Photo, above, of Michael Wardian making 26.2 miles look easy. . . again.

Now in its third year, the National Marathon and Half Marathon seem to be growing into their role and establishing the event as a date of note on the area's crowded racing calendar. After a rocky first couple of editions, which included political squabbling over the course the inaugural year and a short half- marathon course last year, version 2008 hosted its largest field and went off largely without a hitch.

Michael Wardian, winner of the first two marathons, extended a personal tradition by winning for a third straight year in yet another course record, this time in 2 hours 24 minutes 57 seconds.

"To repeat is cool," Wardian said. "But to three-peat is even cooler."

Samuel Gebremichael (27), from Ethiopia, took second in 2:28:54, but entered as the favorite after having beaten Wardian just six days earlier at the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. In Washington, Wardian forced the pace from the start at RFK Stadium and led Gebremichael by two minutes at halfway.

"I didn't want to give him an opportunity to stay with me," Wardian said. "I never want to finish second."

Immediately after the race, Wardian (33), from Arlington, left for Knoxville, TN, where he was scheduled to run his third marathon in eight days.

Myriam Grenon (39, photo above), from Longueuil, Quebec, and a mother of four, won the women's marathon in 2:54:45. Grenon did not realize she was leading until 22 miles into the race.

"I never thought about winning [until that point]," Grenon said through her husband, Serge St.-Antoine, who interpreted. "But it was a good feeling and I accelerated to the finish." Grenon and St.-Antoine, who finished about five minutes ahead, were en route to Richmond, where their oldest daughter was playing in a soccer tournament.

Denise Knickman (39), from Baltimore, was second in 3:01:34.

Many of the area's top women are preparing for the Olympic Trials Marathon in Boston on April 20 and used the half marathon as a tune-up. Samia Akbar (26), from Herndon, one of the trials favorites, demonstrated her fitness by winning in 1:16:28.

"This is a good confidence builder," Akbar said. "I haven't raced a whole lot, so I cherish the opportunity to compete."

Photo below: Samia Akbar at the turning point near Gonzaga High School, North Capitol & K Streets NW, between miles 10 and 11.

Top Ten Marathon

Place Div Div   Guntime  Pace  Name                     Age Sex Race# City/state              
===== === ===== =======  ===== ======================== === === ===== ======================= 
    1   1 M3034 2:24:59   5:32 Michael Wardian           33 M       2 Arlington VA            
    2   1 M2529 2:28:53   5:41 Samuel Woldeama Gebremic  27 M      16 Hyattsville MD          
    3   2 M2529 2:29:42   5:43 Brendon Moody             26 M       7 Van Wert OH             
    4   1 M3539 2:32:39*  5:50 Philippe Rolly            35 M    1824 Fairfax VA              
    5   1 M1824 2:33:27   5:52 David Hryvniak            23 M       6 Christiansburg VA       
    6   1 M4044 2:35:46*  5:57 Christopher Hamley        43 M     545 Hyattsville MD          
    7   2 M1824 2:36:25   5:58 David Miller              24 M      36 Herndon VA              
    8   2 M3034 2:38:13   6:03 Stephen Cowie             31 M    1765 Greensboro NC           
    9   2 M3539 2:41:19   6:10 Eric Makovsky             35 M      10 Washington DC           
   10   3 M3034 2:41:49   6:11 Iain Banks                30 M    1564 Bowie MD                
# Under USATF OPEN guideline    
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline

Place Div Div   Guntime  Pace  Name                     Age Sex Race# City/state              
===== === ===== =======  ===== ======================== === === ===== ======================= 
    1   1 F3539 2:54:51*  6:41 Myriam Grenon             39 F      13 Longueuil, Quebec CA    
    2   2 F3539 3:01:39   6:56 Denise Knickman           39 F    1609 Baltimore MD            
    3   1 F1824 3:09:53   7:15 Nicole Hugie              23 F    1546 Seattle WA              
    4   3 F3539 3:11:05   7:18 Amanda Starr              39 F     794 Lewisburg PA            
    5   1 F3034 3:12:28   7:21 Karen Grabowski           32 F    1712 Chicago IL              
    6   4 F3539 3:14:28   7:25 Hilary Cairns             37 F      17 Washington DC           
    7   2 F1824 3:14:59   7:27 Teresa Stamplis           23 F    1679 Athens OH               
    8   3 F1824 3:15:00   7:27 Lindsay Mock              24 F    1687 Cuyahoga Falls OH       
    9   4 F1824 3:19:31*  7:37 Courtney Waldhauser       18 F    1638 Fallston MD             
   10   1 F2529 3:21:42   7:42 Molly Fahey               25 F     650 Bethesda MD 
# Under USATF OPEN guideline    
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
            

