By Dickson Mercer
Washington, DC
April 1, 2012
For the Washington Running Report
Main field gets underway.
A year after Frank Shorter took gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics and ignited the first running boom, fewer than 200 people showed up on a muggy day for the inaugural Cherry Blossom Invitational Run. Billed as a final tune-up for the Boston Marathon, the founders believed 10 miles was the perfect distance. Ten miles. It was long enough to provide an adequate test. It was not, however, long enough to [button-red url=”http://www.cherryblossom.org/aboutus/results.php” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]leave runners feeling “too pooped out,” according to the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run’s 40th anniversary race program.
One runner tearing up the local scene back then was Phil Stewart. Stewart, in fact, was this region’s top finisher at the 1975 Boston Marathon.
Stewart is now race director of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, a race that now attracts tens of thousands in celebration of “the Runner’s Rite of Spring” and over the years has showcased the best of the best – be it in the world, in America, or within the local scene.
Bethesda’s Ben Beach today finished his 40th Credit Union Cherry Blossom, a feat he shares with no one else.
This year’s event celebrated that history and more. Past champions who spoke at the expo Friday and Saturday and raced today included Bill Rodgers, who, in addition to winning the New York City and Boston marathons four times apiece between 1975 and 1980, won four Cherry Blossoms in a row starting in 1978.
There was Greg Meyer, who set the American record (46:13) here in 1983 before becoming the last American to win Boston.
There was Carl Hatfield, who won the race in 1974 and 1975.
There was Credit Union Cherry Blossom course recorder Colleen De Reuck and 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson (left).
Samuelson was 28th today in 1:02:27. At 54, her time was almost 10 minutes faster than the inaugural winning time set by women’s running pioneer Kathrine Switzer.
Today, 174 women ran faster than Switzer’s time from 1973. Today, Dave Burnham’s time of 51:23 would have put him right on the heels of Sam Bair, the inaugural men’s winner.
Burnham, who lives in Arlington and races for Georgetown Running Company, was 17th.
Men’s race: Training partners set the pace
Last year it was nine miles of back-and-forth battling with Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, a battle that Kenya’s Allan Kiprono (photo below of Kiprono winning in 2012) ultimately lost.
At this year’s Credit Union Cherry Blossom, it was Kiprono’s turn to take the lead, and the win. By the time he and his training partner Lani Kiplagat passed the one-mile mark, they already held a decent-sized lead on the rest of the field. But as that lead on Kenya’s John Korir – a three-time Credit Union Cherry Blossom winner – increased, Kiplagat turned to his teammate and offered a suggestion.
“I told him, ‘Allen, let’s maintain the pace. Don’t reduce the pace. Let’s push,” Kiplagat said.
Push they did – but the day ultimately proved to be Kiprono’s. Taking advantage of perfect racing conditions, the 22-year-old soared to the lead shortly after 5K and lowered the event record to 45:15, this year’s fastest time in the world for 10 miles. Kiplagat, meantime, came through in 46:28.
Korir, who at 36 has more than a decade of racing in his legs than Kiprono and Kiplagat, was third in 47:33. Still, he was unfazed. “Now I know these guys are so tough,” he said. “I’ll catch up in other races.”
After falling off the pace set by Kiprono and Kiplagat, Korir fell back to the chase pack, then managed to hold off Ian Burrell, 27, of Tucson, AZ by just a second. This was Burrell’s first race since January’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where he was 15th in 2:14:04.
Burrell said he struggled with allergies. In other words, as he settled into a pack with Korir and Jesse Cherry, 24, of Blowing Rock, NC, the best he could do was hang on while Cherry did most of the leading. Then, at the 800 meters to go sign, Burrell dug up some leg speed. “I was just kind of gritting my teeth and thinking about all the diapers I could buy with the prize money,” he said.
As top American, he earned an extra $1,000 in prize money.
Cherry, who finished fifth in 47:40, was also running his first race since the Trials, where he was 16th in 2:16:31.
Top American runners Josh Moen, 29, of Minneapolis, MN and Patrick Rizzo of Boulder, CO finished 7th and 8th in 48:38 and 49:14, respectively. They were followed by two runners from Washington, DC, Pacers’ Stephen Hallinan (left), ninth in 50:18 and Paolo Natali, 10th in 50:44.
