Photo below: Winner Scott Lewandowski (23) of Shippensburg, PA, charges to the finish in 26:04.

Racing in the summer is nearly always a heated subject. Today we were treated to blue skies and a moderate seventy degrees. Perfect weather for enjoying the end of summer. Unfortunately, running notches up the apparent temperature by about twenty degrees and our famous regional humidity shoves that warm feeling up another notch. Nestled between the circuitous parking lot known as the Capital Beltway and the jammed-with-new-development super-city of Rockville, lies the All American town of Kensington. Usually Saturday morning means a huge crush of cars speeding to and fro. Kensington is an anomaly where all the streets are 25 mph and the need for traffic lights is rare. Standing in the shade of massive trees by the quaint old Noyes Library, we were treated to live music from a quartet of horns. Runners casually lined the quiet streets ready to start the race without the challenge from gas powered beasts that normally hunt them down in the big city races.

The Mayor of Kensington announced the start, and nearly five hundred runners bounded round the corner searching for that first hill.

Many top runners from all around the region come to this race because it is part of a year-long race series. Many come because the course is an easy-to-follow scenic race with only one really challenging hill. That hill comes right after the third mile when runners are traditionally slowing down, preparing for the charge in the last mile. The first third of a mile is mostly uphill, which keeps many runners from darting out too fast. The next two and one-half miles are dead flat except maybe the dividing line paint on the road.

Knowing many of the local runners, I spotted the top three male masters runners early and correctly predicted their pecking order. With more than 150 races run already this year, Ted Poulos (27:45) of McLean, VA (photo left) had his serious game face on, finishing more than two minutes ahead of the next masters competitor. Joe Abernethy (27:19) of College Park, MD, as with Poulos, is a serious threat to win any race he enters. Today, he settled for winning the age group. Jim Hage (44) (26:14) of Kensington, MD has run at least three miles every day for more than fifteen years. With all that experience he led the race for the first three miles before giving way to the eventual winner, Scott Lewandowski (23) (26:04) of Shippensburg, PA (photo above). I had seen Hage with a thirty meter lead just past two miles. When I asked him if he "held on," he gave his famous disarming smile, bowed his head, and humbly said, "No, I lost." Hage was the first Kensington runner, and the first masters runner, but with no double or triple dipping he went home with the second overall trophy.

Eric Desautels (26:25) of Arlington, VA was right on the heels of Hage, keeping another fine Virginia runner, Christopher Dean (26:49) of Alexandria (photo left) from earning the bronze. Dean did win the age group gold. The rest of the top ten was little surprise with the brotherly battle between 29-year-olds Kareem (27:08) and Kyle (27:32) Lanier of Lincoln University, PA. Perennial top ten-er David Kent (28:25) of Arlington, VA finished in that spot, winning his age group (see the Photo Gallery for a photo of David Kent).

Kristin Barry of Arlington, VA ran a fine 29:42, not far off the record time of 29:15 set by Patty Fulton last year. Still, she was overmatched by the lithe, little titan from Washington, DC, Naoko Ishibe (photo left). At barely one hundred pounds, Ishibe, always a favorite to win, is a racing machine, trampling over records set by lesser mortals. Today's 28:14 placed her ninth among all runners and more than one minute under the women's record.

For sure men's racing has many masters runners near the top as with the three in today's event. Not to be outdone there were five, count them, five, women over forty in the top ten, including the oldest top ten finisher of the day, Helen Hiser (45) of Wheaton, MD. She was sandwiched between three other masters: Cindy Conant in 11th place, Patty Tschider in 12th place, and Christy Salvin in 9th place. Salvin earned the age group bronze while 7th place Carla Darr of Vienna, VA was silver to Kensington's Franziska Grieder's (photo left) gold in 6th place. Laura Freix (31:51) of Centreville, VA was the fastest masters runner, earning third overall.