Photo above: It was another strong performance by Christopher Raabe, seen here as he is shadowed by Exkyas Sisay

Teyba Naser (21), from Ethiopia, who won the St. Patrick's Day 8K on March 16, shared the lead through the early miles, but the smooth-striding Akbar steadily pulled away over the second half of the course. Naser finished second in 1:16:57.

Ezkyas Sisay (19), the St. Patrick's Day men's winner, out kicked Christopher Raabe to win the half marathon in 1:06:15. Raabe, the defending champion, finished six seconds back.

The world's fastest mayor, D.C.'s Adrian Fenty, bettered his marathon time from last year by nearly 30 minutes, running 3:40:25. "That's a new record for a mayor of the District of Columbia," Fenty quipped. "And my best time since high school."

At-large D.C. Council Member Kwame Brown, perhaps inspired by the District leadership, was all smiles after running his first half marathon in less than two and a half hours.

In all, 4,090 started the two races, 1,354 in the marathon and 2,736 in the half.

Top Ten Half Marathon

Place Div Div   Guntime  Pace  Name                     Age Sex Race# City/state              
===== === ===== =======  ===== ======================== === === ===== ======================= 
    1   1 M1824 1:06:17#  5:04 Ezkyas Sisay              19 M    6224 Washington DC           
    2   1 M2529 1:06:24#  5:04 Christopher Raabe         29 M      31 Washington DC           
    3   2 M1824 1:06:55   5:07 Will Christian            24 M    5520 Norfolk VA              
    4   2 M2529 1:09:22   5:18 Paolo Natali              27 M    6291 Washington DC           
    5   3 M1824 1:09:50   5:20 Adam Condit               24 M    6328 Centreville VA          
    6   4 M1824 1:10:24   5:23 Abiyot Abebe              20 M    6223 Washington DC           
    7   1 M3034 1:10:59   5:25 Jerome Ross               32 M      35 Anchorage AK            
    8   1 M4044 1:11:26*  5:27 Robert Weiner             42 M      37 Evergreen CO            
    9   2 M3034 1:12:03   5:30 Ryan Padilla              30 M    5912 Boulder CO              
   10   3 M2529 1:12:34   5:33 Justin Mikolay            28 M    5796 Annapolis MD            
# Under USATF OPEN guideline    
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline

Place Div Div   Guntime  Pace  Name                     Age Sex Race# City/state              
===== === ===== =======  ===== ======================== === === ===== ======================= 
    1   1 F2529 1:16:31#  5:51 Samia Akbar               26 F    5786 Herndon VA              
    2   1 F1824 1:17:00#  5:53 Teyba Naser               21 F    5511 Hyattsville MD          
    3   1 F3539 1:17:34#  5:55 Abby Dean                 36 F      43 Philadelphia PA         
    4   2 F2529 1:18:17   5:59 Briana Whaley             29 F      50 Culpeper VA             
    5   2 F3539 1:19:07*  6:03 Susan Graham-Gray         39 F      45 Greencastle PA          
    6   3 F3539 1:19:47*  6:06 Emily Levan               35 F      39 Wiscasset ME            
    7   3 F2529 1:19:58   6:06 Phebe Ko                  25 F      44 Baltimore MD            
    8   4 F2529 1:22:15   6:17 Yehunelesh Bekele         27 F    6225 Washington DC           
    9   5 F2529 1:23:47   6:24 Melinda Carlson           28 F      47 Washington DC           
   10   6 F2529 1:24:30   6:27 Franchie Darroch          29 F    6288 Philadephia PA  
 # Under USATF OPEN guideline    
* Under USATF Age-Group guideline
    

Full Race Day Results