A top local runner and Olympic Trials qualifier, Hallinan’s 10-mile best is more than a minute faster than what he ran today. As with Burrell though, Hallinan cited allergy difficulties.
“I knew kind of a mile in, it was going to have to be one of those days where I tough it out, so I was trying to hang on to five-minute pace the best I could,” said Hallinan, who ran alone starting a quarter mile into the race.
Women’s race: Tinega repeats
In the elite women’s race, which started 10 minutes before the rest of the field, Kenya’s Jelliah Tinega dismissed her competitors even earlier in the race than Kiprono to win in 54:02.
It was her second straight title. Tinega said she will return next year to go for a three-peat.
Places two through five were separated by just 13 seconds with Malika Mejdoub, 29, of Ethiopia coming out ahead in 54:24.
Mejdoub was followed by Yihunlish Delelecha, 30, of Ethiopia in 54:33 and Agnieszka, 26, of Poland in 54:36.
The top local finisher, Claire Hallissey, 29, of Arlington, who was fifth, was just a second behind Agnieszka. The next race for the England native is the Virgin London Marathon on April 22. There, Hallissey, who has a marathon best of 2:29:27, is hoping to put up a performance that establishes a solid case for claiming a spot on England’s Olympic marathon team.
Still, this race holds special meaning for her, Hallissey said. Credit Union Cherry Blossom was her first race in the District after she moved here a couple of years back and she would like to return one day with fresher legs.
“I want to come back and finish in the top three,” she said.
Top American honors went to Stephanie Pezzullo, 29, of Charlotte, NC, who finished sixth in 55:16. Pezzulo was followed by Kristen Zaitz of Boulder, CO, who ran 55:24, and Emily Harrison, formerly of Front Royal, VA, who ran 56:04. Harrison now trains in Flagstaff, AZ.
After Hallissey, the next local was Georgetown Running Company’s Andrea Garvue. The 27-year-old Chevy Chase resident caught a side stitch early in the race. In the second half, feeling stronger, she hooked up with a pack that pulled her along to a time of 58:50, good for 12th overall.
Meanwhile, in the master’s division, competition was stiff. Fourteen years ago, DeReuck (below) set a world record time here of 51:16. Today, at 47, the Boulder, CO was top master – and 10th overall – in 58:14.
By Dickson Mercer
Washington, DC
December 11, 2011
For the Washington Running Report
It only took the Jingle All the Way 10K six years to outgrow its out-and-back course in Washington, DC’s West Potomac Park. This year, with more than 6,000 registered runners, Capital Running Company moved the race downtown to the same venue that hosts its annual St. Patrick’s Day 8K. The new 8K, which starts on Pennsylvania Avenue and, as with Occupy DC, is staged at Freedom Plaza, was held in cold, yet calm conditions that probably seemed perfect to those who braved last year’s cold drizzle.
If you are wondering how a road race typically held on a frigid day has become such a popular race, look no further than the costumes. At the Jingle All the Way 8K, Santa got the top-seeded number and knee-high candy cane socks paired with elf caps were the opposite of an exception. Today’s oddballs were ever-serious front-runners wearing their usual racing kits.
On the other hand, Claire Hallissey, who won today’s race in 29:18 while sporting candy cane socks, antlers, and the race’s complimentary bells in the laces of her racing flats, is only seriously fast.
Hallissey also sported a pink stripe of KT tape on her leg to aid an aching knee that has lately limited her training. Injuries have bothered the 28-year-old Arlington resident and England native all year. And while they did not stop her from running 2:29:27 in October at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon – the time put her 6th overall and made her eligible to run for England in the 2012 Olympics – it has yet to fully heal from the effort.
Treating today’s race like a tempo run, Hallissey ran purely for enjoyment and to give her knee a bit of a test. She won last year’s Jingle All the Way 10K in 35:17.
If all goes according to Hallissey’s hopes, England’s third and final selection for the Olympic Marathon will be her. In the meantime, a good Christmas-themed costume helped her maintain a low-key race day. “It keeps me from going crazy out there,” she said.
