Photo from brightroom.com - At Killian's Shamrock 8K in March, Ann McGranahan (27) of Newport, VA hangs with Tom Purcell (39) of Virginia Beach, VA for a photo finish in 27:45. This, her best race, earned her 8th in the open. Purcell finished 13th as a submaster.

Open Women
Two of the season's champions did not qualify for the year-end and a third, Renee High, finished ninth overall. After that, Mary Kate Bailey strode to the plate to improve on her ninth place finish in 2005. She led this largest division with the four fastest times. She edged fifth place Christina Wells at her year opening St. Patrick's Day 8K win in 27:50 (10K = 35:20) to 27:53 (10K = 35:24). Wells matched Susannah Kvasnicka's Pike's Peek 10K of 34:43 exactly with her Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in 57:46. Bailey answered with her Cherry Blossom in 57:07 (10K = 34:19). That also placed her ahead of Elena Orlova's Pike's Peek 10K in 34:26. Marie Elena Calle had offered a 34:28 to stay in the mix that same weekend at the Ukrop's 10K. It was too little, too late as Bailey was on a mission. She laid down another PR HM in Virginia Beach, this time in March, with 1:15:24 (10K = 34:04). Then, instead of Pike's Peek, she went to Mount Vernon to improve her 10 mile time to 56:24 (10K = 33:54).

Aurora Scott's half marathon on Labor Day weekend in 1:18:17 (10K = 35:22) showed that she was more than just a speed merchant. It matched up with High's best race of the year, her win at the Shamrock Marathon in 2:45:32 (10K = 35:23). While Bailey's former nemesis, Kvasnicka, easily won the Leesburg 10K in 35:53, Bailey coasted to a 1:13:50 (10K = 35:15) 20K victory. She sharpened her claws and tore down the opposition with a sensational 1:14:25 (10K = 33:38) at the Quantico HM.

Calle ran the swiftest 8K at nTelos with 27:15 (10K = 34:36) to tweak Orlova, whose second race was the Run Through History 10K in 34:41. Scott waited until the last day of the period before recording the second fastest teen 5K in Virginia State history. Her 16:37 (10K = 34:36) all comers victory at the Governor's Landing 5K moved her up to fourth place, breathing down the necks of the next two runners.

Sallie Mae Fund 10K, 33:05


Pl	Name	                  Age	Hometown
1	Bailey, Mary Kate*8	  31	Arlington, VA
2	Calle, Maria Elana*****	  30	Richmond, VA
3	Orlova, Elena*8	          36	Gaithersburg, MD
4	Scott, Aurora****	  16	Chesapeake, VA
5	Wells, Christina***	  31	Woodbridge, VA
6	Kvasnicka, Susannah***	  34	Great Falls, VA
7	Gruendel, Jacqueline***** 31	Burke, VA
8	McGranahan, Ann**	  27	Blacksburg, VA
9	High, Renee*9	          24	Virginia Beach, VA
10	Harvey,  Alisa*10	  40	Manassas, VA
11	Pool, Diana***	          25	Westminster, MD
12	Graham-Gray, Susan*	  38	Greencastle, PA
13	Cauller, Vicki*6	  34	York, PA
14	Swain, Erin*	          24	Clifton, VA
15	Allen, Johanna*****	  25	Woodbridge, VA
16	Krebs, Jill**	          25	New Windsor, MD
17	Saunders, Mary Jo**	  31	Harrisonburg, VA
18	Ridgley, Meghan**	  27	Reston, VA
19	Whaley, Briana*****	  28	Richmond, VA
20	Shelton, Jenn*	          22	Virginia Beach, VA
21	Van Eron, Kristin**	  34	Timonium, MD
22	Tanner, Melissa*	  25	Bethesda, MD
23	Sun, Feng***	          37	Columbia, MD
24	Stick, Sherry*11	  28	Eldersburg, MD
25	Bright, Tracy****	  23	Williamsburg, VA
26	Cairns, Hilary*	          35	Washington, DC
27	Carr, Cheryl*	          23	Arlington, VA
28	Mudge-Riley, Michelle*	  29	Glen Allen, VA
29	Quarles, Jennifer*7	  34	Williamsburg, VA
30	Knickman, Denise*	  38	Baltimore, MD
31	Pak, Colleen**	          36	Virginia Beach, VA
32	Dworak, Kelly**	          44	Burke, VA
33	Davison, Mary*	          33	Chesapeake, VA
34	Underdonk, Christy*****	  37	Potomac, MD
35	Gay, Jane****	          17	Roanoke, VA
36	Foley, Linda	          44	Oak Hill, VA
37	Nathan, Rebecca*	  41	Arlington, VA
38	Sawvell, Linda*****	  41	Newport News, VA
39	Marrari, Erica*	          24	College Park, MD
40	Nelson, Laura	          40	Woodstock, VA
41	Grillo, Monica**	  42	Arlington, VA
42	Spinnler, Maria**	  44	Hagerstown, MD
43	Ward, Emily*	          24	 Richmond, VA
44	Humphrey, Robyn**	  42	Ellicott City, MD
45	Sackett, Jessie*	  27	Arlington, VA
46	McBride, Leah	          24	Alexandria, VA
47	Diegoli, Toni Marie**	  27	Arlington, VA
48	Hall, Maureen****	  41	Lavale, MD
49	Catanese, Anna**	  39	Mechanicsville, VA
50	Rooks, Brittney***	  12	Baltimore, MD
51	Furst, Brittany****	  17	Bel Air, MD
52	Lang, Vicki	          37	Columbia, MD
53	Kline, Sheryl****	  43	Arnold, MD
54	Persina, Win*	          46	Washington, DC
55	Plyler, Valerie*	  47	Yorktown, VA