The awards went three deep in ten-year age groups. With all that aged firepower in the first dozen women, only one woman in the 20-29 age group was represented there. Emily Johnson (24) of Fairfax, VA was eighth overall, winning her division in 34:55. DCRRC club president Susan Maher of Arlington, VA is back from a racing layoff with a strong 30-39 age group win in 33:05. Deborah Gephardt of Adelphi, MD topped the half-century maidens, racing to a large margin victory in 37:46. Barbara Johnson of Washington, DC just entered the 60-69 division, enjoying a three minute victory over her more seasoned competition in 50:17. Ageless Monica Friedman of Silver Spring MD smiled her way to a 70 & over victory, proving that 75 is still young.

Man is it ever! Nainxiang Xie is 75 and ignores all requests to slow down. He rocketed to the finish line in 42:34, finishing in 200th place out of the 484 finishers. Mike Baziz of Baltimore, MD topped the 60-69 division in 37:40. In the half-century division, last year's record holder (29:53), Richard Adams Jr., slowed slightly to 30:19 but still won the division.

This race was indeed a family event with scores of children in all three events. I spoke with Bruce Gross of Potomac, MD. He was with his wife and daughter avenging his showing at the Twilight 8K in July. Now forty, Bruce dropped nearly two minutes from his 34:27 performance to finish 35th in 32:49.

There was a two-mile race with top three overall awards this year and a 1K fun run. More than one thousand runners and walkers were entertained on this wonderful September morning. The success of the race was assured by the many sponsors and the always-sharp Montgomery County Road Runners managing the course and the finish line. Join us next year for the tenth running of the Kensington 8K.