Barb Fallon Wallace, 38, of Alexandria was second in 29:50. Nikeya Green, 29, of Centreville, VA was third in 30:21. The top master, Alisa Harvey of Manassas, VA, was fifth overall in 30:52.
Shortly before the 9:00 a.m. start time, race organizers announced that the Metropolitan Police Department had requested a 10 to 15 minute delay. At 9:22, runners cheered when it was announced that the race would start in two minutes.
The delay did not seem to affect Michael Banks, 25, of Washington, DC Early on, the men’s distance coach at Georgetown University ran smoothly with a front pack that included Temesgen Ilanso, 24, of Silver Spring, Brian Flynn, 28, of Bridgewater, VA, Seife Geletu, 29, of Washington, DC, and Esmetu Tilahun, 31, of Washington, DC.
After coasting through 3 miles in around 15:30, Banks gradually picked up the pace, accelerating ahead of Ilanso on the final turn to win by 8 seconds in 24:45. The former all-American at Georgetown focused on triathlons after graduating in 2009. Recently his focus has shifted back to running.
Flynn was third in 25:02. The top master, Kevin Lynch of Chantilly, VA, ran 29:32.
There were plenty of other ways to take home a prize. All it took to be eligible for a random prize – a heart rate monitor, say – was to submit your race number into a random drawing.
Of the 64 teams entered in the team competition, names ranged from the winning Georgetown University Running Club, which took top honors, to Egg Kissers and Grandma Got Run Over … By Us. Georgetown’s co-ed squad averaged 30:22, topping Capital Area Runners’ 13-member average of 31:10.
At the post-race ceremony at Freedom Plaza, some Jingle All the Way teams – some official, some not official – learned that the competition for Best Costume was as tough as any other.
While standing in line for pictures with Santa, Daphne Kiplinger, 26, and David Shepard, 34, both of Washington, DC, and Dave Steadman – all wearing some sort of red and green, Christmas-themed getup – explained that they had tried to put a team together but their friends had bailed at the last moment. As for the stylish green, holly leaf-style sunglasses that made her outfit pop, Kiplinger said she got those in her Christmas stocking last year.
If you have ever wondered what it is like to run in a Santa suit, let Mike McNiff, 23, of Fairfax tell you: “It was a little hot,” he said. His Santa’s Run Deer team included his sister Katie McNiff plus Tiona Bland, Amanda Hamilton, and Kelly Jamieson. The women wore antlers picked up from a dollar store and wrote their deer names on pieces of paper they taped to their backs. Rather than stay around for the best costume content, the group headed off for brunch.
The team who won for best costume did not mention a team name. They did, however, mention a captain: Libby Wile, 29, of Washington, DC. Their group included Ashley Schambach, Amy Levine, Ellen Taverna, and Katie Robbins. Present among them were a present, a nutcracker, and a dreidel.
Moments before all runners dispersed, two toy soldiers (Terri Crutchman and Ginger Kopecky, both of Woodbridge) posed for a photograph with as many Christmas trees (Jessica Connelly and Abigail Op, both of Washington, DC.)
“We wanted something to run in that would look festive for the holidays,” Crutchman said. “What better than toy soldiers to wake us up and run?”
For Connelly and Op, though, costumes are becoming the norm. Op, who has run marathons, recently roped her friend into running her first race on Thanksgiving. For that, they dressed as Pilgrims. For the Hot Chocolate 15K, they went with a 1980s theme.
According to Op, “This is just more fun: being a goofball.”
