By Brenda Barrera
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Author: Briana Taylor
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Northern Virginia is littered with high schools, and most are gigantic. George Mason High School is not. With fewer than 650 students in four grades, it is dwarfed by nearby George Marshall, McLean, Falls Church and Yorktown high schools.
But like a sapling under a forest canopy, the Mustang cross country teams have thrived, stretching their roots far away to find the competition that matches their size. Even if that means racking up miles on the bus.
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May is the month of maybe. It may be really hot (2009). It may be real humid (2010). Or it may be both (2011). Running is still booming so the field drew 25% more than last year race for the two events, 5K and 10K. The awards expanded out to two deep in ten year age groups.
Before the race Bernie Gallagher, 70, proudly announced he would be running the 5K with his granddaughters. Gallagher, always near the top of his division when healthy, claims he has recovered from an injured humerus (like he needs an arm to run a race), and will soon be mounting a charge for the division crown. He allowed Greer to step on the ChronoTrack mats a second ahead of him. Her older sister Taitumn jetted on ahead to finish eighth overall in 24:11.
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Name a local road race and Wilson Komen has probably won it. In 2005 and 2006, not long after the Eldoret, Kenya native moved to Washington, DC, the now 33-year-old runner more or less ruled the local roads. After winning the Capitol Hill Classic, though, Komen admitted that today’s race was his first taste of victory in quite some time.
“I just wanted to get a race in and see how I could do,” Komen said shortly before the awards ceremony. “I’m happy with it. It’s been awhile since I won a race.”
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Like Sleepy Hollow, the Great Falls section along Georgetown Pike is a pretty well kept secret. Not that many races get held there. The ones that do have names like Difficult Run, named after one of the many parks along the roadside. You really do [button-red url=”http://www.joecassellafoundation.org/about-us.php” target=”_self” position=”left”] More About Joe [/button-red]have to slow down to transverse this section of town with its winding turns and steep hills but the view is great.
Last year in the inaugural year the skies opened up a drenched the field. Everybody proclaimed the course a challenge. “So you are going to Great Falls. Expect a really hilly course.” We did and it wasn’t. Great Falls Village went all out. The police cordoned off all the roads. The rumored shortage of parking was just that – rumor. One veteran runner was told to prepare for a tough finish and ran too timidly in the first half only to learn that there were virtually no hills on the course.
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The Reston Town Center is a great spot to hold an event. The Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer starts with a 5K and is followed by an untimed 1 mile. Long before the race got underway hundreds of participants gathered. Many wore special-colored shirt proclaiming that they were survivors. Groups of people formed almost spontaneously for photo opportunities. Nobody seemed to notice that it looked as if it were going to rain.
At the start, it was announced somewhat apologetically that the course was hilly. Not so! It really seemed as if the course spent all together too much time going down hill to really be a basically out and back course. There were cones all along the way so even with all the turns nobody was going to get lost. In the final mile many of the 5K runners were met head on by the walkers. It was only for one short block and the walkers, who far outnumbered the racers, parted along the side of the road to let them pass.
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All race activities moved to Lake Accotink Park.
The inaugural running of the Springfield 15K/5K race will be held the morning of June 6 in conjunction with the Springfield Days weekend festival. The race location has been moved from Lee High School to Lake Accotink Park.
Go to Metro Run & Walk and Springfield Days Announce the Inaugural Springfield 15K/5K Race
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With a brutal winter all but a distant memory thanks to temperatures that rose to the 70s, more than 9,200 runners finished this year’s fifth annual SunTrust National Marathon, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon and Team Relay on Saturday in Washington, DC.
Wardian, who has garnered several honors this past year including 2008 and 2009 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year, felt pretty confident in his performance. Afterward he said he attacked every hill and stayed focused in order to post one of his fastest race times. “It was a terrific race,” exclaimed Wardian. “I love that my family was all able to be here.” Next up for the ultra marathoner is the Marathon des Sables and Comrades Marathon. Paul Howarth, of Albuquerque, NM, took third place in 2:27:19.
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The award is the result of the student’s participation in the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon Healthy Kids Fun Run held on October 24, 2009 in Arlington, VA. Out of 353 schools, Eagle View was one of the top three in overall student participation at the one-mile fun run held for kids ages 6 to 13.
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Due to Winter Storms the February13 date is being postponed to March 7, 2010
Potomac River Running Announces “Run for Haiti 5K and Fun Run” In Support of Earthquake Relief Efforts