Photo below by Robert Costanza; others by Kathy Freedman.

With all the rain for 2007 being made up in December, it was delightful that 2008 started off with a bright, sunshiny day. The temperature asked politely for shorts with no need for gloves or knit hats, even Redskin ones. There was a light breeze, which helped cool runners off during the long and winding cross-country 10K road.

The course was slightly adjusted because a new building planted itself near the former starting line. The course still charged down the grassy hill across a couple of ravines before careening around the corner and up the first of a series of daunting hills. The tree lined dirt and gravel road warmed up all the runners as they snaked their way out of Ida Lee Park and into next-door Morven Park.

Time is of very little importance in cross-country. It is more by place. The best place with the sometimes-blustery wind is right behind a tall runner if you can find one. The course was exceptionally well marked and scores of course marshals made sure everyone would stay on course. There would be no chance at all of a repeat of the 2006 race which sprung a leak in the middle and allowed runners to squirt free and run an additional couple of miles.

Both races were over quickly, won by runners from far away. Christi Spahr (34) of Los Osos, CA (in photo) pulled away quickly, coasting to a fine 40:58 victory. Top masters competitor Anita Freres (42) of Reston, VA ran a very steady race, easing through the first mile in just under seven minutes. Though the course is decidedly tougher in the second half, she maintained the pace for a solid runner-up spot in 43:42. Laura Geeson (38) of Alexandria, VA made her move in the second half finishing in a swift 45:24.

Fourth place went to diminutive Heather Schaffer (36) of Potomac Falls, VA. She started really making up ground in the final miles on the tough hills, moving away from her pack in the last mile. She caught top Leesburg resident Christine Goodrum (35) on the final roadway and pulled away to finish in 46:37. The much taller Goodrum pressed up the final grassy hill for a fine fifth place finish in 47:17.

Solomon Semunguse of McLean, VA (photo), just arrived from Ethiopia three months ago, won going away in 33:17. Last month he won the prestigious Acumen Solutions Jingle All the Way 10K in 31:30, which puts into perspective the relative courses--cross-country in Ida Lee Park vs. channeling down flat Ohio Drive in West Potomac Park. If Semunguse is really 17 and not the 20 he claimed for the December race, then the race today had the top three runners as teens. He would also crack Berryville's top dog Dustin Sweeney who had the current teen record of 34:29. After two-time winner George Probst set the record of 32:55 in 1999, Semunguse has the fastest time. Michael Wardian, who was second at Jingle All the Way, ran the next fastest time in 2005 to win that year's race in 33:21.

The next three spots were very tight. Greg Grosicki (19) of Fairfax, VA was runner-up in 35:56 with regular Ranked Runner Andrew Budiansky (17) of Leesburg, VA snagging third in 36:24 as well as the top Leesburg Resident. Fourth in line, Tim Schuler (44, photo) of Chambersburg, PA had to hustle to earn the top masters spot in 36:43 over David Cascio (45) of Reston, VA (36:43). Schuler set the masters course record in 2005, beating last year's overall winner Mark Stickley that year.

Bruce Halpin (51) of Ashburn, VA repeated as the top dog in his division, improving last year's time to win in 40:11. Jason Page of Hamilton, VA took down the six-year-old 60-64 record formerly held by Jim Noone with a spirited 43:27. Not surprisingly, Page, a former top Ranked Runner, noted that he was recovering from an injury-filled fall and would soon be producing even faster times.

The second fastest masters division woman was grandmaster 50-year-old Carole Roeder of Ashburn, VA. She finished eighth overall in 48:39. Fifteenth place Karen Young was coming off a fast 5K last night and more than 125 races in 2007. She prefers the 10K and ran 50 of them last year. Ecris Williams (69) of Reston, VA was the top woman over 60, finishing in just over an hour. Williams owns both five-year event records in the sixties.

In the race, there were runners from age 4 to 85. There was great support, accurate mile markers, and lots of water stations. After the race, there were huge boxes of delicious thick cookies as well as hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and cider. The music was live and everyone enjoyed the country-like rock. In fact, the guitar man had a chorus line of youngsters up on the "stage" helping to entertain the crowd. The auditorium was safe and warm from the wind and there were many chairs for the runners to enjoy listening to the music and the awards ceremony. Many runners went home with random awards, which were valued at $5,000. In a generous manner, the runners with either six or nine as their last digit on their bib earned a prize. For the age group winners, two deep in five-year divisions, there was a very nice business notebook with built-in calculator.

