News - RunWashington

Quitting Smoking, Loving Running and Finding Her Place

Published May 18, 2015 at 10:39AM

Living in California in 2014, she was determined to get into the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. She knew volunteering was her best chance to ensure she got in the next year, so she signed up to help out. After flying to Lexington, Ky. and picking up her car (long story), she drove it to Washington, D.C. At the end of her road trip home, she walked into her parents’ house and announced she was moving to D.C.

That move was unthinkable years before, when she was a smoker whose anxiety was, at times, crippling.

Capitol Hill Classic runners learn the bill comes due, eventually

By Charlie Ban

Published May 18, 2015 at 12:28AM | Updated August 18, 2015 at 12:35PM

Cole Ashcraft leads a pack through the first half of the Capitol Hill Classic-- the course that plays out like an episode of Behind the Music. Photo: Charlie Ban

For an overzealous runner, the Capitol Hill Classic can seem like an episode of Behind the Music. Early on, everything is going great and the gravy train seems like it will never stop. But then reality hits and they have to run back uphill.

[button-red url=“http://www.zippyraceresults.com/search.php?ID=4920” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]Springfield’s Shauneen Werlinger didn’t know what she was getting into when she took the lead among women in this year’s 10k. She wanted to make sure that if her pursuer, Selameawit Lemma, was going to stay behind her and make a move late, she would have to work for it.

Running Shorts, May 4

By Charlie Ban

Published May 4, 2015 at 1:18PM | Updated May 6, 2015 at 7:16AM

Photo: courtesy of the Penn Relays

Maegan Krifchin, a professional runner for Mizuno living in Silver Spring, reached the Olympic Trials “A” standard in the marathon, running 2:33:30 at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany April 26.

D.C. area athletes performed well at the Penn Relays April 26-28:

34 for 34: Jamie Watts’ Birthday Challenge

By Erin Masterson

Published May 4, 2015 at 12:56PM | Updated May 5, 2015 at 2:24PM

Jamie Watts sets off on the Freedom Four Miler in Arlington in June 2014. Photo: Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run Photography

She started off anonymously, but as Jamie Watts kept going, more and more people noticed what she was achieving.

“No one was ever supposed to see me.”

Montgomery County native grabs Pikes Peek crown

By Ashley Davidson

Published April 27, 2015 at 12:41AM | Updated August 18, 2015 at 12:36PM

Runners pour out of the Pikes Peek 10k starting line. Photo: Dan and Alex Reichmann

Two frequent out-of-town visitors clashed on the new Pikes Peek 10k course in Rockville, with a Montgomery County native grabbing the win.

[button-red url=”http://www.mcrrc.org/pikes-peek-10k-9″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]It came down to the final, downhill stretch on Marinelli Road between Brian Flynn and Thomas Adam at the Pike’s Peek 10k on Sunday morning. Neck and neck, the two Virginians pounded to the finish line, but it was Flynn, a resident of Bridgewater who attended Damascus High School, who had enough of a kick left in him to narrowly beat Adam by a mere two seconds, clocking 30:27. Third place Luke Meyer, from Washington, was close behind in 30:33.

Inexperience doesn’t hurt GW Parkway winners

By Charlie Ban

Published April 27, 2015 at 12:18AM | Updated August 18, 2015 at 12:36PM

Will Christian leads Kevin McNab down the George Washington Parkway. Photo: Brian W. Knight/ Swim Bike Run Photography

From their starting line perch at Mount Vernon, the next hour was hazy for Kevin McNab and Sheree Shea.

[button-red url=”http://www.zippyraceresults.com/search.php?ID-4829″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]Despite clear skies and cool air that brushed their faces with the promise of a fast George Washington Parkway Classic, they could only guess what was in store. Both had run only one race longer than 10k, and those races were non-competitive half marathons. That didn’t stop them from both gamely handling the 10 mile race to Old Town Alexandria.

MCRRC wins Boston Marathon womens masters race; Wardian, Roecker lead local individuals

By Charlie Ban

Published April 21, 2015 at 11:07AM | Updated August 18, 2015 at 12:36PM

Photo: Courtesy of Boston Athletic Association

The Montgomery County Road Runners Club won the masters women’s team title at the Boston Marathon Monday. Chrissy Graham, Cindy Conant and Lisa Reichmann combined to run 9:24:55, well ahead of RunningSkirts’ 9:33:27. The Washington Running Club finished seventh in the masters women’s race in 10:16:48 and the Potomac River Running team ran 1-:19:15 for ninth place.

The runner making Arlington County a great place to live

By Ashley Davidson

Published April 17, 2015 at 3:26PM | Updated April 19, 2015 at 9:05PM

April is National County Government Month and it’s a great time to live in Arlington County if you’re a runner. Earlier this month, Livability.com ranked Arlington sixth on its “Top 10 Healthiest Cities” list. And a few weeks prior, Arlington County was named the healthiest county in Virginia. It’s a bittersweet moment for Walter Tejada, vice chairman of the Arlington County Board, as the praise keeps flooding in.

“I’m thrilled Arlington is getting accolades on trying to be a healthy community and a lot of people in our community deserve congrats,” Tejada said.

Our (possible ) Boston Marathon runners

By Charlie Ban

Published April 16, 2015 at 12:05PM | Updated August 10, 2015 at 12:16PM

Chris Bain (right), of Takoma Park, will be making his annual trip to Boston from Hopkinton. Photo: Charlie Ban

They might not all be lining up on Monday morning, but any number of these 799 registrants from the Washington, D.C. area could be racing the Boston Marathon.

Cherry Blossom official distance – 9.39 miles

By Charlie Ban

Published April 14, 2015 at 2:06PM | Updated August 18, 2015 at 12:36PM

Silver Spring resident Lindsay Flanagan leads a chase back of elite women on the Cherry Blossom course Sunday. Photo: Dustin Whitlow/D. Whit Photography

The final re-measurement of the Cherry Blossom race course determined that the rerouting caused the race distance to total 9.39 miles.

A traffic accident that was treated as a crime scene near the Kutz Bridge, less than 90 minutes before the elite women’s advanced start, forced the course to reroute from its path around the Tidal Basin, instead diverting near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on West Basin Drive and onto Ohio Drive. The alteration affected miles five and six.