Awards Listing
MALE
1 4910 Michael Banks 25 M WASHINGTON DC 24:45
2 5346 Temesgen Ilanso 24 M SILVER SPRING MD 24:53
3 5202 Brian Flynn 28 M BRIDGEWATER VA 25:02
4 5374 Seife Geletu 29 M WASHINGTON DC 25:42
5 5 Dickson Mercer 30 M WASHINGTON DC 26:18
6 5381 Esmetu Tilahun 31 M WASHINGTON DC 26:37
7 4665 Tom Dichiara 34 M NEW YORK NY 26:46
8 3 Stephan Kolata 30 M WASHINGTON DC 26:56
9 4860 Matthew Thomas 37 M ALEXANDRIA VA 27:20
10 3735 Dan Herman 27 M WASHINGTON DC 27:23
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 01 - 19
1 719 Justin Ahalt 17 M College Park MD 27:54 27:54 5:37
2 2989 Alexander Waldt 18 M Baltimore MD 28:25 28:25 5:43
3 5039 Matt Chung 19 M Bloomfield Hills MI 29:51 29:43 5:59
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 20 - 24
1 5038 Jordan Megna 21 M Bloomfield Hills MI 29:31 29:23 5:55
2 5213 Alexander Sciacca 20 M Fairfax Station VA 29:38 29:32 5:57
3 5034 Tim Doughtery 20 M Bloomfield Hills MI 30:44 30:35 6:09
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 25 - 29
1 721 Alec Friedhoff 27 M Washington DC 28:21 28:20 5:42
2 1624 Barry McCarron 29 M Washington DC 28:36 28:35 5:45
3 3644 Sean Wilson 25 M Sterling VA 29:42 29:39 5:58
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 30 - 34
1 1497 Kevin Foley 32 M Bethesda MD 28:46 28:45 5:47
2 4044 James Du Vernay 31 M East Rutherford NJ 29:24 29:22 5:55
3 2527 Monte Hawkins 34 M Arlington VA 29:54 29:52 6:01
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 35 - 39
1 4808 Keith Freeburn 37 M Centreville VA 28:11 28:11 5:41
2 1086 Marc McDonald 38 M Alexandria VA 28:13 28:12 5:41
3 2977 Brian Beary 36 M Washington DC 28:57 28:56 5:50
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 40 - 44
1 4311 Jose Diaz 40 M Bethesda MD 30:01 29:59 6:02
2 3121 Chris McKee 43 M Vienna VA 30:53 30:51 6:13
3 2118 David Venables 44 M Bethesda MD 31:18 31:12 6:17
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 45 - 49
1 3115 Kevin Lynch 45 M Chantilly VA 29:32 29:31 5:57
2 2903 George Lane 45 M Ashburn VA 30:22 30:21 6:07
3 3528 Howard Frost 46 M Falls Church VA 30:30 30:28 6:08
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 50 - 54
1 23 Jean-Christophe Arcaz 50 M Rockville MD 28:44 28:43 5:47
2 863 Paul Ingholt 51 M Vienna VA 33:12 33:08 6:40
3 5111 Wiliam Coquelin 52 M Alexandria VA 33:53 33:45 6:48
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 55 - 59
1 3535 Dave Buzzell 57 M Middletown MD 32:36 32:34 6:33
2 1088 Lennie Carter 58 M Washington DC 33:45 33:43 6:47
3 4664 John McMackin 59 M Chevy Chase MD 36:15 35:58 7:15
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 60 - 64
1 21 Malcolm Senior 60 M New Market MD 32:41 32:39 6:34
2 1012 Robert Taylor 61 M Alexandria VA 37:14 36:59 7:27
3 2121 Charles Divan 61 M Washington DC 39:10 39:07 7:52
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 65 - 69
1 2731 Jim Noone 67 M Fairfax VA 34:09 34:05 6:52
2 5532 Bob Chase 66 M Falls Church VA 35:58 35:53 7:13
3 5390 John Sullivan 66 M Washington DC 42:56 39:59 8:03
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 70 - 74
1 25 Gerry Ives 72 M Washington DC 36:25 36:22 7:19
2 28 Chan Robbins 74 M Arlington VA 40:45 40:42 8:12
3 1228 John Gluck 74 M Alexandria VA 41:15 41:10 8:17
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 75 - 79
1 491 Alan Rider 75 M Reston VA 44:29 44:27 8:57
MALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 80 - 99
1 59 Edward Green 80 M Washington DC 68:54 65:39 13:13
MALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 3622 Brad Serwer 38 M Bethesda MD 29:22 29:20 5:54
FEMALE
1 2 Claire Hallissey 28 F ARLINGTON VA 29:18
2 9 Barb Fallon Wallace 38 F ALEXANDRIA VA 29:50
