Most of the record 5,700 runners of Thursday’s 40th anniversary Alexandria Turkey Trot had a day full of eating Thanksgiving dinner on their minds.
But winners Habtamu Arga and Susanna Sullivan were thinking about something else; course records.
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With two weeks to go before this Philadelphia Marathon, Matt Deters’ training started to pay off in a race.
He set a personal best at the Veterans Day 10k, running 32:06 on a cool, windy day to finish fourth.
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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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It looked like Sam Chelanga was ready to press the pace. The lead pack – more like the entire elite field – was approaching the two-mile mark, stretching across George Washington Memorial Parkway, when the 30-year-old moved out front and took control of the national 12k championship this morning.
Turns out it was just a test, or more like a suggestion. “I was just trying to instigate the guys to go faster but they didn’t want to do it,” said Chelanga. So he slowed down, the pack again enveloped him, and Chelanga steeled himself for the final three-quarter-mile long straight shot to the finish.
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Molly Huddle took control from the start of the .US National 12k and concluded her scorched earth campaign through the USATF Running Circuit.
Since a last-second kick for third by Georgetown alumna Emily Infeld kept 31-year-old Huddle off the World Championships 10k podium, she has dominated the road racing scene, recording wins at 20k, 5k, 10 mile and 10k to win the domestic professional circuit.
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The D.C. area only had one champion at the Maryland state cross country championships, but it was one that’s easy to remember: the Walter Johnson girls.
[button-red url=”http://www.mocorunning.com/meet.php?meet_id=3566″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]The Wildcats claimed their third consecutive 4A team championship with a 51-85 win over Dulaney, a team coach Tom Martin said was the fastest in school history. Their team score matched their winning total last year, and their scoring five all fit in the top 21.
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The patterns in the Virginia state cross country championships repeated almost as frequently as the pop music on the public address system.
By the time someone started wondering why Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” didn’t make the mix, it was apparent: Dominant individual performances led to team victories.
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Joe Divel took the enthusiasm that guided his training with him on marathon day.
“We tell the first timers, just enjoy it, it’s your first time,” said First Time Marathoner Coach Conroy Zien. The goal of the group’s six month training process is to gradually build up runners to marathon mileage, and give them the resources and support to get to the start line healthy. Zien, a veteran marathoner, and the other pace coaches, are personally invested in each runner getting the opportunity to experience the elation of completing a marathon. The plan paid off for Joe Divel, and many other FTM members at this year’s Marine Corps Marathon.
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Amelia McKeithen didn’t go in for a rigid training plan that told her what days to run, when to cross-train, or what to eat. She knew back in March when she committed to running the Marine Corps Marathon as a fundraiser for The Children’s Inn at NIH that a structure like that would cramp her style.
If one thing has defined McKeithen’s approach to marathon training, it’s been having fun throughout the process. “Fun” isn’t always the first term that the average person, or even the above average runner, equates with preparing to run 26.2 miles consecutively. But McKeithen, a lifelong athlete, is always pushing her limits, and finding new ways to challenge herself physically and mentally. A competitive intensity is right beneath the surface with McKeithen, easily obscured by her easy smile and self-deprecating wit.
Nominate the Best of Washington Running 2016 through Dec. 31. The top six nominees will move on to final voting in January and February and winners will be announced in RunWashington‘s second issue of 2016.
Also, nominate the best running photo of 2015 by emailing [email protected] with a link to the photo.