19 & Under Women
Photo from brightroom.com - Starting the year at nine, Dakota McManus of Williamsburg, VA moved up to the 8K at age ten, finishing the Shamrock in 36:09, after her first overall win in February.

Aurora Scott of Chesapeake, VA is a national-class BULLET. In this region, she is a stone cold LOCK. She definitely went for quality. Scott allowed third place Brittney Rooks of Baltimore, MD, who at 12 years old is another BULLET, to win the Spring Rankings with a fine 19:14 (10K = 40:05) at the Shamrock 5K. The Winter Rankings went to 14-year-old Kristen Malloy for her RRCA Challenge in 69:49 (10K = 39:33). Then, as the summer was ending, like points on a star, she brought five races showing her to be an elite Open Division racer. In the four 5Ks, she was the overall winner. The last one, the Governor's Landing 5K, crowned her as the overall winner of either sex in 16:37 (10K = 34:36). That is one second off the state record for her age group. She was also the first American woman at the Rock 'n' Roll HM in 1:18:17 (10K = 35:22).

Jane Gay of Roanoke, VA is the runner-up with three overall 5K wins, including the Roanoke Women's Distance 5K in 18:27 (10K = 38:03). Rooks' best 5K was slower than last year but her overall win at the NCR Trail Half Marathon in 1:29:24 (10K = 40:24) is a four minute improvement. Sarah Eargle of Perry Hall, MD is close behind with her FOP 5K in 19:17 (10K = 40:09). Eargle ran the RRCA Challenge 10 Mile in 67:55 (10K = 40:49) while Rooks ran the Cherry Pit 10 Mile in 67:35 (10K = 40:37). From Northeast Maryland, Brittany Furst was first ten times and close behind in fifth place with her overall win at Race in the Shade 5K in 19:19 (10K = 40:13).

