, PA stalked him a mere 16 seconds back. Steve Dietz (47) of Springfield, VA won his division in 60:37 in fourteenth place. His chip time a second faster than Levy's. Monica Grillo (42) of Arlington, VA moved up to top master from runner-up last year. Her time was 67:15. Cindy Conant (45) of Kensington, MD was next in 68:49. Last year's champion was Robyn Humphrey with 65:02.

For the grand master, Peter Darmody (51) of Gaithersburg, MD set the pace in 64:29. Mick Slonaker (57) was a two hundreds of a second back in chip time and, as they crossed the mats, just 2.5 seconds short in real time. Chuck Moeser dominated last year in 58:38. The female leader was Mary Cupo (50) of Baltimore, MD in 76:55, just ahead of Laura Roman who was second last year's to Karen Erb's 74:06.

Piriya Pinit of Catonsville, MD repeated as the 60-64 winner holding off a tough John Kirkpatrick by a hundred meters in 69:11. Ronnie Wong, who will be sixty in September, [photo above] was third in the 55-59 ahead of them both in 68:24. Richard Williams (70) won a deep field in 1:20:33.

Former race winner as a master runner, Rose Malloy (58) gathered in cheers from the large crowd along the way and kept pushing to a victory in the 55-59 age group. Most of the last five miles she ran a see saw challenge with James Moreland [In photo]. Chris Craun (60) of Bethesda, MD won in 1:24:16. Betty Smith, last year's winner moved to the next age group and scooped up the win in 1:37:11.

Race Directors Lisa Fontaine and Craig Harrison and hundreds of cheerful volunteers made the thirty-first running of the Annapolis ten miler an enjoyable success.

[Photo below is Main Street 2.5 miles into the race]

Awards

Overall
1. Centrowitz, Matt	Arnold, MD	   16	55:00
2. Cucuzzella, Mark	Shepherdstown, WV  39	56:06	 
3. Wetzel, Rob	        Crofton, MD	   17	56:16	 
1. Sun, Feng	        Columbia, MD	   37	1:02:16 
2. Lipman, Emily	Baltimore, MD	   30	1:03:17
3. Davison, Mary	Chesapeake, VA	   33	1:03:39
Masters 		
1. Powell II, Charles	Baltimore, MD	   40	1:00:18
2. Levy, Larry	        Reading, PA	   41	1:00:34
1. Grillo, Monica	Arlington, VA	   42	1:07:15
2. Conant, Cindy	Kensington, MD	   45	1:08:49
Grandmaster		
1. Darmody, Peter 	Gaithersburg, MD   51	1:04:27
1. Cupo, Mary	        Baltimore, MD	   50	1:16:52

Race Day Report for 2006
Full Race Day Results
Photo Gallery 2006
Page 2