In photo, runners get ready in a fiesta atmosphere before the 2005 race.

Nearly always listed as the hottest race of the year, the Rockville Rotary twilight 8K is coming up to its 23rd year. With solid prize money and an interesting course that winds around the city of Rockville, past Montgomery College to finish with a charge down North Washington Street, top competition has been making it the race to run during the summer.

The Montgomery County Road Runners always have had a huge presence in helping city produce the race with scores of volunteers. Their massive club always has a large participation in the awards as well. Back in 1988 Patrick Key (30) was the top club member in 24:56. Donna Moore (27) was the top female from MCRRC. It is interesting to see who is still racing twenty years later. Below is a partial list of runners who are still racing ranked runner times today in the area.

Chris Samley    (26) 25:38
Bill Stahr      (27) 27:44
Denis McDonald  (33) 28:06
Ted Poulos      (26) 29:06
Tim Morgan      (37) 30:52

In 2006 photo, Ray Pugsley still has the goods.

Five years later in 1993, Olympic class racer Pete Weilenmann (27) blasted a then course record in 23:42 as the top ten runners all finished faster than 25:00. Nine women finished faster than 30:00, including race winner Kim Saddic in 27:56. Many of these runners are still racing near the top. They include:

Darrell General   (27) 24:07 3rd
Jim Hage          (35) 24:27 5th
Ray Pugsley       (24) 24:49 9th
Chris Chattin     (29) 25:28 11th
Dock Mock         (26) 25:31 12th
Peter Kirk        (36) 25:42 13th
Chuck Moeser      (41) 26:15 top Master
Chris Samley      (31) 26:19
Bill Stahr        (32) 27:41
James Moreland    (40) 27:49
Tim Morgan        (42) 30:11
Ray Kitchen       (48) 30:23
John Haubert      (50) 30:27
Nianxiang Xie     (66) 37:23
Bill Osburn       (69) 42:18
Donna Moore       (32) 29:26 7th
Gretchen Triantos (36) 29:33 8th
Rose Malloy       (44) 30:49 13th - 2nd master
Monica Grillo     (29) 30:54 14th
Jeanne Grillo     (32) 31:09 15th
Susie Kinnecome   (29) 31:19 18th
Jackie Gruendel   (18) 32:49
Meredith Bonta    (47) 34:56

In 2004, Mark Gilmore races across the finish line.

In 1994, Chris Fox tied the course record and would have set it but he looked over his shoulder at the last second for a ghost challenger. Two years later Pete Weilenmann returned to set the record in 23:42. Ten years ago in 1998, Andre Williams scored an easy triumph in 24:29 as did female champion Kristin Pierce in 28:06. Jim Hage set the masters course record with 25:17. In 2000, Marina Belyaeva (42) set the masters course record winning it all in 27:53.

Quite a few top runners stayed the course:

Mark Gilmore      (30) 24:52 4th
Chris Chattin     (34) 25:05 7th
Jim Hage          (40) 25:17 9th master record
Rob Magin         (27) 25:25
Frank Sprtel      (25) 25:26
Peter Kirk        (41) 26:04
Chuck Moeser      (46) 26:17
Danny Tepovich    (19) 26:47
Ted Poulos        (36) 26:47
Paul Ryan         (47) 28:32
Richard Adams Jr. (47) 28:56
James Moreland    (45) 29:48
William Scott     (50) 32:15
Ray Kitchen       (53) 32:23
Chan Robbins      (61) 32:40
Robert Smith      (64) 36:17
Nianxiang Xie     (71) 40:16
Bill Osburn       (74) 41:48
Denise Knickman   (30) 29:24 6th 
Donna Moore       (37) 29:30
Gretchen Triantos (41) 29:51 10th
Martha Merz       (35) 30:20 15th
Mary Davison      (25) 31:57
Pat Keating       (37) 31:27
Jeanne Grillo     (37) 32:48
Betty Blank       (45) 33:04
Meredith Bonta    (52) 35:55

Dave Berardi makes his move in the 2007 race.

After the turn of the century runners started regularly running faster than 28:00 minutes. Lost in the web of time is the course record set by Rosalind Taylor in 26:40 back in 1992. That was the same year that Liz McCoglan first broke 25:00 to set the world record at the Nike 8K in West Potomac Park. Taylor was one of the nine women faster than 26:00 that day. McCoglan's famous line as she stopped and walked the final fifty meters in 24:48 was, "If they are going to pay me $25,000 to break the record, I don't want it to be too hard for the next time."

The second fastest time was run by Olga Romanova in 2005 with 27:11.

Below is a list of racers from 2003:

Eric Post          (24) 25:16 11th
Mark Gilmore       (35) 25:36 16th
Darrell General    (37) 25:39 17th
Jim Hage           (45) 26:15 1st master
Tim Schuler        (40) 26:17
Dave Berardi       (42) 26:52
Dan Lawson         (47) 27:50
Peter Kirk         (46) 28:45
Chuck Moeser       (51) 26:48
David Webster      (50) 29:57
Jay Wind           (53) 30:39
Jim Noone          (59) 33:12
Lou Shapiro        (61) 34:33
Chan Robbins       (66) 35:58
Jack McMahon       (72) 40:12
Cath Pugsley       (34) 28:39 6th
Lee DiPietro       (45) 29:02 7th - 1st master
Alisa Harvey       (37) 29:06 8th
Susannah Kvasnicka (31) 29:09 10th
LisAa Thomas       (27) 29:44 12th
Denise Knickman    (35) 30:11 13th
Keira Carlstrom    (18) 31:00
Vanessa Cox        (41) 31:46
Pat Keating        (41) 32:35
Gretchen Triantos  (46) 32:46
Alice Franks       (55) 36:17
Chris Craun        (57) 40:18

For information on the race go to the race Web site.

For results from last year's race