Potter Homes YMCA Turkey Trot 5K, 16:36, 10K = 34:43


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Scott, Aurora*6	        16	Chesapeake, VA
2	Gay, Jane****	        16	Roanoke, VA
3	Rooks, Brittany*14	12	Baltimore, MD
4	Eargle, Sarah*6	        17	Perry Hall, MD
5	Furst, Brittany*10	16	Bel Air, MD
6	Ralston, Shannon*6	17	Virginia Beach, VA
7	Sacker, Katie*7	        16	Ellicott City, MD
8	Roberts, Gloria*****	14	Upper Marlboro, MD
9	Redd, Alaina*****	13	Midlothian, VA
10	Cook, Debbie**	        15	Vienna, VA
11	Morrison, Samantha***	15	Fredericksburg, VA
12	Peterson, Heidi*7	12	Williamsburg, VA
13	Roane, Bonnie****	16	Chesapeake, VA
14	McManus, Dakota*14	10	Williamsburg, VA
15	Lang, Tiffany***	12	Columbia, MD
16	Naylor, Mary**	        19	Warrenton, VA
17	Everett, Brittany***	16	Baltimore, MD
18	Do, Linh-Yen**	        18	Gaithersburg, MD
19	Murphy, Sarah**	        14	Gretna, VA
20	McManus, Kathryn*****	14	Williamsburg, VA
21	Foong, Chelsea*	        16	Elkridge, MD

35-39 Women
As dominant as last year's champion, Alisa Harvey, was, BULLET Elena Orlova of Gaithersburg, MD is even more so. In her 12 races, she was the overall winner eight times, second overall thrice, and, at her fastest race, Pike's Peek in 34:26, she fell to third overall. Only Susan Graham-Gray's Parkway 10 Mile in 59:38 (10K = 35:50) marred Orlova's attempt to sweep the top ten fastest times. The Run Through History 10K is a truly rolling course, which she mastered in 34:41, nearly as fast as the net downhill Pike's Peek. Graham-Gray was there a distant second overall in 37:18. At the Apple Blossom 10K, she ran 35:24 for second place again, besting Graham-Gray who ran 37:34. With the wind, rain, and cold she still managed a 35:58 win at the Veteran's Day 10K.

Feng Sun of Columbia, MD ran the minimum four races to qualify but she made them count. She was the overall winner in three, including the Annapolis 10 Mile in 62:17 (10K = 37:26) She won her age group at the Frederick Marathon in 3:01:11 (10K = 38:44). Fourth place Hilary Cairns of Washington, DC had seven races faster than that marathon, including her Sallie Mae win 37:41. Her best marathon was the National Marathon in 3:10:46 (10K = 40:47). Denise Knickman of Baltimore, MD also likes the marathon. Her best race was the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in 63:26 (10K = 38:07). Six days later she won the Ocean City Marathon in 3:02:02 (10K = 38:55). Still in April, she ran the Frederick Marathon in 3:05:53 (10K = 39:44), fifth overall behind Sun. She had beaten Sun in 2005 by two minutes for second overall in 2:57:48.

DARCARS Pike's Peek 10K, 34:26


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Orlova, Elena*12	36	Germantown, MD
2	Graham-Gray, Susan*6	38	Greencastle, PA
3	Sun, Feng****	        36	Columbia, MD
4	Cairns, Hilary*8	35	Washington, DC
5	Knickman, Denise*10	38	Baltimore, MD
6	Pak, Colleen*8	        36	Virginia Beach, VA
7	Underdonk, Christy*9	37	Potomac, MD
8	Huizing, Marjan*9	37	Bethesda, MD
9	Himes, Suzanne***	37	Virginia Beach, VA
10	Smith, Julia*9	        38	Tappahannock, VA
11	Kirby, Samantha*11	37	Arlington, VA
12	Catanese, Anna*****	39	Mechanicsville, VA
13	Cottone, Elizabeth****	39	Charlottesville, VA
14	Lang, Vicki*6	        37	Columbia, MD
15	Buckwalter, Connie***	35	Lititz, PA
16	Ratcliffe, Nicola*7	39	Crozet, VA
17	Cochran, Mary Beth**	38	Bel Air, MD
18	Ensor, Anne****	        39	Monkton, MD
19	Hammond, Stephanie**	38	Springfield, VA
20	Martz, Robin**	        36	Arlington, VA
21	Edgar, Suzanne**	39	Leonardtown, MD

40-44 Women
Photo from brightroom.com - Running every distance from 5K to marathon to collect her 15 age group and four overall wins, Laura Nelson (40) of Woodstock, VA runs the Parks HM in 1:29:45 and collects sixth in the 40-44 division for the year.