3 4577 Nikeya Green 29 F CENTREVILLE VA 30:21
4 6 Kelly Swain 26 F ARLINGTON VA 30:35
5 12 Alisa Harvey 46 F MANASSAS VA 30:52
6 3585 Elizabeth Laseter 23 F WASHINGTON DC 31:03
7 2491 Emily Buzzell 26 F WASHINGTON DC 31:15
8 3760 Mijiko Phelps 41 F OAK HILL VA 31:54
9 625 Cristina Burbach 37 F WASHINGTON DC 31:55
10 5694 Laura Zeilinger 39 F WASHINGTON DC 32:16
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 01 - 19
1 5045 Clare Murphy 18 F Bloomfield Hills MI 32:31 32:23 6:31
2 3310 Katriona McNeill 14 F Chevy Chase MD 36:05 35:53 7:13
3 5042 Elyssa Skeirik 18 F Bloomfield Hills MI 37:29 37:20 7:31
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 20 - 24
1 2183 Danielle Schaub 24 F Washington DC 37:54 33:17 6:42
2 4033 Monique Girard 21 F Billerica MA 33:33 33:23 6:43
3 324 Jessica Girard 23 F Washington DC 33:38 33:27 6:44
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 25 - 29
1 1988 Phoebe Markle 27 F Alexandria VA 32:33 32:30 6:33
2 420 Alison Deboer 25 F Arlington VA 33:01 32:58 6:38
3 1698 Caitlin Catella 26 F Washington DC 33:26 33:21 6:43
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 30 - 34
1 5612 Jen Yip 31 F Washington DC 32:32 32:23 6:31
2 4061 Rebecca Powell 34 F Alexandria VA 34:48 34:42 6:59
3 716 Lindsay Hauer 31 F Washington DC 35:34 35:29 7:09
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 35 - 39
1 5367 Jen Sober 38 F McHenry MD 32:26 32:25 6:32
2 494 Nancy Eiring 38 F Washington DC 32:46 32:43 6:35
3 4077 Julie Sapper 38 F Rockville MD 34:16 34:12 6:53
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 40 - 44
1 3946 Samantha Cole 43 F Arlington VA 32:36 32:34 6:33
2 4891 Anne Bliss 44 F Burlington VT 33:04 33:02 6:39
3 3402 Sandrine Falgon 40 F Washington DC 33:19 33:18 6:42
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 45 - 49
1 570 Karen Kalber 46 F Crofton MD 36:02 35:41 7:11
2 833 Teresa Lent 49 F Arlington VA 36:12 36:02 7:15
3 2240 Joanna Schmickel 49 F Arlington VA 37:35 37:11 7:29
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 50 - 54
1 4743 Deedee Loughran 53 F Herndon VA 33:20 33:17 6:42
2 22 Win Persina 51 F Washington DC 34:59 34:56 7:02
3 5151 Linda Rotunno 52 F Washington DC 38:23 38:03 7:40
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 55 - 59
1 2912 Ofelia Perotti 55 F Alexandria VA 39:11 38:45 7:48
2 733 Merrilee Seidman 57 F Alexandria VA 41:01 41:01 8:15
3 520 Marcy Foster 57 F Reston VA 45:59 41:09 8:17
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 60 - 64
1 2971 Ginny Hughes 61 F Warrenton VA 38:34 38:33 7:46
2 1786 Jane Sparnon 60 F Arlington VA 42:52 42:38 8:35
3 3974 Mary Fredlake 61 F Washington DC 51:30 45:20 9:08
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 65 - 69
1 5638 Linda Kearney 65 F Oak Hill VA 44:35 42:52 8:38
2 3090 Pat Welch 67 F Vienna VA 49:31 47:47 9:37
3 1581 Nancy Malan 66 F Washington DC 53:44 53:25 10:45
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 70 - 74
1 5232 Helenann Phillips 74 F Arlington VA 56:40 53:27 10:46
2 2679 Susan McGregor 70 F Washington DC 77:57 71:45 14:26
FEMALE AGE GROUP: NET TIME - NET PACE 75 - 79
1 5112 Ann Coquelin 77 F Alexandria VA 61:57 57:31 11:35
FEMALE FIRST TIME RACER: NET TIME - NET PACE 1 - 99
1 4033 Monique Girard 21 F Billerica MA 33:33 33:23 6:43
By Jim Hage
Washington, DC
April 3, 2011
For the Washington Running Report
After nine miles of a back-and-forth battle with Allan Kiprono at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, Lelisa Desisa (left) appeared headed for a second straight photo finish. Last year’s race came down to the wire and ended unhappily for Desisa when he was literally pushed aside by the winner, Stephen Tum, in a pell-mell sprint. Desisa finished second.
