Runners woke to fall this morning as the cool weather came loping in for this 16th running of the Navy Federal 5K in Vienna, VA. The race was going to feature the new disposable D- tag of the ChronoTrack timing system. Race directors from some of the largest races in the area were on hand to watch the system in action. Instead of a hard plastic "chip" to be tied in the shoelace, the red tag is peeled of the bib and slipped through the top lace, attached with self sticking adhesive. The system worked like a charm finding all 420 racers, none of those pesky unknowns.

With all the races in area, runners are getting selective. Navy Federal was up nearly a third while the rest of today's races were down a little. That cannot be the weather. Could it be all the great food after the race? Or maybe it was the scores of random prizes? Maybe it was the generous goodie bags that were reminiscent of a filled Halloween bag. Perhaps it was the lovely setting near a wooded area with slow moving local roads to race on. The course had lots of turns and it was never real flat but none of the hills were pace changing.

Runners darted out quickly, loving the dry fall air, so different form last week's sauna. Few of the early leaders on the first turn maintained. The lead woman blazed through the first half mile than settled back, fading out of the top twenty. Young Michael Arrowsmith (19) of Ashburn, VA bolted out to an early lead and just missed the top three with a solid 18:36. With all the turns, most everyone was just playing follow the leader. The first mile was a little short, at least the clock, which was set around the corner in front of the mile marker. Still, the runners had an empowering downhill to motivate them through the second mile.

Hitting the second mile, runners knew they could now figure their real pace. Then in the third mile there was a brief jaunt through the woods. Woods are always slower than they seem though you can control the pace of those behind you on the narrow path. Runners burst out in to the sunlight with about a quarter mile to go, but which way? With no marshal manning the spot, follow the leader took runners around the back of the building, screaming down the final hill to sneak up on the finish line from behind. Race winner Joel Adams (31) of Manassas, VA was locked in mortal combat with runner-up Michael Vega (30) of Ashburn, VA. Neither could let up concentration. Hesitate and the race was over. Adams won by a second in 17:46.

Later after about thirty runners had gone counter clockwise around the parking lot, order was restored somewhat and runners started going clockwise to the finish. No wonder we did not see the 3-mile mark. No matter, the distance was very, very close to the same and even with runners arriving from both directions there were no collisions. The ChronoTrack system did not blink an eye, getting everybody easily.

For the women, Jennifer Nelson (33) of Arlington, VA (in photo) had the race well in hand as she blasted out of the woods. Still, she briefly asked, "How much farther?" The response was, "Just follow me. It is just around this last corner." She did just that, though the uncertainty did not allow her to full out sprint to the finish, ending in 20:33. 12-year-old Devin Nuhill of Vienna, VA was not in range but she championed an excellent time of 21:08 for the runner-up spot. Deborah McLaughlin (42) of Vienna, VA was the first master but took home third overall in 21:46 just ahead of a fast closing Lisa Coyle of Vienna, VA in 21:56.

The age groups went two deep in ten year age groups. And indeed most of the random prizes were as good as or better than awards. John Bacon (51) of Arlington, VA slowed a little to eleventh place (19:36) from last year's seventh (19:25) but he was first master instead of third. For the women, Patricia Patrick (60) of Falls Church, VA held of Mary Ellen Gonyea (61) of Alexandria, VA 29:09 to 29:44 to win the senior division.

The T-shirt was a nice color (light yellow) with a tasteful Navy Federal logo on the back, making it a keeper.

Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)

MALE
Place Num   Name                Age City                  Time    
===== ===== =================== === ===================== ======= 
    1   501 Joel Adams           31 Manassas VA             17:45 
    2   422 Michael Vega         30 Ashburn VA              17:46 
    3   430 Hugh Toland          27 Fairfax VA              18:30 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 01 - 19
    1   258 Michael Arrowsmith  19 Ashburn VA              18:34 
    2   493 Brian Jakovich      18 Falls Church VA         23:24 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
    1     4 Nhan Bui            22 Springfield VA          18:46 
    2    17 Harland Yu          29 Centreville VA          18:46 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
    1   489 Paul Kerrigan       36 Vienna VA               19:15 
    2   188 Scott Jaquette      38 Oakton VA               19:33 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
    1   420 Charles Barnes      40 Vienna VA               19:59 
    2   436 Stephen Ritter      45 Vienna VA               20:22 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
    1   482 John Bacon          51 Arlington VA            19:36 
    2    10 James Moreland      56 Gaithersburg MD         20:33 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
    1   318 Carl Knoettner      63 Falls Church VA         23:52 
    2   277 Louis Alpe          63 Crawfordsville AR       23:53 
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
    1   366 Ken Quincy          71 Vienna VA               24:57 
    2   433 John Chambers       72 Arnold MD               34:59 
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
    1    87 Michael Holden      39 M Ashburn VA            20:11 

Scott Jaquette (38) of Oakton, VA rumbles home in 19:34 for 2nd in the 30-39 division.

Awards Listing (No Duplicate Prizes)

FEMALE
Place Num   Name                Age City                  Time    
===== ===== =================== === ===================== ======= 
    1   373 Jennifer Nelson      33 Arlington VA            20:33 
    2   159 Devin Nihill         12 Vienna VA               21:08 
    3   283 Deborah McLaughlin   42 Vienna VA               21:45 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 01 - 19
    1   374 Therese McMahen     19 Falls Church VA         22:32 
    2   257 Ashley Abbott       12 Gaithersburg MD         27:37 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 20 - 29
    1   115 Jennifer Zielinski  23 Burke VA                22:03 
    2   200 Jessica Peters      23 Charlottesville VA      22:08 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 30 - 39
    1   245 Lisa Coyle          33 Vienna VA               21:55 
    2   294 Christine Spann     36 Vienna VA               22:26 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 40 - 49
    1   367 Christine Hackman   44 Alexandria VA           23:32 
    2   344 Megan Hilal         43 Oakton VA               23:59 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 50 - 59
    1   468 Nilda Lopacinski    51 Alrington VA            27:05 
    2   483 Rita Cronley        54 Arlington VA            27:33 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 60 - 69
    1   429 Patricia Patrick    60 Falls Church VA         28:58 
    2   464 Maryellen Gonyea    61 Alexandria VA           29:18 
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME 70 - 99
    1   434 Jeanette Chambers   73 Arnold MD               35:00 
    2   237 Peg Boag            78 Vienna VA               58:25 
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
    1   115 Jennifer Zielinski  23 F Burke VA              22:24 

 

Christine Spann (#294) guns down teen age group winner Therese McMahen (#374) in a photo finish 22:37 to win second in the 30-39 division.

Full Race Day Results