"He's good, very fast," Wilson Komen (photo left) said of Zintu Meaza.

"He's very good, very strong," Meaza said back of Komen.

"No, he's just as strong," Komen replied.

Despite the obvious mutual admiration - running five miles at sub-5:00 per mile pace will do that - Meaza had the better argument, because Komen, from Washington via Kenya, outlasted Meaza to win in 30 minutes 25 seconds. Meaza, living in Alexandria but originally from Ethiopia, faded only in the final mile and finished second in 30:40.

On a cool, clear, somewhat breezy morning, Komen added to his trove of area wins and top-dog status convincingly over a talented men's field.

Samia Akbar (23), from Herndon, likewise dominated her competition and won in 34:05, a personal best by 27 seconds. Marina Bychkova (29), from Germantown, MD, finished a distant second in 35:10.

"I felt really good out there," Akbar said of her relatively easy victory. "Maybe it's this snazzy new outfit," she said with a laugh.

Kerry Meagher (22), from Washington, finished third, edging Olympic trials marathon qualifier Mary Kate Bailey (30, photo left), from Arlington, 35:45 to 35:49.

"I had no expectations today," Bailey said, "so I'm pleased with how it went." Bailey, one month removed from her Twin Cities Marathon effort of 2:46:03, decided to enter the race only the night before.

Robyn Humphrey (41), from Ellicott City, beat Monica Grillo (41), from Arlington, to win the masters title. Humphrey and Grillo finished 14th and 15th, respectively, in a deep women's field.

Alison Suckling (50), from Arnold, and brand-new to her age group, pulled away from age-group stalwart Betty Blank (52), Falls Church, to win the grand masters title. Suckling ran 42:06, 14 seconds ahead of Blank.

In the men's masters race, Chris Hamley (41), from Silver Spring, continued to impress by beating Chris Chattin (41), from Columbia; they ran 34:30 and 34:56, respectively. Hamley's longtime sport of choice had been soccer; he started racing only recently.

Pat Griffith, from Alexandria, was the men's grand master winner, finishing ahead of all those in their fifties one day before his 61st birthday. Griffith ran 37:56 for 37th place overall.

Despite the mild weather conditions, energy gel packs still imbedded in the pavement from the marathon a week earlier and the more traditional harbinger of winter, the falling leaves, are clear signs that the fall racing season is nearly over. Although many of the usual faces stayed home abed, with legs too tired to race so soon, 1,221 runners finished.

Notes: Michael Wardian, making a quick recovery from his 2:31:14 12th place finish in the Marine Corps Marathon one week earlier, finished sixth in 32:07. Chris Banks, (photo left) who cruised through Marine Corps with his sister in 3:11:55, finished fifth at Veterans Day 31:59.

Washington Running Club's WRC team, led by Philippe Rolly's fifth place finish, won the team competition, beating the WRC Too team and Potomac Runners.