Alisa Harvey of Manassas, VA is a LOCK and a speeding BULLET. She is a threat to win it all. For example, when she set the master's 10-mile record at Army in 59:00 (10K = 35:27), she had to break the tape for ALL of the women in the race. Ten of her 14 age group wins were also overall wins. She had the top 12 times in the division and all 14 of her times were in the top 16. Her best 5K was the Fairfax Corner win in 17:25 (10K = 36:16). She ran Lawyers Have Heart in 36:49 as well as the St. Patrick's 8K in 29:11 (10K = 37:03).

She still had time to lower the American record in the 800M to 2:07.23 and the indoor mile to 4:50.95 and the outdoor mile to 4:46.29 with a 1500M record split of 4:26:49. January 6th she lowered the indoor mile again to 4:47:26.

Kelly Dworak of Burke, VA had nine age group wins, including her Mission of Mercy 5K in 19:09 (10K = 39:52). This seemed to place her in the tenth spot. Then in October, she snapped heads and opened eyes wide with a scintillating victory at the Fleet HM in 84:21 (10K = 38:07) to snatch the runner-up spot. Foley made her grab for third in the fall. At Army, she won the third age group in 65:02 (10K = 39:05), though Rebecca Nathan finished faster for fifth there with 64:56 (10K = 39:01). Both had many wins but Foley's Herndon Turkey Trot 5K in 18:31 (10K = 38:33) pushed her ahead of Nathan's best race, the Run for Karen 5K in 18:38 (10K = 38:48).

Army 10 Mile, 59:00, 10K = 35:27


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Harvey,  Alisa*14	40	Manassas, VA
2	Dworak, Kelly*9	        43	Burke, VA
3	Foley, Linda*11	        44	Oak Hill, VA
4	Nathan, Rebecca*14	41	Arlington, VA
5	Sawvell, Linda*11	41	Newport News, VA
6	Nelson, Laura*15	41	Woodstock, VA
7	Grillo, Monica*8	41	Arlington, VA
8	Spinnler, Maria*9	44	Hagerstown, MD
9	Humphrey, Robyn*10	41	Ellicott City, MD
10	Hall, Maureen*17	40	Lavale, MD
11	Kline, Sheryl*13	43	Arnold, MD
12	Elliott, Nicola*****	40	Vienna, VA
13	Olsen, Ruth*11	        44	Fredericksburg, VA
14	Conant, Cindy*****	44	Kensington, MD
15	Ort, Kelly***	        41	Monkton, MD
16	Lovett, Pamela*14	43	Newport News, VA
17	Shannon, Laura*11	44	Williamsburg, VA
18	Beven, Helen****	40	Kensington, MD
19	Friedel, Cathy*8	42	Solomons. MD
20	Marcum, Holly*7	        40	Annapolis, MD
21	Boyd, Majorie****	44	Annapolis, MD
22	Keating, Patricia*6	44	Dayton, MD
23	Fichman, Lisa**	        44	Columbia, MD
24	Johnson, Heidi**	40	Keswick, VA
25	Warring, Laeticia***	43	Reston, VA
26	Ware, Elizabeth*7	42	Virginia Beach, VA
27	Danilkovitch, Alla*****	42	Columbia, MD
28	Fernandez, Cherie*8	40	Midlothian, VA
29	Santarpia, Gloria***	44	Odenton, MD
30	Kinnecome, Susie**	42	Bethesda, MD
31	Pham, Ly*	        41	Alexandria, VA
32	McDonald, Bonnie****	42	Roanoke, VA
33	Luecke, Sandy*	        44	Columbia, MD
34	Phillips, Kitty*8	41	Arlington, VA
35	Ingersoll, Amelia*7	42	Columbia, MD
36	Glueck, Connie*7	41	Williamsburg, VA
37	Lussi, Jeanette****	43	Kensington, MD
38	McLaughlin, Debbie**	41	Williamsburg, VA

45-49 Women
This division is tough. Lee DiPietro of Ruxton, MD is the LOCK as she crushed the division in the Summer Rankings, but you have to play to win. Andrea Wright had a 39:53 Pepsi 10K to help win the Fall Rankings. Two BULLETs are flying around. Win Persina of Washington, DC, with 25 wins, and Valerie Plyler of Yorktown, VA with 24 wins. Jill Hargis of Annapolis, MD is a wily veteran that you can never count out. The Cold Turkey 10K made it into the year-end rankings twice. Hargis won both years but in November 2005 her 39:50 was the second fastest time.

