Benefitting Children's National Medical Center.

After all the wonderful weather we had all week, it was ominous that the 13th running of the Spring Valley/Sumner Community 5K Classic was occurring on the 13th day of September. The rains started mid-Friday afternoon and the basically soaked region got even wetter. To top that off, the morning air was beginning to look at little like autumn. The streets were still slick with rain and the morning fog made driving to the race a little dicey.

The directions to the race were excellent. Motoring down Sangamore Road, runners were greeted by a multitude of efficient volunteers, some as young as ten years old, directing them precisely into the abundant parking lot. What a great setting! There was free parking, indoor registration; indeed, no one needed to stand outside, plenty of porta-johns, and lots of cold water from DrinkMore.

7:30 AM, an hour before the start, many of the nearly five hundred runners were already milling about. Announcements kept the runners informed. It seemed as if the cloudy sky would not release its burden on the runners after all. Ten minutes before the race start, runners were directed out of the shopping center and onto Sangamore Road. The now familiar burnt orange ChampionChip mats lay on the ground before the runners, who were pacing and pawing the ground eager to rush up the road. said the magic words, "Runners set. Go!"

Many of us were new to the course and listened to race veterans. We had heard that the course had a hill to be reckoned with. The cognoscenti smiled wryly and warned us to save some for the final mile. "You will know what we mean when you get there." The first mile was a gentle up hill waving up and down until we turned onto Massachusetts Avenue. The next three quarters of a mile was all down hill. It was as steep as you can get without being too hard on the quads.

The plethora of race marshals warned us that it was slick. It was damp but the footing was not a problem. We turned onto the Little Falls Branch Trail, and passed the two-mile mark waiting for the dreaded upgrade. It would have been nice to follow one of the offshoots of the trail that stayed down along the water.

The snake-like turns just kept going up, reminiscent of that infernal last mile on the DC Road Runners Bread Run 10K course. You keep reminding yourself it is less than a half-mile to go. In fact, just as we turned skyward, one marshal assured us there was just a kilometer to go. Although the third mile marker was placed about a tenth of mile short, the course was an accurate, certified 5K and many runners had very fast times.

Last year, 2001 champion Joseph Daniels of Camp Springs, MD was dethroned. He had run 16:14 that year. In 2002, he was coming back from a layoff and settled for a runner-up spot in 16:34. This year he was ready. In his way was 2001 runner-up David Mead of Bethesda, MD. That year Mead was one hundred meters back in 16:38. This year Mead dogged Daniels the whole way. Daniels prevailed in 16:31 with Mead five seconds back. Third place Robert Schneider of Washington, DC was the only other runner mounting a serious challenge. He finished in 16:50.

For the masters men, Jeff Regelman of Bethesda, MD continued to establish that this race was his turf. Last year he crossed the line in 17:55, while his competition was just reaching the three- mile mark. This year he stoked it up a notch to 17:33, finishing a full minute ahead of Dennis Contois who traveled from Lawrenceville, NJ to turn back at least six other masters men by less than thirty seconds for second place in the division.

Roger Kilgore of Great Mills, MD turns sixty in two weeks and, with the absence of John Haubert, he would have loved to try to reel in Michael Golash of Washington, DC for that age group rather than settle for seventh in the competitive 50-59 age group. Golash won the 60-69 division in 20:49, just eight seconds in front of Kilgore. Expect this to be a harbinger of future battles.

For sure, the 50-59 division had many of its top guns racing today but Richard Adams, Jr. of Herndon, VA decided to make the competition for second place. He jetted out quickly ahead of even the "fast out of the gates sprinter" Larry Washington. Perhaps Washington, who had run the course before, was saving some for the last mile hills. It did not really matter. Adams ran just behind the big dogs, finishing in a sub six-minute pace 18:21. Washington offered his respects to the hills and cruised in at 19:32. That was just a second ahead of soon to be grandmaster runner, 49-year-old Dave Buzzell, head of the Buzzell running dynasty. His daughters, though still in school, have been winning races for the last ten years.

On the final hill, Jay Wind patiently waited for his competition to fold, muscling past three third place wannabes in a head down-arm flapping "will power over hill power" race to the finish. Wind's time was 19:59. George Vernosky of Bethesda, MD won the seventy and over division handily in 26:13. (Photo left: George Vernosky (middle, in blue) races to the finish with Jon Borman (left) and David Grace.)

The overall winners won big-time chunks of money on a Safeway gift card. The age group winners won enough money at Metro Run & Walk to nearly buy a pair of running shoes. There were teams vying for trophies as well.

For the women, two years ago, three of the four women under twenty minutes vied for second place and Rebecca Silvis won easily in 20:02. Last year none of the top women returned. In their place was a jailbreak with four runners crowding across the finish line in under nineteen minutes. Sharon Donavan prevailed in 18:39, followed quickly by Maria Kosloski and masters standout Gretchen Triantos, both finishing in 18:47.

None of the top three returned. So, this year thirty-five year old Kerry Rodgers of Washington, DC flew away from the flock, finishing twentieth overall in 18:56. Last year she ran 18:57. There would be no pacing in today's race. The next three women all finished thirty or more seconds apart. Jennifer Frink in 20:26 and Brenna Coleman in 20:56 were also from DC. Suzy Sanders represented Bethesda, MD well, finishing fourth in 21:36. She will be forty for next year's race.

