In photo above, Delegate Cardin (#720) of Annapolis, MD ends his races a step ahead of Dan Collins (43) of Towson, MD with 1:14:05.

Always a winner for the summer is the annual pilgrimage to the state capital. Less than a mile from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium where the vaunted 10 mile race begins is downtown Annapolis and the city dock. This picturesque little row of touristy streets spindle off of Church Circle, which is the two mile mark of the race. Many of the five thousand runners came to sightsee and enjoy marvelous seafood dishes before preparing for the race.

The course has been deemed triple H - hot, humid, and hilly. Perhaps some of the runners where thinking to end the soupy sauna by protesting in front of the capital building demanding rain. For the second time in twenty years, we had rain affecting the race. In 2005, we had a cooling drizzle which made for the fastest times this century. This year we got the rain we had been asking for all summer in an explosion of fireworks with lightning strikes that seemed to light up the sky for five seconds or more at a time. This drove evening sightseers/diners quickly home to an early bedtime.

The temperature was in the low seventies in the morning but veteran racers knew their times would be slow. Defending 55-59 champion Mick Slonaker was asked how he would fare. He replied, "I am not expecting fast times; it is just too hot." He repeated as champion in 67:01 but well off his time of 64:27. Admiral Paul Ryan was doing his duty again earning the runner-up spot. After the race was over he was heard to say, "I am glad that is over."

There were many well manned water stations and homeowners came out by the score to water down the overheating racers.

In last year's race, national level talent Matt Centrowitz (16) of Arnold, MD ran away with the men's victory in 55:00. He has since run an 8:41.55 2-mile race. This year his older sister Lauren (20) decided to move up from her specialty of the 1500M. She picked a tough year to race. With the humidity leaving runners with dripping, sodden socks, leaving wet shoe prints on the course, times were the slowest ever. Her time of 1:04:57 would have been fifth last year. This year she won easily over runner-up Emily Blakeslee (25) Washington, DC who crossed the line minutes later in 1:07:18. Jenn Dietz (22) of Springfield, VA pushed Blakeslee the whole way finishing close behind in 1:07:35.

Young Patrick Reaves (22) of College Park, MD (in photo just past the first water stop) has raced three five milers, including the Twilight 8K in 26:40 in times that suggest a fifty-five minute 10 Miler. Indeed, his overall win in February in a low key Baltimore Road Runners 10 Mile in 53:10 positively screams he can run much faster. The disastrous racing conditions Sunday would only allow him a 56:47, albeit overall victory. Nut Hall, who has been at the race since the earliest days either racing or now helping with the timing, agreed that this was probably the slowest winning time ever.

Kent Werner (28) of Columbia, MD had a nice warm-up overall victory at the Riley's Rumble HM the last weekend in July with 1:18:07. This equates to a fifty-nine minute ten miler. That day was rain and lightning as the race started. That rehearsal may have made the difference as he finished runner-up in 57:13 while the next seven runners battled to stay under an hour for the race. And of course he ran 57:13 last year. Joe Lamonte (27) of Arlington, VA earned third by a narrow margin with 58:22.

The Masters
The real story for the race was the masters. Grandmaster Alison Suckling has been racing triathlons this summer and would take the day off. From her hometown of Arnold, MD Sheryl Kline was gunning for the masters title. Suckling noted that, "Sheryl really thinks she get Monica Grillo this year." That seemed a doable but tough goal though Grillo had won the title last year by more than two minutes in 1:07:15. This year however Kline has been on a roll with overall race victories in her resume. Kline was the fourth women back across the mats in 1:08:40 for the title. Grillo had a fine 1:09:15 for an age group win.

For the men last year, young Charles Powell (40) of Parkville, MD had eked out a 16 second masters victory in 60:18 for tenth overall. This year he only faded two overall places while improving his time to 60:05. It was not nearly enough. Unassuming, mild mannered Maurice Pointer (51) of Baltimore, MD stepped up to the plate a banged out a 59:32 for seventh overall. Pointer has the best grandmaster finish since Chuck Moeser ran 58:07 in 2004 and 57:34 in 2002. Perhaps the third best ever.

Pointer ran 60:46 in 2003 and then struggled the following year with 63:23. This year he has the best age graded time by far with 53:16. Back in 1994 James Pryde had set the masters record in 53:48. Pryde, now 53, has not been back lately but might have a hard time keeping up with Pointer today.

Steve Dietz (47) of Springfield, VA held off soon to be fifty Robert Marino of Hanover, MD 62:00 to 62:16. Howard County Strider Weems McFadden (50) of Columbia, MD (in photo #3265) battled to the top in 65:43 in his first time in the division. Ronnie Wong (60) of Catonsville, MD ran a strong 68:50. He was bubbling with joy at having triumphed over the Annapolis Striders top dog John Fitzpatrick who was next in 70:17.

Chan Robbins (70) of Arlington, VA was the new kid on the block. He was even the favorite but Richard Williams who races scores of races was not going away. Robbins pulled ahead in the early miles but could not shake Williams. Back on the highway, Williams was closing to about 100 meters at the eight mile mark. Cresting the hill on the bridge the second time you could tell that Robbins' legs were beginning to go. Just past nine miles, Williams pulled ahead and took the division in 1:21:12. Robbins settled back at that point and finished in 1:21:49.

Top teen Brittney Rooks (13) of Baltimore, MD was eleventh overall in 1:11:19. Cindy Conant (46) of Kensington, MD was nudged back a place to third master, winning the 45-49 division in 1:09:57. Mary Cupo (51) of Baltimore, MD repeated as the age group winner in 1:16:21 even faster than last year's 1:16:52. However, this year she did not take the grandmaster title. That went to Karen Erb (56) of Alexandria, VA with 1:16:10.

Chris Craun (61) of Bethesda, MD likes to start back a ways in the chip races. She started 1:16 after the starting horn. New to the division Jane Poole of Washington, DC started ten seconds after the gun. Poole maintained a steady 8:10 pace through the first half of the race. She slowed very little finishing in 1:22:09. Craun caught her very late in the race and crossed the mats ahead of her by a mere 20 seconds. The awards are done by chip time so the time difference was greater there - 1:21:59 to 1:20:33. Nancy Linck (65) of Alexandria, VA was the third woman older than sixty to finish. She won her division in 1:33:46.

Awards

Open Men
 4109     1    1  Patrick Reaves, 22, College Park, MD            56:47    56:47    5:41  
    3     2    2  Kent Werner, 28, Columbia, MD                   57:13    57:13    5:43  Navy
 2790     3    3  Joe Lamonte, 27, Arlington, VA                  58:12    58:12    5:49  
Open Women
    4    38    1  Lauren Centrowitz, 20                         1:04:56    1:04:56    6:30  
  391    70    2  Emily Blakeslee, 25, Washington, DC           1:07:18    1:06:58    6:42  
 1216    86    3  Jenn Dietz, 22, Springfield, VA               1:07:35    1:07:28    6:45  
Masters Men
 3971     7    1  Maurice Pointer, 51, Baltimore, MD              59:32    59:32    5:57  
Masters Women
   12   103    1  Sheryl Kline, 44, Arnold, MD                  1:08:40    1:08:40    6:52  

Kent Werner of Columbia, MD is runner-up in 57:13.

Full Race Results