Cindy Conant of Kensington, MD steps in and wins the division crown in all the right ways. First, she produces the best time with a victory at Pike's Peek in 39:36. Five of the top seven times belong to Win Persina, including her fine Sallie Mae 10K race in 40:24. Conant's second fastest time was her head-to- head victory over Persina at the Capital Crescent 5K 19:32 (10K = 40:40) to 19:47 (10K = 41:11). Her third best time was winning the Annapolis 10 Mile ahead of Hargis 68:50 (10K = 41:22) to 72:35 (10K = 43:37). She bested Persina by exactly a minute at the Twilight 8K in 33:16. Then in September, she was the overall winner at the Kensington 8K in 32:53 (10K = 41:45).

Hargis added the Cherry Pit 10 Mile in 67:53 (10K = 40:48) to seal the third spot. Wright takes the runner-up spot with the best 4-mile at Charlottesville in 25:18 (10K = 40:30) and the fastest 8K at nTelos in 31:50 (10K = 40:25). Plyler and Persina ran in so many races but never head-to-head. Plyler's best race was the Vineyards of Williamsburg in 19:28 (10K = 40:32).

Orioles Advocate 5K, 18:23, 10K = 38:16


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Conant, Cindy*6	        45	Kensington, MD
2	Hargis, Jill*9	        46	Annapolis, MD
3	Wright, Martha****	45	Charlottesville, VA
4	Persina, Win*25	        46	Washington, DC
5	Plyler, Valerie*24	47	Yorktown, VA
6	Flynn, Debbie****	49	Gaithersburg, MD
7	Bernardes, Debi*7	48	King George, VA
8	Layson, Lynda*17	46	Severn, MD
9	Black, Beverly*12	45	Frederick, MD
10	Parter, D'Ellen*8	47	Virginia Beach, VA
11	Kidder, Linda*7	        49	Williamsburg, VA
12	Rosasco, Carole*9	47	Arnold, MD
13	Lundeen, Jennifer***	46	Port Republic, MD
14	Daughtry, Debbie****	48	Clifton, VA
15	Beckett, Dorothy*	48	Columbia, MD
16	Castillo, Mercedes*8	49	Newport News, VA
17	Lewis, Soozie*6	        49	Glen Allen, VA
18	Carl, Joan**	        47	Richmond, VA
19	Jones, Sue*7	        45	Forest, VA
20	Sheimo, Linda***	49	Fairfax, VA
21	Buckheit, Sarah***	46	Reston, VA
22	Goodwin, Robin***	47	Timonium, MD
23	Betz, Jean**	        47	Cabin John, MD
24	Palmer, Sarah*6	        46	Roanoke, VA
25	Henderson, Debi***	46	Newport News, VA
26	Michael, Cheryl*	46	Richmond, VA
27	Minken, Heidi*	        46	Baltimore, MD

50-54 Women
Photo from brightroom.com - Alison Suckling (51) of Arnold, MD wins all fourteen of her races to dominate the division. The photo at the Veterans Days 10K does not reflect the cold, wind, and rain as much as her slower time of 44:07. Spring conditions at Pike's Peek produced a 40:44.

Betty Blank of Falls Church, VA had a lot of great races this year. She dominated DCRRC club races. She ran the fastest 10 Mile of the year at the GW Parkway in 69:24 (10K = 41:42) as well as winning Army and Cherry Blossom. She started the spring with a wonderful Shamrock HM in 92:33 (10K = 41:49). After winning the Winter Rankings with another 10 Mile, Al Lewis, things were looking good.

Trouble is that her nemesis from last fall emerged from a sluggish winter to win all 14 of her races. BULLET Alison Suckling of Arnold, MD matched up nicely with a 20:05 (10K = 41:49) at the Shamrock 5K in March. By the end of the year, with BULLETs such as third place Debbie Flynn flying around, it became obvious the crown was no easy task. Flynn came on to win the Fall Rankings and had to produce a 20:10 at the King of the Road and a 20:06 at the Pace Race.

