The Washington Metro area has been hot and dry all summer. August has only a tenth of an inch of rain instead of four and half inches on the brown stuff I call my lawn. They predicted and received records highs of 105 degrees. We were prepared for human meltdown. But our prayers were answered when the clouds came in and made the 84 degrees at the start seems like, well like just 84 degrees. Nearly all the top ten men and women were among the more than 160 race day entrants.

One of those runners was the overall winner, Kevin Stover (32:46) of York, PA, one of the many Pennsylvania runners who regularly come to run in the area. Another was runner-up Ron Kulik (33:58) who is a newly minted sub-master's runner. Third was Rick Kern (34:23) of Frederick, MD. Hilary Cairns (38:37) of Washington, DC was another race day entrant but she wins so many local races you look for her to be around. Last year's winner, Pasty Long of Sterling, VA, improved her time from 40:38 to 39:26 but had to settle for second. Third went to Codi Dudley in 41:30. The top three men and women received a golf shirt and an engraved cow bell and prize packages worth nearly two hundred dollars. Leesburg's Ken Halla finished fourth in 34:42. Halla is a featured runner in our Profiles section this issue.

Bernadette Flynn of Fairfax, VA celebrated her master's debut running 42:22. Second place Sandra Adams of Winchester, VA (43:37) bettered her last year's time by thirty seconds. For the men, James Moreland (36:40) of Gaithersburg, MD moved up from third to first. Richard Averett (38:34) of Arlington, VA was second.

The course is friendly with rolling hills after the first charge down Harrison Street. Race announcer Lyman Jordan advised the runners to treat the course with caution. That was useful because for those who went out conservatively, the last two and a half miles running straight down the W&OD Trail were a treat.

There was a small problem with the water because the donated cups were so large that filling them left little water for runners farther back in the pack. With the hot weather, there were a few unhappy runners. The secret with hydration is that it takes a half hour to assimilate the water you consume. In a short race such as a 10K, this means the water you drink before the race starts is the water your body will be using.

This race is famous for generous amounts of food and random awards. Also, the top three in each age group won a golf shirt. The winners of the divisions won one of the many donated random prizes. The Good Humor man was there dispensing free ice cream, just like in all my childhood dreams. The trough-like tables had so many pastries, huge muffins, and snacks "that the bees envied me." There were lots of fruits and crackers and snacks plus sodas and bottled water. People took home what they could not finish.