Female Awards

OVERALL FEMALE 
    1 Samia Akbar          23 F HERNDON VA         00:34:05 
    2 Marina Bychkova      29 F GERMANTOWN MD      00:35:10 
    3 Kerry Meagher        22 F WASHINGTON DC      00:35:45 
    4 Mary Kate Bailey     30 F ARLINGTON VA       00:35:49 
    5 Laura Turner         25 F WASHINGTON DC      00:35:59 
    6 Michelle Lilienthal  23 F PHILADELPHIA PA    00:36:08 
    7 Elvira Kolpakova     33 F GERMANTOWN MD      00:36:17 
    8 Christina Wells      30 F WOODBRIDGE VA      00:36:27 
    9 Genevieve Kiley      31 F ARLINGTON VA       00:36:42 
   10 Tatiana Maslova      39 F WASHINGTON DC      00:37:35 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  01 - 19
    1 Meaghan Stakelin     19 F WASHINGTON DC      54:20 53:46  8:40 
    2 Meghan Hiscock       16 F WHEATON MD         54:10 53:48  8:40 
    3 Kathryn Bolton       19 F WASHINGTON DC      59:45 59:00  9:30 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 24
    1 Sarah Spalding       24 F WASHINGTON DC      37:38 37:36  6:03 
    2 Emily Cupito         22 F WASHINGTON DC      42:15 42:06  6:47 
    3 Megan Sowa           22 F VIENNA VA          43:54 43:45  7:03 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  25 - 29
    1 Lindsay Goulet       27 F ARLINGTON VA       37:57 37:54  6:06 
    2 Marie Knight         27 F ARLINGTON VA       40:33 40:30  6:32 
    3 Eileen Kickish       25 F WASHINGTON DC      40:50 40:47  6:34 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 34
    1 Connie Chow Dowler   30 F KENSINGTON MD      40:00 39:52  6:25 
    2 Kathryn Farrell      30 F WASHINGTON DC      44:34 44:23  7:09 
    3 Rebecca Ghent        34 F WASHINGTON DC      45:26 45:15  7:17 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  35 - 39
    1 Hilary Cairns        35 F WASHINGTON DC      38:21 38:18  6:10 
    2 Kerry Rodgers        37 F BALTIMORE MD       41:52 41:48  6:44 
    3 Renu Gupta           38 F MCLEAN VA          44:29 44:17  7:08 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 44
    1 Robyn Humphrey       41 F ELLICOTT CITY MD   39:24 39:22  6:20 
    2 Monica Grillo        41 F ARLINGTON VA       39:28 39:23  6:21 
    3 Rebecca Nathan       40 F ARLINGTON VA       39:56 39:51  6:25 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49
    1 Tracey Dugdale       45 F RESTON VA          43:58 43:53  7:04 
    2 Ann Kurzweil         47 F GREAT FALLS VA     47:13 46:39  7:31 
    3 Elizabeth Kendler    46 F WASHINGTON DC      48:00 47:52  7:43 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 54
    1 Alison Suckling      50 F ARNOLD MD          42:06 42:03  6:46 
    2 Betty Blank          52 F FALLS CHURCH VA    42:20 42:18  6:49 
    3 Manuela Carvalho     51 F WASHINGTON DC      45:29 45:23  7:19 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  55 - 59
    1 Lynn Salvo           56 F MCLEAN VA          50:49 50:30  8:08 
    2 Jane Poole           58 F FALLS CHURCH VA    51:11 51:04  8:13 
    3 Claudia Crawford     58 F GERMANTOWN MD      51:21 51:06  8:14 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 64
    1 Betty Smith          64 F ROCKVILLE MD       50:59 50:46  8:11 
    2 Martha Mcjunkin      63 F BETHESDA MD        67:46 66:56 10:47 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  65 - 69
    1 Tami Graf            69 F LUSBY MD           56:22 56:19  9:04 
    2 Jamie Wollard        67 F N BETHESDA MD      70:14 69:54 11:15 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 74
    1 Jacqueline O'neil    74 F WASHINGTON DC      75:15 74:08 11:56 