Meanwhile, Suckling had dispatched fifth place Margaret Starnes by nearly five minutes at the hilly RRCA Challenge in 72:35 (10K = 43:37). Starnes had run the race in 72:27 in 2005. In April, Suckling smoked the only race to qualify for the Open Division, Pike's Peek in 40:44. That was the dagger. She also won both of her head-to-head matches with Blank, though the Lawyers Have Heart was decided in the final strides, and just a solitary second in 42:24.

Nancy Ferris of Goode, VA entered the division quietly and settled into fourth place with a solid runner-up placing at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in 71:15 (10K = 42:29). She also won the BB&T Virginia 10 Mile in 72:44 (10K = 43:43).

DARCARS Pike's Peek 10K, 40:44


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Suckling, Alison*14	51	Arnold, MD
2	Blank, Betty*18	        53	Falls Church, VA
3	Flynn, Debbie****	50	Gaithersburg, MD
4	Ferris, Nancy*****	50	Goode, VA
5	Starnes, Margaret*11	51	Street, MD
6	Winn, Dorothy*7	        51	Norfolk, VA
7	Hoitsma, Ellen***	50	Baltimore, MD
8	Smith, Linell*****	54	Baltimore, MD
9	Altschuler, Rona****	52	Newport News, VA
10	Gulick, Linda*12	54	Richmond, VA
11	West, Renee****	        51	Bethesda, MD
12	Lauzon, Jean*6	        53	Spotsylvania, VA
13	English, Carol**	51	Germantown, MD
14	Lang, Mary*****	        52	Pasadena, MA
15	Recto, Liza****	        50	Lexington Park, MD
16	Shocket, Suanne*9	52	Manassas, VA
17	Gilley, Patricia*	54	King William, VA
18	Weeks, Sharon*13	52	Virginia Beach, VA
19	Seidman, Merrilee***	51	Alexandria, VA

55-59 Women
Sandra Adams of Winchester, VA is the champion for the second year in a row. She won all six of her races, including the GW Parkway 10 Mile. Her time makes her the oldest runner of either sex to have a qualifying time for the open division. It was the smallest race in her 10-mile resume. Earlier in the month she had set the standard, winning Cherry Blossom in 70:30 (10K = 42:22) over second place Naomi Stanford 71:35 (10K = 43:01) and fourth place Alice Franks 74:20 (10K = 44:40). She won Army in 73:21 (10K = 44:05), two and one-half minutes ahead of Alice Franks.

Franks squeezed ahead of fifth place Rose Malloy of Annapolis who had run a slightly slower time to victory at the Cherry Pit 10 Mile in 74:39 (10K = 44:52). Malloy won two other 10 milers, Annapolis and Chestertown, but Franks had a slew of faster races (25 age group wins), including her next best effort at Pike's Peek 10K in 45:16.

While all this was happening up north, Barbara Mathewson of Virginia Beach, VA earned third in the rankings by winning all nine of her races. Her best race was the nTelos 8K in 34:40 (10K= 44:01) just back of Stanford's second race, the Fair Lakes 8K in 34:30 (10K = 43:48). Her next best race was the VAB Turkey Trot 10K in 44:15. Though the second fastest 10K of the period, it was well off the standard set by Adams at the Apple Blossom 10K with 42:32.

George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Mile, 68:38, 10K = 
41:15

Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Adams, Sandra*6	        56	Winchester, VA
2	Stanford, Naomi*7	56	Washington, DC
3	Mathewson, Barbara*9	57	Virginia Beach, VA
4	Franks, Alice*25	58	Rockville, MD
5	Malloy, Rose*7	        57	Annapolis, MD
6	Shields, Maria*11	55	Davidsonville, MD
7	Crippen, Nancy*8	58	Stafford, VA
8	Rosasco, Marge*****	58	Arnold, MD
9	Poole, Jane*10	        59	Washington, DC
10	Whitaker, Linda*7	57	Williamsburg, VA
11	Cooper, Ellen***	55	Rockville, MD
12	Tosato, Giovanna**	57	Bethesda, MD
13	Brothers, Betty	        59	Virginia Beach, VA
14	Peters, Linda***	59	New Kent, VA
15	St. Clair, Christy****	58	Glen Arm, MD
16	Miffleton, Terry*****	56	Richmond, VA
17	Durfee, Lynda*	        55	Alexandria, VA
18	Biasi, Barbara*****	59	Yorktown, VA
19	Akers, Donna***	        57	Narrows ,VA
20	Sadoff, Elizabeth***	56	Washington, DC

60-64 Women
Chris Craun won three of the four periods upon entering the division. She mastered the 10K with five major 10K wins, including her best at Sallie Mae in 47:28. She ran all three of the top 10 milers, winning two as well as the Parks HM. Her Cherry Blossom runner-up placing was her fastest 10-mile in 80:50 (10K = 48:35). This bested BJ King's race in 82:58 (10K = 49:52) to help earn the division. King had run the fastest 10K at Pike's Peek in 47:25. Craun was given the award on her chip time.

Mary Saunders of Vinton, VA nearly snatched the runner-up spot with two swift half marathons in the late summer. At Lynchburg, she ran 1:45:41 (10K = 47:45) and then two weeks later ran Danville in 1:46:47 (10K = 48:15). King's Halloween 5K in 23:13 (10K = 48:20) was just enough. Saunders' best 5K was 23:18 (10K = 48:31) in the spring.

Joan Coven of Williamsburg, VA threw in a nice Shamrock HM in 1:46:36 (10K = 48:10) for fourth place before taking much of the summer off. She was gearing up to take over the 65-69 in fall. Dee Nelson, who only ran five of her 65 races for the year at 10K or longer, chose to run her best race at Pike's Peek. Her 48:49 bested sixth place Priscila Prunella's best race (49:29) there.

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, 1:17:45, 10K = 46:43


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Craun, Christine*11	60	Bethesda, MD
2	King, B.J.*10	        61	Crofton, MD
3	Saunders, Mary*****	62	Vinton, VA
4	Coven, Joan***	        64	Williamsburg, VA
5	Nelson, Dee*30	        63	Gaithersburg, MD
6	Prunella, Priscila*14	62	Rockville, MD
7	Price, Helene*6	        60	Williamsburg, VA
8	Hess, Andrea*14	        62	Midlothian, VA
9	Chatterton, Muffet****	62	Crofton, MD
10	Davidson, Lucia*	61	Arlington, VA
11	Tice, Linda****	        60	Glen Arm, MD
12	Sandler, Katherine*	64	Bethesda, MD
13	Welch, Pat*6	        61	Vienna, VA
14	Coleman, Karolynn	62	 Chevy Chase, MD
15	Friend, Connie*****	60	Charlottesville, VA
16	Hirn, Ann*15	        61	Portsmouth, VA
17	Buck, Sandra****	60	Monkton, MD
18	Neal, Dorothy****	62	Randallstown, MD
19	Berglund, Mary Kate*7	64	Richmond, VA
20	May, Sandra****	        60	Alexandria, VA
21	Berger, Nancy***	60	Hunt Valley, MD
22	Stark, Barbara*7	62	Suffolk, VA
23	Hocheder, Ellen*****	64	Mt. Airy, MD

65-69 Women
Joan Coven of Williamsburg, VA is the BULLET. Upon entering the division she blasted aside the Virginia state record of Tami Graf (25:11) with a monster 23:18 at the swift Governor's Landing 5K the last day of the period.

As the year evolved, Betty Smith of Rockville, MD got ready to run the marathon. She started the year with a swift 26:41 5K (10K = 54:33), which she later improved at the Run for Roses in the summer with 26:21 (10K = 54:52). Graf started a little slower. Both of these prolific racers ran at the RRCA Challenge 10 Mile and Graf won handily although it was their slowest races of the period. Graf won the winter period.