So this year the Ethiopian made his move with 800 meters to go, decisively dropping Kiprono and cruising alone to the tape as the undisputed champion in a event record 45 minutes 36 seconds – Ismael Kirui set the record of 45:38 in 1995.
Kiprono, from Kenya, finished second in 45:41.
“Last year I was happy,” said Lelisa Desisa, 21, whose claim of interference in 2010 was denied. “Today, I am more happy.”
Similarly, Julliah Tinega, the women’s runner-up last year, earned vindication with her one second win over fellow Kenyan Risper Gesabwa. Tinega’s time of 54:02 better reflected the cold and breezy conditions that made Desisa’s record even more impressive.
Tgist Tufa ran 54:13 to finish third in a truncated women’s-only field of just eight, who started 10 minutes before the men’s and open field. Three-time defending women’s champion Lineth Chepkurui was a late scratch.
Two-time men’s champion (2008 and ‘09) Ridouane Harroufi, 29, from Morocco, ran with the leaders until seven miles before losing contact and finishing third in 46:27. “Today is my first race this year,” Harroufi said. “The pace was very fast and my legs felt heavy. Maybe next race I feel better.”
Lucas Meyer, 27, a third-year law student at the University of Connecticut, ran 48:26 and finished 13th. As the first American, Meyer earned $1,000. Local (D.C.) resident David Nightingale, 25, was one place back in 48:39 and earned $500.
Claire Hallissey, 28, (left) a native of Britain who lives in Arlington, finished fifth among the women in 56:17, good for $1,000 in prize money. Late-blooming Kelly Jaske, 34, from Portland, Ore., was the first American, sixth in 57:06. Jaske, a criminal defense lawyer, has been running competitively for less than five years. She was fifth at last year’s race.
Nianxiang Xie, 83, from Rockville, was the oldest finisher in 1:58:26.
Ben Beach, 61, from Bethesda, ran 1:37:18 to extend his streak as the only runner to have completed every Cherry Blossom race. This year’s 39th edition featured a record 15,968 finishers.
Top 25 Finishers
Men
Place Div /Tot Num Name Ag Hometown 5 Mile Gun Tim Net Tim Pace
===== =========== ====== ====================== == ==================== ======= ======= ======= =====
1 1/398 3 Lelisa Desisa 21 Ethiopia 45:36 45:36 4:34
2 2/398 13 Allan Kiprono 21 Kenya 23:08 45:41 45:41 4:35
3 1/1466 5 Ridouane Harroufi 29 Morocco 23:10 46:27 46:27 4:39
4 3/398 17 Lani Kiplagat 22 Kenya 23:09 46:30 46:30 4:39
5 2/1466 27 Macdonard Ondara 26 Kenya 21:41 46:52 46:52 4:42
6 3/1466 29 Tesfaye Sendeku 28 Ethiopia 23:15 46:53 46:53 4:42
7 4/1466 21 Stephen Muange 29 Kenya 23:24 47:30 47:30 4:45
8 4/398 23 Simon Cheprot 21 Kenya 23:14 47:32 47:32 4:46
9 5/1466 31 Josphat Boit 27 Kenya 23:24 47:50 47:50 4:47
10 1/1075 25 Girma Tola 35 Ethiopia 23:27 47:56 47:56 4:48
11 5/398 47 Ezkyas Sisay 22 Ethiopia 23:34 47:58 47:58 4:48
12 6/1466 51 Tesfaye Assefa 27 Ethiopia 23:42 48:03 48:03 4:49
13 7/1466 33 Lucas Meyer 27 Ridgefield CT 24:06 48:26 48:26 4:51
14 8/1466 296 David Nightingale 25 Washington DC 24:10 48:39 48:39 4:52
15 9/1466 45 Augustus Maiyo 27 Colorado Springs CA 24:18 49:56 49:56 5:00
16 10/1466 107 Karl Dusen 28 N Bethesda MD 25:13 50:06 50:06 5:01
17 1/1326 105 Bert Rodriguez 31 Arlington VA 25:08 50:25 50:25 5:03
18 6/398 297 Sam Luff 24 Rockville MD 25:22 50:45 50:45 5:05
19 7/398 106 Jerry Greenlaw 23 Alexandria VA 25:19 50:55 50:55 5:06
20 11/1466 112 Brian Flynn 27 Weyers Cave VA 25:24 51:08 51:08 5:07
21 12/1466 49 Birhanu Alemu 28 Ethiopia 25:09 51:10 51:10 5:07
22 2/1075 20510 Michael Wardian 36 Arlington VA 25:20 51:16 51:16 5:08
23 13/1466 304 Joe Wiegner 29 Rockville MD 25:25 51:34 51:34 5:10