Male Awards

OVERALL MALE 
    1 Wilson Komen         27 M WASHINGTON DC      00:30:25 
    2 Zintu Meaza          27 M ALEXANDRIA VA      00:30:40 
    3 Abraha Haroush       24 M WASHINGTON DC      00:31:03 
    4 Philippe Rolly       35 M FAIRFAX VA         00:31:39 
    5 Chris Banks          27 M ALEXANDRIA VA      00:31:59 
    6 Michael Wardian      31 M ARLINGTON VA       00:32:07 
    7 Zereu Keleig         24 M WASHINGTON DC      00:32:16 
    8 Sentayehu Mamo       22 M SILVER SPRING MD   00:32:19 
    9 Jason Dwyer          26 M BETHESDA MD        00:32:43 
   10 Bert Rodriguez       26 M ARLINGTON VA       00:33:01 
MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1 Jonathan Ryan        16 M CLARKSBURG MD      43:18 43:11  6:57 
    2 Ryan Okeefe          15 M SPRINGFIELD VA     44:10 43:56  7:05 
    3 Tucker Velez         16 M BRISTOW VA         45:08 45:04  7:16 
MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 24
    1 Jared Prunty         23 M HARRISONBURG VA    35:24 33:13  5:21 
    2 Rich Harris          23 M WASHINGTON DC      33:19 33:18  5:22 
    3 Scott Munro          24 M VIENNA VA          35:30 35:28  5:43 
MALE AGE GROUP:  25 - 29
    1 Garth Terry          26 M WASHINGTON DC      33:05 33:02  5:19 
    2 Simon Isaacs         25 M ARLINGTON VA       33:52 33:51  5:27 
    3 Matt Lowe            25 M ARLINGTON VA       34:00 33:58  5:28 
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 34
    1 Paul Rades           33 M WHEATON MD         33:24 33:23  5:23 
    2 Jon Weiss            31 M ROCKVILLE MD       34:19 34:17  5:32 
    3 Henry Grossman       34 M ANNANDALE VA       34:49 34:47  5:36 
MALE AGE GROUP:  35 - 39
    1 Max Lockwood         35 M WASHINGTON DC      33:33 33:31  5:24 
    2 Yancey Hall          36 M ALEXANDRIA VA      34:30 34:29  5:33 
    3 Alex Grant           37 M WASHINGTON DC      36:48 36:46  5:55 
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 44
    1 Christopher Hamley   41 M SILVER SPRING MD   34:30 34:27  5:33 
    2 Chris Chattin        41 M COLUMBIA MD        34:56 34:55  5:37 
    3 Jean-Christophe Arca 44 M ROCKVILLE MD       35:52 35:50  5:46 
MALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49
    1 Terry Mclaughlin     45 M SPOTSYLVANIA VA    36:50 36:49  5:56 
    2 Robert Johnson       48 M WOODBRIDGE VA      38:16 38:12  6:09 
    3 Ed Reid              46 M BRADENTON FL       38:59 38:55  6:16 
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 54
    1 Richard Adams Jr     54 M HERNDON VA         38:23 38:21  6:11 
    2 David Webster        52 M STEVENSVILLE MD    38:45 38:44  6:14 
    3 John Reilly          50 M COLLEGE PARK MD    39:48 39:28  6:21 
MALE AGE GROUP:  55 - 59
    1 Mick Slonaker        56 M COLUMBIA MD        38:48 38:46  6:15 
    2 Jim Wright           56 M GAITHERSBURG MD    39:44 39:42  6:24 
    3 Allen Vaughan        55 M STAFFORD VA        41:59 41:54  6:45 
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 64
    1 Patrick Griffith     60 M ALEXANDRIA VA      37:56 37:55  6:07 
    2 David Harrell        63 M CHEVY CHASE MD     48:46 48:40  7:50 
    3 Lee Nesbit           62 M ARLINGTON VA       49:30 49:15  7:56 
MALE AGE GROUP:  65 - 69
    1 Malcolm O'hagan      65 M CHEVY CHASE MD     43:22 43:11  6:57 
    2 Bob Leaberry         65 M GAMBRILLS MD       45:16 45:13  7:17 
    3 Carl Cox             68 M FALLS CHURCH VA    46:21 46:17  7:27 
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 74
    1 Hank Hatch           70 M OAKTON VA          51:18 50:58  8:13 
    2 Keith Olson          74 M SILVER SPRING MD   54:20 54:16  8:44 
    3 Robert Gurtler       70 M THE PLAINS VA      55:41 55:26  8:56 
MALE AGE GROUP:  75 - 79
MALE AGE GROUP:  80 - 99
    1 Walt Washburn        83 M VIENNA VA          64:22 63:53 10:17 
    2 Henryk Bukowski      85 M FALLS CHURCH VA    72:41 71:54 11:35 

Full Race Day results.

The race was a benefit for Helping Our Heroes Foundation and was hosted by DC Group.

Photo Gallery 2005
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