In the spring, Graf headed for West Potomac Park and the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. Her time was five minutes faster, winning in 1:33:25 (10K = 56:08). Smith improved nearly eight minutes, hanging just three seconds back in 1:33:28 (10K = 56:10). At the end of April they met again at Pike's Peek. Smith made it look easy as both runners had their fastest race of the year. Smith ran 53:59; Graf ran 55:19. Smith won again at Sallie Mae 55:32 to 57:35.

Lest she be forgotten, Arlowene Garland of Warsaw, VA raced a fine 26:57 (10K = 56:07) at the Grace Oughton 5K to stay on the heels of Graf. Of the other three runners with a 10K equivalent under an hour, Brenda Murray was the best, racing the YMCA Turkey Chase in 59:05.

Governor's Landing 5K, 23:18, 10K = 48:31


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Smith, Betty*12	        65	Rockville, MD
2	Graf, Tami*18	        69	Lusby, MD
3	Garland, Arlowene*11	68	Warsaw, VA
4	Murray, Brenda*	        67	Chevy Chase, MD
5	Berglund, Mary Kate***	65	Richmond, VA
6	Fraser, Nancy*7	        68	Charlottesville, VA
7	Patron, Nancy***	69	Williamsburg, VA
8	Guerrieri, Kathleen	67	Kensington, MD
9	Adachi, Yoshiko****	68	Reisterstown, MD
10	Hoyt, Barbara*6	        68	Sparks, MD
11	Streb, Ann****	        66	Vienna, VA
12	Dicker, Lois*6	        65	Wheaton, MD
13	Wollard, Jamie*****	67	Rockville, MD
14	Edwards, Abbie****	65	Reston, VA

70-74 Women
With ten finishes, Betty Dameron of Fredericksburg, VA was the second most prolific runner behind Tami Graf, doing her best racing at the 10K distance.

Tami Graf of Lusby, MD finished up five years of mastery of the 65-69 division and faster than a speeding BULLET took over the top spot. Margery Elliott had the fastest time of the year at Pike's Peek but that is the last we heard of her.

In 2006, Graf had the eight best times by qualifiers. She put paid to ten different distances for the half-year she was 70, and retained four more from the 65-69 age group. Clearly her best effort was a Virginia state record at the Fleet HM in 2:05:37 (10K = 56:46). In the heat of the summer she had her fastest 10K in Leesburg with 59:11 and then two weeks later in Annapolis she ran the ten miler in 1:39:39 (10K = 59:53).

In a quirk of race scheduling, Yvonne Aasen ran a swift 60:09 at the Cold Turkey 10K to finish second in the division to start the year in November 2005. 365 days later her Cold Turkey time won the 75-79 division. Betty Dameron of Fredericksburg, VA had three seconds and five firsts, including her best race at the Pike's Peek 10K in 64:19.

DARCARS Pike's Peek 10K, 52:35


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Graf, Tami*17	        70	Lusby, MD
2	Aasen, Yvonne*6	        74	Severna Park, MD
3	Dameron, Betty*****	71	Fredericksburg, VA
4	Welker, Nancy*****	71	Charlottesville, VA
5	O'Neil, Jacqueline****	74	Washington, DC

75-79 Women
Martha Trimmer of Grasonville, MD had a dozen 5Ks during the year and it should have been enough, topped by a FOP 5K in 37:21 (1:17:46). Yvonne Aasen of Severna Park joined the division in the fall. Aasen is famous for being the first runner to start in the age graded Cold Turkey 10K. This year the race was run without the staggered start. Aasen still had her best race there, finishing the 10K in 1:09:15.

Cold Turkey 10K, 1:09:15


Pl	Name	                Age	Hometown
1	Aasen, Yvonne*****	75	Severna Park, MD
2	Trimmer, Martha*8	76	Grasonville, MD

80 & Over Women
Mary Grimsley is from a three-generation racing family of ranked runners. Her son Gary is a grandmaster and her grandson Kyle is a teen. She was the only runner in this division to have more than one race for the whole year.

Richmond Race for the Cure 5K, 49:10, 10K = 1:42:20


Pl	Name	        Age	Hometown
1	Grimsley, Mary	86	Annandale, VA

See the Men's Best of 2006 WRR Runner Rankings