Male Award Winners

MALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                   Ag City                  Finis 
===== ===== ====================== == ===================== ===== 
    1   416 Solomon Semunguse      17 McLean VA             33:17 
    2   239 Greg Grosicki          19 Fairfax VA            35:56 
    3   331 Andrew Budiansky       17 Leesburg VA           36:24 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 01 - 19
    1   187 Nathan Dancher         16 San Diego CA          38:12 
    2   561 Tommy Bylund           16 Great Falls VA        39:28 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 24
    1   219 Richard Moss           24 South Bend IN         45:39 
    2   180 Jonathan Abrams        23 Washington DC         48:05 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 25 - 29
    1   330 Matt Woods             28 Woodbridge VA         38:22 
    2    21 Adam Borbidge          29 South Riding VA       40:34 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 34
    1    72 Kip Pierson            30 Washington DC         39:05 
    2   326 Nate Vogel             34 Alexandria VA         40:05 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 35 - 39
    1   751 Andy Mason             35 Hagerstown MD         37:10 
    2   440 Duncan Edwards         39 Leesburg VA           38:58 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 44
    1     3 Tim Schuler            44 Chambersburg PA       36:42 
    2   514 Mark Hand              41 Arlington VA          39:31 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 45 - 49
    1   305 David Cascio           45 Reston VA             37:06 
    2   373 Doug Kuderna           46 Odenton MD            37:13 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 54
    1   270 Bruce Halpin           51 Ashburn VA            40:07 
    2     4 Mike Fitzgerald        51 Hagerstown MD         41:00 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 55 - 59
    1    10 James Moreland         55 Gaithersburg MD       47:12 
    2   364 Steve Bradley          55 Purcellville VA       48:57 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 64
    1   104 Jason Page             63 Hamilton VA           43:27 
    2   616 Bob Chase              62 Falls Church VA       45:58 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 65 - 69
    1   709 Talbot MacK            67 Middleburg VA         52:43 
    2   574 Chet Coates            67 Nokesville VA         57:23 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
    1    41 Alan Rider             71 Reston VA             57:28 
    2   366 John Long              70 Clifton VA            66:16 
MALE LEESBURG RESIDENT
    1   440 Duncan Edwards         39 Leesburg VA           38:58 
MALE ROTARIAN
    1   459 Richard Kaplar         56 Herndon VA            53:14

John R. Diedrich 4K
Fun Walk/Run


Hundreds more walked or ran the 4K distance, often in family groups, and with dogs and strollers, too.

Female Award Winners

FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                   Ag City                  Finis 
===== ===== ====================== == ===================== ===== 
    1   576 Cristi Spahr           34 Los Osos CA           40:58 
    2   498 Anita Freres           42 Reston VA             43:42 
    3   388 Laura Greeson          38 Alexandria VA         45:24 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 01 - 19
    1   258 Kate Spiering          18 Leesburg VA           49:52 
    2   711 Jessica Drews          14 Leesburg VA           62:21 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 24
    1   248 Dana Lattibeaudiere    23 Lansdowne VA          51:09 
    2   223 Jamie Barthelemy       23 Leesburg VA           51:10 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 25 - 29
    1   526 Kathryn Dunn           27 Purcellville VA       55:02 
    2   307 Cathy Hayne            25 Arlington VA          59:01 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 34
    1   281 Sharon Adams           32 Reston VA             48:26 
    2   265 Carla Tharrington      32 Haymarket VA          48:49 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 35 - 39
    1   246 Heather Schaffer       36 Potomac Falls VA      46:25 
    2   338 Christine Goodrum      35 Leesburg VA           47:12 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 44
    1   391 Tonya Stotler          41 Leesburg VA           48:27 
    2   539 Erin Shanahan          40 Leesburg VA           48:58 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 45 - 49
    1   508 Kathleen Armstrong     46 Ashburn VA            53:21 
    2   463 Mary Greer             49 Washington DC         54:16 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 54
    1   707 Carole Roeder          50 Ashburn VA            48:25 
    2   365 Jamie Clark            50 Leesburg VA           54:29 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 55 - 59
    1   609 Rene Dennis            57 Leesburg VA           59:21 
    2   324 Laurie Fahl            55 Leesburg VA           59:38 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 64
    1   603 Therese Murtagh        60 Reston VA             62:17 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 65 - 69
    1   195 Ecris Williams         69 Reston VA             60:07 
    2   568 Bunny Runyan           67 Lorton VA             77:40 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
FEMALE LEESBURG RESIDENT
    1   338 Christine Goodrum      35 Leesburg VA           47:12 
FEMALE ROTARIAN

Photo above (by Robert Costanza): Kids spill down the hill in the 4K fun run.

Full Race Day Results
Race Day Report for 2007
Photo Gallery 2007
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Page 3
Page 4

For more information about the event, see the race Web site.