Kensington 8K Award Winners

FEMALES (OVERALL):
Place Fname     Lname           Ag City            St Time    
===== ========================= == ================== ======= 
    1 Naoko Ishibe              33 Washington DC        28:14 
    2 Kristin Barry             28 Arlington VA         29:42 
    3 Laura Freix               41 Centerville VA       31:51 
    4 Susan Maher               35 Arlington VA         33:05 
    5 Helen Beven               36 Kensington MD        33:21 
    6 Zoe Stewart               29 Baltimore MD         33:32 
    7 Franziska Grieder         43 Kensington MD        33:41 
    8 Carla Darr                41 Vienna VA            34:51 
    9 Emily Johnson             24 Fairfax VA           34:58 
   10 Christy D Salvin          40 Silver Spring MD     35:24 
MALES (OVERALL):
Place Fname     Lname           Ag City            St Time    
===== ========================= == ================== ======= 
    1 Scott Lewandowski         23 Shippensburg PA      26:04 
    2 Jim Hage                  44 Kensington MD        26:14 
    3 Eric Desautels            30 Arlington VA         26:25 
    4 Christopher Dean          27 Alexandria VA        26:49 
    5 Kareem Lanier             29 Lincoln Univ PA      27:08 
    6 Joe Abernethy             43 College Park MD      27:19 
    7 Kyle Lanier               29 Lincoln Univ. PA     27:32 
    8 Ted Poulos                40 Mclean VA            27:45 
    9 David Kent                30 Arlington VA         28:25 
   10 Jeff Kostoff              37 Gaithersburg MD      28:37 
FEMALES (AGES 1 - 12):
MALES (AGES 1 - 12):
    1 Graham Miller             12 Laurel MD            52:01 
    2 Paul Conant               10 Kensington MD        52:24 
    3 Henry Powell              10 Kensington MD        52:55 
    4 Kenney Hite               12 Laurel MD            58:21 
FEMALES (AGES 13 - 19):
    1 Stephanie Madison         16 Gaithersburg MD      50:46 
MALES (AGES 13 - 19):
    1 Jonathan Wiens            14 Silver Spring MD     35:46 
    2 William Morrison          14 Kensington MD        38:45 
    3 Daniel Schuler            13 Kensington MD        40:12 
    4 Benjamin Gaddy            16 Kensington MD        41:54 
FEMALES (AGES 20 - 29):
    1 Kristin Barry             28 Arlington VA         29:42 
    2 Zoe Stewart               29 Baltimore MD         33:32 
    3 Emily Johnson             24 Fairfax VA           34:58 
    4 Denise Thiebaut           28 Rockville MD         37:23 
    5 Kathleen Shriver          24 Silver Spring MD     37:24 
MALES (AGES 20 - 29):
    1 Scott Lewandowski         23 Shippensburg PA      26:04 
    2 Christopher Dean          27 Alexandria VA        26:49 
    3 Kareem Lanier             29 Lincoln Univ PA      27:08 
    4 Kyle Lanier               29 Lincoln Univ. PA     27:32 
    5 Chris Frazer              25 Silver Spring MD     29:40 
FEMALES (AGES 30 - 39):
    1 Naoko Ishibe              33 Washington DC        28:14 
    2 Susan Maher               35 Arlington VA         33:05 
    3 Helen Beven               36 Kensington MD        33:21 
    4 Carole Kammel             33 Bethesda MD          37:05 
    5 Jennifer Lazio            34 Alexandria VA        38:08 
MALES (AGES 30 - 39):
    1 Eric Desautels            30 Arlington VA         26:25 
    2 David Kent                30 Arlington VA         28:25 
    3 Jeff Kostoff              37 Gaithersburg MD      28:37 
    4 Andrew Goldfarb           34 Chevy Chase MD       28:57 
    5 Ian Clements              38 Arlington VA         29:08 
FEMALES (AGES 40 - 49):
    1 Laura Freix               41 Centerville VA       31:51 
    2 Franziska Grieder         43 Kensington MD        33:41 
    3 Carla Darr                41 Vienna VA            34:51 
    4 Christy D Salvin          40 Silver Spring MD     35:24 
    5 Helen Hiser               45 Wheaton MD           35:34 
MALES (AGES 40 - 49):
    1 Jim Hage                  44 Kensington MD        26:14 
    2 Joe Abernethy             43 College Park MD      27:19 
    3 Ted Poulos                40 Mclean VA            27:45 
    4 David Taylor              48 Bethesda MD          30:13 
    5 Jay Erickson              42 Kensington MD        30:18 
FEMALES (AGES 50 - 59):
    1 Deborah Gebhardt          54 Adelphi MD           37:47 
    2 Alice Franks              54 Rockville MD         39:13 
    3 Mary Kuta                 56 Rockville MD         41:18 
    4 Kathy Hennes              50 Laurel MD            43:05 
    5 Kerstin Gaddy             52 Kensington MD        44:33 
MALES (AGES 50 - 59):
    1 Richard Adams, Jr         51 Herndon VA           30:19 
    2 Dave Crawford             52 Arlington VA         32:05 
    3 Spider Rossiter           50 Washington DC        32:13 
    4 Gary Guenther             50 Arlington VA         33:18 
    5 Clifford Gaddy            56 Kensington MD        33:41 
FEMALES (AGES 60 - 69):
    1 Barbara Johnson           60 Washington DC        50:21 
    2 Betsy Levin               66 Washington DC        53:22 
    3 Toni Ward                 67 Kensington MD      1:03:46 
    4 Carol Cooke               62 Kensington MD      1:05:00 
MALES (AGES 60 - 69):
    1 Mike Baziz                61 Baltimore MD         37:43 
    2 Richard Williams          66 Alexandria VA        37:58 
    3 Maynard Weyers            66 Alexandria VA        39:03 
    4 Milton Taylor             69 Odenton MD           41:08 
    5 Arnie Schifferdecker      67 Washington DC        46:51 
FEMALES (AGES 70 - 99):
    1 Monica Friedman           75 Silver Spring MD     59:31 
MALES (AGES 70 - 99):
    1 Nianxiang Xie             75 Rockville MD         42:38 
    2 Philip Zenchoff           74 Silver Spring MD   1:03:44 
    3 Benjamin Cooke            74 Kensington MD      1:08:07 

See full results of the race.

For additional photos, see the Photo Gallery.