Andrew Gates

Runners get around to new locales for variety’s sake

Published August 5, 2021 at 11:00AM | Updated August 5, 2021 at 4:44PM

Drivers search for a few square feet in the packed Difficult Run parking lot in Great Falls, Va. The lot serves the Cross County Trail and Great Falls Park. Photo: Charlie Ban

The D.C. area is at the heart of some of the most beautiful and dynamic running routes in the country. The DMV is surrounded by scenic paths, urban gems, woodland trails, historical parks, lakes, and sprawling fields. But despite all that the area has to offer, many runners will time and time again repeat the same set of loops from their front door.

Vivian Smith is a cybersecurity consultant in Manassas. She does not want to fit the trend of running from home or work each day. She travels somewhere to run at least four days a week, even if that means driving only a minute or so to get there. “I’ll drive half a mile to a park so that I can enjoy more of my run in the park than on the shoulder-less road on the way to the park,” she said.

Aging 'Racefully

After several false starts, running sticks for Ken Quincy

By Andrew Gates

Published June 4, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated June 9, 2020 at 4:07PM

Ken Quincy runs the 2020 Reston Ten Miler. Photo: Potomac River Running

It’s a cool spring day as Vienna’s Ken Quincy finishes his 10 mile run on the WO&D Trail. There is no one around him on the trail, but that’s how he the 82-year-old likes it. The conditions are somewhat of a miracle, given how many runners and walkers have made use of the trail for exercise and a break from staying at home.

As he submits his time for this year’s virtual Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, he proves that age won’t stop him from running. Last year, among many, many races, he finished the Lucky Leprechaun 5k in 31:42

News

Pregnancy serves as a wild card in some women’s running

By Andrew Gates

Published May 25, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated May 26, 2020 at 4:00PM

Marissa Shipe celebrates a road race with with her daughter. Photo: Courtesy of Marissa Shipe

Finishing the For the Love of It 10K was special for Reston’s Kate Hutton. After having her first child eight months ago, she has taken her return to running slowly and cautiously, essentially re-starting her running career from scratch. She was finally capable of running more than six miles.

For her, pregnancy threw her fine-tuned body out of whack, far from the easy pregnancies she had heard about, and her initial goal of running as long as she could. And she’s not alone.

Aging 'Racefully

Vienna’s Pat Welch knows the importance of proper structure and training

By Andrew Gates

Published May 18, 2020 at 11:00AM

Pat Welch runs the Leesburg 20k. Photo: Potomac River Running

Vienna’s Pat Welch, 75, usually has the mornings to herself. She doesn’t have to go into work until 1:00 at her job at a chiropractic’ office, which means she uses the morning to run.

“I love a crisp cold sunny morning,” she said. “The colder the better.”

Aging 'Racefully

Tyson’s man doesn’t let ultra training go to waste

By Andrew Gates

Published April 23, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated April 23, 2020 at 12:13PM

Tysons’s Chris Gellene, 58, spent his Easter Sunday differently than most. While families around the country were asleep in bed, Gellene was finishing up a 100-mile run sometime between 3:30 and 4 in the morning. But after some rest and a good night’s sleep, he says, “I got up the next day, it was Easter morning. I got and went about my Sunday.”

Originally signed up to run the Pistol 100-Miler in Tennessee, Gellene was worried when he learned that he would not be able to run the race. Gellene is no stranger to the 100-mile distance. The Pistol 100-Miler would have been his 12th.

News

Marathon day stayed on the calendar for some local runners

By Andrew Gates

Published April 2, 2020 at 11:39AM | Updated April 7, 2020 at 12:19PM

Monica Pampell celebrates her 26.2 mile run in lieu of the Rock 'n' Roll D.C. Marathon March 28. Photo: Courtesy of Monica Pampell

When the Rock ‘n’ Roll D.C. Marathon, stripped of its permit in the face of D.C.’s state of emergency order, announced its postponement, it hit a lot of runners right as they were starting their tapers.

But not all were planning to wait for the Nov. 7 makeup date. They had a marathon on their calendars for March 28, and they were going to run a marathon on March 28.

DCXC

High school coaches tackle an unexpected offseason

By Andrew Gates

Published March 30, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated March 30, 2020 at 12:36PM

Georgetown Day School Coach Anthony Belber addresses his team after the 2015 D.C. state cross country meet. Photo: Charlie Ban

Motivating high school runners is not always easy, even without a global health crisis going on. But with the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, preventing kids from coming to school-sponsored organized practices or attending track meets, keeping high school runners motivated becomes an even greater challenge.

Anthony Belber, head track and field coach at the Georgetown Day School, anticipates that it will be weeks until the team can reunite in person, something he acknowledges is going to be difficult.

News

Return to running means return to identity for Arlington woman

By Andrew Gates

Published January 1, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated January 7, 2020 at 11:04AM

Liz Briones poses after finishing the Jingle all the Way 5k. Photo: Kyle Gustafson/Swim Bike Run Photography.

When Arlington’s Elizabeth Briones crosses the Frosty 5K finish line, her time is nowhere close to what she ran in college. She has a smile on her face, though. As far as the last few years are concerned, it’s a personal best by well over a minute.

What matters is that she’s out there again.

News

Bethesda’s Tom Kramer takes the lead for Marine Corps finishes

By Andrew Gates

Published November 12, 2019 at 11:00AM

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.

News

For some, the Marine Corps Marathon was about more than racing

By Andrew Gates

Published October 27, 2019 at 8:00PM | Updated November 1, 2019 at 3:03PM

Laura Hellmuth of Minot, N.D., runs the second mile of the Marine Corps Marathon. Photo: Charlie Ban

For some runners, completing the 44th Marine Corps Marathon is a grand achievement. For others it’s “just a Sunday”. There were thousands of different stories that involved crossing the finish line of the rainy 2019 Marine Corps Marathon, but here is just a small piece of the many stories that make up D.C.’s most prominent race.

Ben Nilsestuen, 37, of Brooklyn, ran the marathon in memory of his friend, James Brophy, who died in December in a Marine training accident. Nilsestuen was not alone in supporting the memory of Brophy. All of Brophy’s college roommates, his old friends from high school, and his wife, were out to support the Marine’s memory by running the marathon.