The masters battle was very close even though their ages were not. Teresa Amato (41) of Bethesda, MD prevailed, winning her age group in 22:25. Fast establishing herself as the grandmaster to beat, Alice Franks (55) of Rockville, MD again won her division. Unlike last year when she won in 23:40, this year's victory was celebrated more than a minute earlier in 22:31.

Speaking of celebrations, Dee Nelson of Gaithersburg, MD (photo left, green shorts; running in with Steve Turow) turned sixty a week ago and promptly cremated the division. Her winning time of 24:30 was three minutes ahead of second place and would have earned her second place behind Franks had she lingered a little longer in that division. Jacqueline O'Neil of Washington, DC raced virtually unopposed for the seventy and over crown in 36:08.

There were many sponsors, evidenced by the less colorful side of the race T-shirt. Runners enjoyed the typical runner's fare of apples, bananas, and muffins. The results were posted quickly and the awards moved along well. The threatening rain did not appear until nearly all the runners and walkers had passed over the ChampionChip finishing mats.

Award Winners

FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                    Age City                      Time  
===== ===== ======================= === ========================= ===== 
    1   402 Kerry Rodgers            35 Washington DC             18:56 
    2   307 Jennifer Frink           33 Washington DC             20:31 
    3   506 Brenna Coleman           23 Washington DC             21:14 
MALE OVERALL
Place Num   Name                    Age City                      Time  
===== ===== ======================= === ========================= ===== 
    1   188 Joseph Daniels           37 Camp Springs MD           16:31 
    2   760 David Mead               35 Bethesda MD               16:36 
    3   770 Robert Schneider         27 Washington DC             16:50 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1   593 Elizabeth Bates          19 Washington DC             24:36 
    2   809 Mariam Al-Hamad          16 Bethesda MD               24:48 
    3   633 Sally Brady              15 Vienna VA                 25:31 
MALE AGE GROUP:  1 - 19
    1   808 Alex Saenz               17 Germantown MD             20:47 
    2   382 Henry Mallek             15 Washington DC             22:11 
    3   393 Michael Hunter           15 Washington DC             23:39 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29
    1   249 Emily Weinert            23 Lanham MD                 21:42 
    2   342 Sarah Wassner            24 Washington DC             21:55 
    3   530 Jaqueline Reilly         23 Adelphi MD                22:13 
MALE AGE GROUP:  20 - 29
    1   488 Soloman Kobes            28 Kensington MD             17:12 
    2   634 Klaus Wiesen             20 Washington DC             17:20 
    3   754 Will Rayel               24 Washington DC             17:27 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1   427 Suzy Sanders             39 Bethesda MD               21:36 
    2   534 Jennifer Bates           32 Gaithersburg MD           22:11 
    3   635 Kathy Sheehan            37 Bethesda MD               22:16 
MALE AGE GROUP:  30 - 39
    1   458 Michael Sheehy           31 Chevy Chase MD            17:25 
    2   759 Ian Clements             39 Alexandria VA             17:52 
    3   456 Rob Sichau               39 Dumfries VA               18:26 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1   293 Teresa Amato             41 Bethesda MD               22:25 
    2   621 Alicia Sentner           41 Damascus MD               22:44 
    3   299 Merrilee Seidman         48 Alexandria VA             23:16 
MALE AGE GROUP:  40 - 49
    1   484 Jeff Regelman            41 Bethesda MD               17:33 
    2   266 Dennis Contois           42 Lawrenceville NJ          18:33 
    3   622 Marty Horan              43 Gaithersburg MD           18:38 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1    42 Alice Franks             55 Rockville MD              22:31 
    2   619 Suzanne Mink             51 Washington DC             24:16 
    3   599 Chris Craun              57 Bethesda MD               24:25 
MALE AGE GROUP:  50 - 59
    1   481 Richard Adams Jr         52 Herndon VA                18:21 
    2   380 Larry Washington         52 Rockville MD              19:32 
    3    37 Jay Wind                 53 Arlington VA              19:59 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69
    1   819 Dee Nelson               60 Gaithersburg MD           24:30 
    2   148 Barbara Szoradi          62 Washington DC             27:34 
    3   783 Setsu Rosen              62 Washington DC             28:32 
MALE AGE GROUP:  60 - 69
    1   485 Michael Golash           60 Washington DC             20:49 
    2   215 Oliver Grant             67 Silver Spring MD          22:53 
    3   348 John Gluck               66 Alexandria VA             23:25 
FEMALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 98
    1   584 Jacqueline O'neil        72 Washington DC             36:08 
    2   455 Lucille Renola           71 Arlington VA              56:46 
    3   225 Joan Lynn                72 Bethesda MD               56:48 
MALE AGE GROUP:  70 - 98
    1   423 George Vernosky          73 Bethesda MD               26:13 
    2   590 Thomas Kenney            70 Glen Echo MD              28:29 
    3   263 Frank Pierce             81 Betheda MD                34:45 

See complete results of the Spring Valley/Sumner Community 5K Classic.

See our Photo Gallery.