Results available for the 5K

The day before the Run for Kathy 5K was scheduled to take place, co-race directors Ken and Kathleen Long, had a tough decision to make. Should they go ahead with the carefully organized race; their hard work meant all the preparations were complete. But they had one big problem - there was a sniper terrorizing the Washington, D.C. area. They decided to postpone the race for safety reasons after another shooting on the eve of the race.

On Saturday, November 16, 2002, a successful running of the Fourth Annual Run for Kathy 5K took place one month after its original start date. Large puddles of water remained on the course in Bowie, MD from hours of rain. A free One Mile Walk around scenic Allen Pond was open to all, including pets. The Run for Kathy honors the late Kathy Long-Popp as well as raises funds for Johns Hopkins Oncology Center for Cancer Research. Kathy succumbed to cervical cancer at the age of 36, in June 1999, leaving behind 3 daughters and a husband.

Ted Poulos of McLean, VA, a familiar face on the local racing circuit, returned to successfully defend his title with a winning time of 16:52. Bill Dunn of Alexandria, wearing a skimpy tank top and shorts, made Poulos earn the victory by coming in a close second at 16:58. Katie Dickerson, the top female finisher and fifth overall, splashed unchallenged two minutes ahead of her nearest competitor and completed the course in a personal record of 18:58. Nadine Connell of New Carrolton claimed second place with a time of 20:55. Katie liked the fast course with small hills that gave her some speed on the downhills.

Casey Mlyniec (11) of Washington, DC finished first in his 1-12 age group with a time of 23:36. Mollie Jones (8) was the youngest competitor as well as the winner of her 1-12 age group. Jones ran a very strong time of 24:12. Bill Osborne (78) completed the age spectrum running an impressive 32:01. The female 30-39 age group competition was very tight with Susan Costenbader (23:39) of Laural, MD edging out Calene Theodore of Columbia, MD by only five seconds. The men's 30-39 group was also tightly competed with Hugh Harris of New Carrollton, MD (18:54) beating Bowie resident David McGee (19:07) by a few seconds. Chan Robbins (22:39) of Arlington, VA out-dueled John Gluck (22:59) of Alexandria, VA, both 65, in the men's 60 and over age group.

Post-race ceremonies took place under a small pavilion in the park. A fine selection of refreshments and great food donated by located merchants was available. Age group winners received medals and gift certificates; gift certificates and prizes were also given out as door prizes.

Kathy's legacy lives on through the efforts of family and friends. During Kathy's difficult battle with cancer, her cousins, Ken and Kathleen Long, decided to host an event that would celebrate her active lifestyle and raise money to help fight cancer. Today's event raised over $7,000 and puts the total monies raised for cancer research over $31,000 since the race's inception.

The race is truly a testament to a remarkable life and exemplifies the resilience of a caring family. Event volunteers included Kathy's mother, brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces, in-laws, granddaughter and close friends; many family members and friends also ran the 5K. Ken Long explained, "At first we really piecemealed the event all together with the help of family and friends. We tapped resources from all of them without costing the race anything. Everything from graphic arts for t-shirts and flyers, to our web site. That way all the money raised went directly to the cause." Other volunteers included an emergency medical technician, a singer for the National Anthem and a DJ to contribute to the Start/Finish festivities.

The efforts of Kathy Long-Popp's family, friends and volunteers have honored and celebrated her life. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please send a check payable to Run For Kathy at 14410 Autumn Crest Road, Boyds, MD 20841. You may also send a message to donations@run4kathy.org or get more information at www.run4kathy.org.