Good golly, Miss Molly, we sure had a ball! Folks, this first year race is a cannot miss event. Once again Capital Running Company nonchalantly showed why they are the area's leading race management organization. The race was smooth as silk. The title sponsor graciously concurred, saying he would not know best how to put on a race and left it in the hands of professionals. Those are magic words to Rick and Kathy Freedman. After directing hundreds of races, they have learned what the runners want. Amazingly, the race garnered more than one hundred thousand dollars in corporate donations and Opus also handed over all the entry fees to the National Center for Children and Families. Editor's Note: We did not pay or instruct James to write the above!)

Road races do not make it without the generous donations from sponsors. These people are masters at securing donations. This first year race begins with just over two hundred runners and perhaps half as many fun runners/walkers. Opus provided enough for twice that much. I rank this race in the top three of small races (less than 500 runners) in the area this year, along with the Germantown 5 Miler and the Annapolis Striders B&A Trail 10K.

Put money on the table and it is honey to the bees. Runners came swarming down from Pennsylvania, southern Virginia, and we also saw a transplanted Russian. First, they look at the purse, which was $1200 for the top three places. Runners prefer gift certificates to plaques and "running man" trophies. The five-year age groups reflect the reality of Father Time. Even though the two deep awards were not always close, they will be next year. Fifty-dollar gift certificates to local businesses for first place are a huge draw. Random awards were as good, indeed even better than some of the age group awards. Dinner for two is a true crowd pleaser, thank you very much. The grand prize was a forty-inch flat screen TV.

Your odds of getting a nice random prize were better than one in ten. Your odds of getting lots of good food were a certainty. There were hot and cold drinks as well as lots of bottled water. There were huge trays of sandwiches from The Corner Bakery. The baked goods were still warm as I refueled after the race. There were plenty of baked desserts for everyone. Trust me; runners love desserts. There was a disc jockey playing good motivational music before and after the race and at just the right volume. How about a blown up playhouse for the kids? How about an instructor to lead stretches before the race?

Everything they could control was done right. The day started warm and humid with a threat of sprinkles. We prepared our windshield wipers (hands) because it was going to get sticky. The course is a medium-fast out-and-back course. Though mostly downhill on the way out, racing legend Chuck Moeser said, "That just makes the last part of the race tactical."

Today's announcer, Judy Floy, has trained herself to know running and racing. In a clear voice, she kept runners informed before the race. At the start, she correctly used the commands, "On your marks" and "Go!" succinctly for a smooth start. During the awards, she announced meaningful comments with the runner's names, ages, and times.

So, now we are itching to cross those Champion Chip mats. I revved my engines, noting a couple misfires, and prepared to make that first downhill mile count. It was a total jailbreak. Runners flew across the mats as if it were an 800-meter race. Ten women careened down the hill ahead of my first sub six- minute-mile. The lead men were smoke up ahead on the road. These guys had wheels. The top three ran in a pack, blasting through the first mile in under 4:30. Fourth place Kyle Smits of Washington, DC and former 2:12 marathoner Andrey Kuznetsov (45) of Gaithersburg, MD, gamely tried to stay in sight.

At two miles, the threesome was still holding tight but three minutes back I quickly lost sight of them. Kuznetsov was still moving well and it was clear the fifty-one year old Chuck Moeser would end the day a rare second place in the over forty crowd. He did not look happy as he dueled two twenty-somethings for sixth place. Maybe the high humidity was a reason why many runners struggled on the way back. Maybe it was the short steep hill just past mile two. That certainly choked my manifold. From 2.5 to mile three is a steadily steeper upgrade . . . hill . . . stairway . . . wall. All the oxygen there had been consumed by the time I got there.

Mohammed Amyn (27) used youth and $300 prize money to motivate himself to the finish ahead of second place Elarbi Khattabi (36) in 14:12 to 14:22. Both reside in Westchester, PA, a notorious hometown of African runners living in the USA. John Henwood of Hamilton, New Zealand (photo left) is the new face in the area. He blazed home in 14:28. Easily six foot five, Hamilton is not heavy enough to have a side view. Smits moved away from Kuznetsov for a sub five-minute pace 15:22. Kuznetsov ran 15:47. Moeser split the difference with his two young nemeses, earning seventh in a national class time of 16:36.

With those two masters five-year age group winners both decided by more than three minutes, racing fans needed a tight race. In the youngest masters division, Ted Poulos of McLean, VA strode in a stride ahead of David Haaga of Rockville, MD 17:09 to 17:10. Poulos is famous for setting and resetting the world record for most races in a year. Currently Poulos is averaging nearly one race for every day of this year. Today's race was his third 5K this weekend. Poulos does not just make an appearance at races. He comes to win, having won one hundred races outright in each of the last three years.

In the 60-64 division, local runner Ed Donoghue of Rockville, MD kicked home an age group win and the third fastest runner over fifty in 19:50. Chan Robbins of Arlington, VA worked a lot harder than he wanted to outlast a very determined Maynard Weyers in the 65-69 division 22:48 to 23:04.

In the woman's race, tiny Naoko Ishibe of Silver Spring, MD knew she had her work cut out for her. Atalelech Ketema of Washington, DC (photo left) has been pushing this top runner back to second place for the last two years. Now twenty, Ketema just keeps getting better. Ketema was the seventh runner overall in a flashy 16:27. She brushed past a surprised Moeser in a hurry to hold off a determined Victoria Klimina of Gaithersburg, MD. The two top ladies energized each other with Klimina just a half step behind the champion at mile two. Once he lost Ketema, Moeser quick-stepped past Klimina by a second. She ran 16:37.

