If you complete different challenged along the Potomac Heritage Fat Ass 50k course, you can take minutes off of your finish time. Photo: Courtesy of Thomas McNulty

Trail races are already pretty chill, but those looking to take low-key to an even lower level should go find a Fat Ass.

Fat Ass events are free, loosely organized group runs that focus on trail community and camaraderie over competition. Depending on the organizer, races will sometimes have aid, sometimes swag, and sometimes course markings, but an entry “fee” is always a donation of food or drinks to a communal aid station.

“My first true experience into the real-world culture of trail running and the ultra family was at Halloweeny FA put on by VHTRC,” says D.C. resident Thomas McNulty. “My race entry ‘fee’ was two bags of potato chips. There was no judgement on whether I had run fast, slow, run the whole distance, run part of the distance or didn’t run at all. New friends were made, laughs enjoyed and I quickly realized that this was the people that I wanted to surround myself with.”

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Lake Braddock’s girls celebrate upon hearing they won the 6A championship. From left: Amelia Bradecamp, Sophia Rossen, Caroline Fleenor, Kayla Nocerito’s back, Alexandra Hague. Photo: Bruce Buckley

It had been a while since Bethany Graham had run down the long stretch that leads to the Virginia state meet finish line at Great Meadow. Three years in fact, since she had made it through a cross country season unscathed. In that time, John Champe high school grew to 6A from 4A, and when the senior finished first with a 34-second margin of victory over Ocean Lakes sophomore Aniya Mosley running 17:42, she nearly led the Knights to a team title in the state’s largest division.

Her own race held true to her formula all season – go out fast and hold on. Within seven minutes, she was alone.

“The last mile was pretty difficult, but I managed to finish strong,” she said. “I was pretty lucky all season to stay healthy.”

But unfortunately for Champe, the six of the top 11 finishers were running without their teams, meaning Lake Braddock’s top finisher Sophie Willis’s 12th place finish only counted as six points, cutting the advantage Graham offered. Lake Braddock put seven ahead of Champe’s fifth and edged the Knights by eight points.

“We didn’t even think we’d be on the podium,” Graham said. “We were going up against so many teams that been so good for so long. After we lost Mythri Madireddy to an injury, it encouraged the younger girls to step up, and they did.”

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Run the Greenway

We are just days away from the 4th annual Run The Greenway Race and
spots are filling up fast! We don’t want any Jedi to be left behind at this year’s
5K, 10K, or 800-meter Kids Fun Run, or virtual

Bryce Lentz leads Sean Stuck in the second mile of the Virginia 6A championship. Oakton boys are following in light blue. Photo: Bruce Buckley

Ahead of the Virginia state championships, West Springfield coach Chris Pellegrini figured the race would essentially be a dual meet with Oakton. 

In a dual meet, a 1-2-3 sweep can’t be beaten. While muti-team meets are a little more forgiving, seniors Sean Stuck, Sam Pritchard and Chris Weeks made the Spartans a tough act to follow. Stuck won the race overall, running the 5k course at Great Meadow in 15:21, the fastest time of the day. Second place Wesley Bond of Landstown and third place Bryce Lentz of Colgan didn’t have teams in the race, so Pritchard’s 15:50 and Weeks’ 15:53 counted as second and third for scoring purposes.