24 14/1466 109 Dirk De Heer 29 Silver Spring MD 25:44 51:40 51:40 5:10
25 15/1466 108 David Burnham 26 Arlington VA 25:37 51:49 51:46 5:11
By James Moreland
Washington, DC
March 20, 2011
For the Washington Running Report
Below Gurmessa Megerssa breaks the tape.
In typical Washington Metro the weather juked us better than scoring guard in a NCAA March Madness tournament. Colder than normal most of the winter we were torched by nearly eighty on Friday. Saturday racers were greeted with wonderful spring weather in the mid sixties. Then as the real spring dawned at Freedom Plaza the temperatures dipped below freezing.
No matter; this race was all about awareness of a deadly cancer that can, in many cases, may be prevented by vigilant screening. The race was about raising money to find a cure. Just as with the other major “Cure” events, 05-01-11 Race for Hope – DC Presented by Cassidy Turley to benefit the Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (Washington, DC) and the largest of all the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure set for June 4, 2011 in Washington, DC, this event brings caring, sharing people who want to find a cure.
The event had close to 2,000 finishers and nearly twice as many men as women. Nearly all of the runners that moved down Pennsylvania Avenue after crossing the ChronoTrack starting mats were there to celebrate survival of loved ones and the determination to move forward to a cure.
There were some top flight racers there as well. Three women had been ranked first in the area. Two of the men had as well. At the start Bert Rodriguez, 31, of Arlington, VA looked over the field but he already had a plan to break 15:00. The weather was perfect and the flat course was, “almost like a track.” He was advised that the overall went just one deep and top ranked Gurmessa Megerssa was standing close by. Megerssa had finished a solid third overall at the Van Metere 5M in 24:49 just 24 hours ago.
Rodriguez, known as an 800M specialist, could not wait. The start was a 1-2-3 countdown by visiting Redskin Cheerleaders and he was off. He quickly took the lead, following by Adam Condit and Megerssa, who loped along after him like a dog playing in the park.
The race runs down to the Capitol and then does a loop on the eastern side before returning home. As runners approached that loop, many gasped and one shouted out in surprise as these two racing titans were already heading home, racing neck and neck. The wind was pretty mild. Still, Rodriguez lamented later that maybe he should have let Megerssa take some of the lead duties. At mile 2.25 Megerssa made his move which Rodriguez could not quite cover. Megerssa scored another overall win for the year in a very nice 14:55. Rodriguez broke the magic 15:00 barrier by a second.
Almost forgotten Condit (in photo) had a nifty 15:08 to take third overall and first in his age group. Fourth place is a former rankings champion who had won the St. Patrick’s Day race three times back when it was a 10K. Philippe Rolly, 38, of Arlington, VA has been training mega miles and is gearing up for next weekend’s National Marathon. He even ran the last year’s JFK 50.2 mile in a very credible 6:52:15. He lamented that he does not have much speed right now. His time of 16:42 would make most of the rest of us very proud. With abbreviated age groups, he settled into second behind Rodriguez.
Another Frenchman took the top masters spot. Jean Christophe Arcaz, 50, of Rockville, MD was a mortal lock in the traditional 50-54 division. Today the expanded set up with 45-59, he had his work cut out for him. He succeeded in 17:14 with a close battle from Robert Denmark, 45, of Arlington, VA flying home next in 17:26.
