Author: Dan DiFonzo

News

Ten years later, Broderick still taking marathoners to Boston

By Dan DiFonzo
Mike Broderick at a July 2010 XMP training run. Photo: MCRRC

In November of 2010–fewer than four months after he conquered the legendary Western States 100 mile endurance run in under 27 hours, and about a month after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer–Mike Broderick passed away peacefully just days shy of his 54th birthday.

Those closest to Mike, knew him as an avid ultra-runner with a sharp wit, a big smile and an abundance of enthusiasm for all things running. For the rest of the running community, he was best known as a coach, a mentor and a teacher. He was a bit of an evangelist, preaching his love of running to everyone who made his acquaintance. Mike, to his running disciples, was well known for his ability to respond in deep scientific detail to very simple yes or no questions.

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Trials Fever

Shot at the French National Team in the stars for Columbia runner

By Dan DiFonzo
Julia Roman-Duval warms up for the 2019 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile. Photo: Dustin Whitlow/DWhit Photo

Shortly before Christmas, Columbia’s Julia Roman-Duval made the decision she had been wrestling with for weeks:  Run in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb. 29 or roll the dice and attempt to make the French national team for the Half Marathon World Championships by running the Paris Half Marathon the day after?

As a dual U.S.-French citizen, it was a unique quandary for the 37-year-old astrophysicist and mother of three who is still comparably new to the world of competitive road racing.

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News

If Oprah can do it: 25 years of marathon inspiration started at the Marine Corps Marathon

By Dan DiFonzo
Oprah Winfrey following the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon. Race Director Rick Nealis is to the far right. Photo: Courtesy of the Marine Corps Marathon

In October 1994, on a chilly, rainy day, I toed the line for my first marathon after five months of haphazard training.  I had three goals:  finish the Marine Corps Marathon in less than four hours, not walk a single step, and beat Oprah!

The world learned days before that the queen of day-time television, Oprah Winfrey, was also attempting her first go at the distance.  Surely if Oprah could run a marathon, then so could I!

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DCXC

Hengst and Knibb take top honors at Md-D.C. Private Schools XC meet

By Dan DiFonzo
Dalton Hengst and Jack Wavering lead the large school varsity boys at the Maryland-D.C. Private Schools Cross Country Championship. Photo: Dan DiFonzo

For McDonogh sophomore Dalton Hengst, the hay was in the barn.  He had a great week of practice, a healthy taper and all that was left was about fifteen minutes of hard work plowing through the fields in his racing shoes.

[button-red url=”http://www.mocorunning.com/meet.php?meet_id=3296″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]A controlled pace combined with a final surge over the last quarter mile paid off for Hengst as he crossed the line in 15:49 to beat out Good Counsel senior and defending champion Jack Wavering by two seconds (15:51) and claim his first Maryland-D.C. Private Schools Cross Country Championship.

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DCXC

You Don’t “Stop Being Teammates”

By Dan DiFonzo
Grace Dallapa (holding the shoe box) surrounded by family and teammates at the 2015 All-RunWashington pep rally. She was on the All-Maryland team for the second year in a row. Photo: Roger Colazzi

When Wootton’s Grace Dellapa finished the Maryland 4A West Regional Cross Country Championships, she was elated to have run a personal record 18:51 for sixth overall.  

Dellapa knew she’d be representing Wootton once again at the state championships a week later.  What she didn’t know was whether she’d be competing alone or with her team.  All she could do was wait.

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DCXC

Wavering fights to tight finish at Md/DC Private School Championships

By Dan DiFonzo
The lead pack of the boys large schools race cruises through the course at Derwood, with eventual champion Jack Wavering on the right end. Photo: Dan DiFonzo

For Georgetown Day School’s Tristan Colaizzi, it wasn’t quite the day he envisioned when he toed the line for the Maryland-DC Private Schools Cross Country Championships at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood.

Battling a chronic lung infection for the past few months, Colazzi knew early that he wasn’t going to be the one to challenge Good Counsel junior Jack Wavering for the top spot on this decisive race day. That’s when he tapped teammate senior Aidan Pillard less than a mile into the race and told him he’d have to be the man.

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DCXC

The Tower

By Dan DiFonzo
Jim Vollmer celebrates when he learns his Poolesville girls cross country team won the 2013 divisional title. Photo: Melanie

When he last set foot on a track, all was right in Jim Vollmer‘s world. He was at the Maryland state track and field championships over Memorial Day weekend, working as a race official and silently cheering on his Poolesville High School runners, whom he coached in cross country.

He left the meet with genuine excitement and a feeling of satisfaction for the achievement of his runners on this sunny spring day. Senior Chase Weaverling capped a sensational senior year by winning the state title in the boys’ 3200 meter race. And the girls’ and boys’ 4×800 meter squads ran spirited efforts to finish third and fourth, respectively.

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