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Running Shorts

Loudoun Valley’s Peter Morris, Lake Braddock’s Alex Corbett and Richard Montgomery’s Rohann Asfaw race the NCAA Division I Southeast Region Championships for the University of Virginia. Photo: Charlie Ban
  • A slew of Division I collegiate runners with local connections will race in the NCAA Championships Saturday in Vigo County, Ind. (let me know if I missed anyone, I imagine I left someone out in D III)
    • Georgetown’s men qualified as a team, with Nick Wareham, Spencer Brown, Jack Van Scoter, Price Owens, Matthew Bouthillett, Rusty Kujdych and Shea Weilbaker ran for the Hoyas at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. Madeline Perez and Sami Corman qualified individually, as did George Washington’s Suzanne Dannheim.
    • Loudoun Valley alumnus Peter Morris, Lake Braddock alumnus Alex Corbett and Richard Montgomery alumnus Rohann Asfaw will race for the University of Virginia.
    • Tuscarora alumnus Fitsum Seyoum and Northwest alumnus Diego Zarate will race for Virgina Tech, as will Westfield alumna Sara Freix, who qualified individually.
    • Sidwell Friends alumna Taylor Knibb and Loudoun Valley alumna Natalie Morris will race for Cornell University.
    • Patriot alumna Rachel McArthur will race with the University of Colorado team.
    • Hetiage alumna Weini Kelati, last year’s runner-up, will race with the University of New Mexico team.
  • Saturday, in Louisville-Jefferson County, Ky. the following local cross country runners would appear to be competing in the NCAA Division III Championships.
    • Edison alumnus Jeff Gibson will race for the University of Mary Washington.
    • Chantilly alumnus Tyler Amos will race with Johns Hopkins University’s team.
    • Quince Orchard alumnus Liam Walsh will race with Carnegie Mellon University’s team.
    • Georgetown Day alumnus Tristan Colaizzi will race with Williams College’s team.
    • Westfield alumna Didi Pace will race with the Washington & Lee University team.
    • Chantilly alumna Ana Morris will race with the Emory University team.
  • Four more runners with local connections recently qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Georgetown alumnus Nick Golebiowski ran 2:18:39 at the Monumental Marathon Nov. 9 in Indianapolis, and Lake Braddock alumna Kathy Newberry ran 2:43:47. Eleanor Roosevelt alumna  (and swimmer) Hannah Cocchiaro, of Columbia, Md., ran 2:40:08 at the Richmond Marathon, ahead of George Mason High School alumna Susanna Sullivan, who lives in Reston and ran 2:43:21.

 

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Race to the Rescue 5k

Join PetConnect Rescue at 9:00am on Sunday May 19th for their second annual Race to the Rescue, 5k and children’s fun run.

Taking place at the beautiful Franklin Park in Purcellville VA, this is an event perfect for all. Run/jog/walk

Run with the June Bugs (XC) 2013. Photo: Ken Trombatore

Name: Daniel George

Self-described age group: M 30-35

Residence: Bethesda, MD

Occupation: Physical Therapist at ProAction PT

Volunteer roles in the running world: Water boy at multiple MCRRC races, Pacer at Cherry Blossom 10 miler, medical tent volunteer, guide runner for 2004 para-olympian

Why you run: My college coach would say “for fun and personal bests” but currently, for well-being and because it comes naturally.

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Jill Pollack leads a group through the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Photo: Sportograf

 For four years in New York, Jillian Pollack seemed to be throwing her time, energy and sweat into a hole the size of a skyscraper foundation. 

It wasn’t wasted – she met her best friends as a runner for Columbia University – but running wasn’t the same as when she was a star a Winchester’s Millbrook High School.

When she came back five years later to run the New York City Marathon, she got the payoff she had been working toward years before, one that put the Olympic Marathon Trials standard squarely in her view.

“I enjoyed running there and I made my best friends there, but college running didn’t go well,” she said. “I never made a conference meet, but I loved the sport.”

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Hero Dogs 5K9

5K race professionally measured and timed by Windsor Running. 8 am start – early bird prices starting at $30 includes a t-shirt and swag bag. 1K fun run and silent auction are also available. Post-race snacks and DJ. The race

Bethesda’s Tom Kramer celebrates completing his 43rd Marine Corps Marathon. Photo: Courtesy of Tom Kramer

Bethesda’s Tom Kramer may not have run every single Marine Corps Marathon, but that’s only because he skipped the first one. From then on, 76-year-old Kramer has run 43 of the 44 Marine Corps Marathons, an achievement that has put his name in the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame.

With 43, he moves into the lead for most Marine Corps Marathon finishes. He had been tied at 42 with Arlington’s Al Richmond, whose “Groundpounder” streak ended last year when he passed on running his 43rd.  Donald Aycock of Fairbanks, Alaska and Steve Bozeman of Lynchburg have finished 42. Maureen Higgins of Perdidio Beach, Ala. leads the women with 32 finishes.

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