For the women, Susannah Kvasnicka, 36, of Great Falls, VA has had 34:30 10K speed. She might have been a co-favorite with Samia Akbar,28, of Herndon, VA the Army 10M record holder from 2009 with 55:25 or Claire Hallissey, 27 of Arlington, VA (below) who had won it all at the winter’s biggest 10K, the Jingle All the Way 10K in 35:17.
Kvasnicka has been absent and healing and is pretty much starting over. Her last race was sixth overall at the Kaiser Permanente Pike’s Peek 10K in April 2010 with 35:57. Akbar had finished second overall in the Fall Runner Rankings with her 27:00 overall win at the HCS 8K in the fall. Still it was clear Kvasnicka was just getting her feet wet and Hallissey only had to hold off Akbar which she did 17:52 to 17:56. Neither were ecstatic with their times but the season has just begun. Both will be faster than 17:00 by Memorial Day. Shortly after that Kvasnicka will be there too.
In the masters division, Lisa Chilcote, 40, of Oakmont, PA keeps moving up. She took the masters division by more than two minutes, finishing in 19:02. She was ninth in the fall Runner Rankings when she was listed as from Bethesda, MD. In the winter she moved up to fifth. He time today is her best masters effort…so far.
The stream of blue race T-shirts continued on for more than an hour. After the race, there were many nice refreshments for all of the participants.
Awards Listing
MALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Gun T Net T Pace
===== ===== ====================== === ===================== ===== ===== =====
1 5 Gurmessa Megerssa 31 Washington DC 14:55 14:55 4:48
FEMALE OVERALL
Place Num Name Age City Gun T Net T Pace
===== ===== ====================== === ===================== ===== ===== =====
1 2329 Claire Hallissey 28 Arlington VA 17:52 17:51 5:45
MALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19 (NET TIME)
1 1962 Jack Beecher 19 Washington DC 17:24 17:22 5:36
2 1075 Joseph Giammittorio 18 Falls Church VA 20:08 19:52 6:24
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 1 - 19 (NET TIME)
1 2604 Gillian Kramer 16 Cheverly MD 22:55 22:48 7:21
2 2519 Christine Downie 18 Arlington VA 26:09 23:32 7:35
MALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 29 (NET TIME)
1 747 Adam Condit 27 Ashburn VA 15:08 15:08 4:53
2 263 Neal Hannan 29 Washington DC 17:09 17:08 5:31
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 20 - 29 (NET TIME)
1 3 Samia Akabar 29 Oak Hill VA 17:56 17:55 5:46
2 1950 Nikeya Green 28 Centreville VA 19:11 19:10 6:10
MALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 44 (NET TIME)
1 2050 Bert Rodriguez 31 Arlington VA 14:59 14:59 4:50
2 1105 Philippe Rolly 38 McLean VA 16:42 16:42 5:23
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 30 - 44 (NET TIME)
1 2474 Kristin Murphy 30 Newton MA 18:19 18:19 5:54
2 1560 Lisa Chilcote 40 Oakmont PA 19:02 19:01 6:08
MALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 59 (NET TIME)
1 19 Jean-Christophe Arcaz 50 Rockville MD 17:14 17:14 5:33
2 2172 Robert Denmark 45 Arlington VA 17:27 17:26 5:37
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 45 - 59 (NET TIME)
1 1998 Patti Galleher 53 Denver CO 21:06 21:03 6:47
2 2334 Cathy Grable 45 Charlotte NC 21:21 21:17 6:51
MALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 99 (NET TIME)
1 2609 Bill Ference 60 Clifton VA 23:38 23:35 7:36
2 153 Michael Loney 60 Silver Spring MD 24:18 24:14 7:48
FEMALE AGE GROUP: 60 - 99 (NET TIME)
1 906 Deborah Schnabel 61 Fairfax VA 33:03 31:52 10:16
2 573 Stephanie Dalton 67 Washington DC 36:41 35:29 11:26
With the football season far away, Redskins Cheerleaders take a look at the new Washington Running Report.