Ishibe was in No Woman's Land now. Even the men were not close enough to drive her as she raced home in 17:02 for third place. Alisa Harvey of Manassas, VA is an anomaly. At thirty-seven now, she has been world class at 10 miles, running 55:35 at Cherry Blossom and at 800 meters, finishing in 2:03. Today's 17:28 was a bit slower than she would have preferred. She is capable of staying with the top dogs. Still, it earned her fourth place and first in her division.

As with the men, the age group winners were not often close. This will change next year. Lory Gray (23) of Arlington, VA (photo left) was fifth overall to win her division. Margaret Polcawich (26) of Derwood, MD was next winning her division in 19:09. Alice Franks (55) of Rockville, MD was spurred on by a challenger to race 22:12, a twenty-second improvement over yesterday's Spring Valley/Sumner 5K victory. Catherine Van Brocklin (57) of Gaithersburg. MD was runner-up in 23:33. There were no women 60 and over in this race this year. Mark my words; there will be next year.

A one-mile fun run/walk for children and families, with medals for all finishers, rounded out the family fun.

Award Winners

FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                   Ag City                      Net Tim Gun Tim 
===== ===== ====================== == ========================= ======= ======= 
    1     5 Atalelech Ketema       20 Washington DC               16:27   16:27 
    2     2 Victoria Klimina       27 Gaithersburg MD             16:37   16:38 
    3   285 Naoko Ishibe           34 Silver Spring MD            17:02   17:02 
MALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                   Ag City                      Net Tim Gun Tim 
===== ===== ====================== == ========================= ======= ======= 
    1     7 Mohammed Amyn          27 Westchester PA              14:12   14:12 
    2     6 Elarbi Khattabi        36 Westchester PA              14:22   14:22 
    3   208 John Henwood           31 Hamilton VA                 14:28   14:29 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1   303 Melanie Kahl           17 Fairfax VA                  27:36   27:43 
    2   269 Julia Busch            11 Germantown MD               30:18   30:23 
MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1   152 Steven Richard Jr      15 Wexford PA                  21:07   21:09 
    2   206 Matt Lilja             15 Bethesda MD                 23:13   23:26 
female AGE GROUP:  20 - 24
    1   247 Lory Gray              23 Arlington VA                18:13   18:16 
    2   222 Deanne Regnier         21 Kensington MD               21:11   21:12 
male AGE GROUP:  20 - 24
    1     3 Kyle Smits             24 Washington DC               15:22   15:22 
    2   157 Chris Hendrix-Buxton   24 Washington DC               16:50   16:51 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  25 - 29
    1   135 Margaret Polcawich     26 Derwood MD                  19:09   19:11 
    2   320 Melissa Lott           27 Berwyn MD                   22:02   22:04 
MALE AGE GROUP:  25 - 29
    1   241 Brian Tullis           29 Silver Spring MD            16:29   16:30 
    2   134 Ronald Polcawich       28 Derwood MD                  17:38   17:39 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 34
    1   156 Amy Ackerberg          33 Rockville MD                23:44   23:48 
    2   242 Susan Weisman          33 Olney MD                    23:47   23:51 
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 34
    1   237 Nathaniel Mcvey-Finney 34 Silver Spring MD            17:31   17:32 
    2   244 Bob Price              32 Rockville MD                17:36   17:38 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  35 - 39
    1   279 Alisa Harvey           37 Manassas VA                 17:28   17:29 
    2   275 Darcy Strouse          39 Frederick MD                19:39   19:41 
MALE AGE GROUP:  35 - 39
    1   284 Brian Geary            35 Rockville MD                18:09   18:10 
    2    40 Rich Pesce             36 Vienna VA                   18:52   18:54 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 44
    1   184 Laeticia Warring       40 Reston VA                   20:29   20:32 
    2   239 Wendy Ponvert          41 Bethesda MD                 22:43   22:46 
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 44
    1    13 Ted Poulos             41 Mclean VA                   17:09   17:10 
    2   155 David Haaga            42 Rockville MD                17:10   17:12 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49
    1   164 Robin Frankel          46 Bethesda MD                 24:56   25:09 
    2    30 Karen Hutchens         46 Rockville MD                31:31   31:47 
MALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49
    1     9 Andrey Kuznetsov       45 Gaithersburg MD             15:47   15:48 
    2   238 Pete Corcoran          46 Oreland PA                  19:23   19:25 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 54
    1   294 Candace Parker         52 Rockville MD                23:22   23:24 
    2   282 Sabra Harvey           54 Indian Head MD              24:10   24:14 
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 54
    1    11 Chuck Moeser           51 Sterling VA                 16:36   16:36 
    2    19 Jay Wind               53 Arlington VA                19:34   19:35 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  55 - 59
    1    37 Alice Franks           55 Rockville MD                22:12   22:15 
    2   276 Catherine Van Brocklin 57 Gaithersburg MD             23:33   23:38 
MALE AGE GROUP:  55 - 59
    1   291 Donald Hensel          58 Gaithersburg MD             23:34   23:37 
    2   256 Raymond Belott         55 Rockville MD                27:03   27:05 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 64
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 64
    1   295 Ed Donoghue            63 Rockville MD                19:50   19:51 
    2   281 Lou Shapiro            61 Silver Spring MD            21:14   21:16 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  65 - 69
MALE AGE GROUP:  65 - 69
    1   260 Chan Robbins           66 Arlington VA                22:48   22:51 
    2   271 Maynard Weyers         67 Alexandria VA               23:04   23:08 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 74
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 74
    1   202 Keith Olson            72 Silver Spring MD            26:06   26:09 
    2   179 Dick Coogan            71 McLean VA                   30:03   30:09 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  75 - 99
MALE AGE GROUP:  75 - 99

See complete results of the Opus Anniversary 5K Run/Walk.

See our Photo Gallery.