The history of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon is short but impressive.
Four years ago, in its debut year, the women’s race was won by Catherine Ndereba, better known as “Catherine the Great.” In its second year, a new course record was set (1:02:37) and four American men notched qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
The crisp, cool fall weather and the picturesque setting of the Paxton Campus, provided the perfect backdrop for the fourth annual Ghost, Goblins and Ghouls Spooktacular 5k and Scarecrow Sprint Fun Run. The event had a “spooktacular” theme, complete with a costume contest, Halloween themed entertainment, and store trick or treating. Participants came dressed in an array of amazing costumes – there were superheroes, ninja turtles, Disney characters, Care Bears, princesses and a zombie bridal party – to name a few. Everyone arrived not only ready to run, but ready for the costume contest as well.
The 5k race started at 4 pm and took several hundred participants from the Paxton campus throughout the neighborhood streets. The course offered a “spooktacular” feel and is rumored to be haunted. The overall winner was Paul Schoeny, of Hamilton, Va. This was his first time running the Spooktacular 5k, and he finished in a quick 17:24. He enjoyed the race and described the course as “fast and scenic.” He found the event to be fun for the whole family and plans to return next year. On the women’s side, 36-year-old Elizabeth Hollis of Leesburg crossed the finish line first in an impressive 20:45. This was Elizabeth’s second time running the 5k and she improved her time by a full minute from the year before. In 2012, she placed third for women, and was excited for her win.
With a strong lead in the Marine Corps Marathon, Army Capt. Kelly Calway had her opportunity–run harder now or spend seven months regretting it. With an impending deployment to Kuwait waiting for her a week later, the cool day in Washington was her chance to take care of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
She was able to pull things together and close out the race with a 2:42:15, 45 seconds to spare and a 5:48 lead over Gina Slaby. She finished 25th in the 2012 Olympic Trials while running in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.
Much like Girma Bedada and Kelly Calway‘s efforts, Mike Kunzer‘s race at the Marine Corps Marathon was the culmination of years of preparation and training.
But Kunzer wasn’t focused on winning the race. He was thrilled to have finished, and it showed on his ebullient face.
Wire-to-wire.
It almost has no place in any talk about a marathon, maybe only in a tall tale. The race is too long, too grueling, too open to disruption.
Four miles into last year’s Army Ten-Miler, Kerri Gallagher surged to catch the lead pack. One of her previous miles had been just under 5:30, a pace she worried would catch up with her late in the race.
The defending champion’s goal this morning was to run 5:30s across the board. Gallagher thought it might be too ambitious, she said. But she also knew, with Olympic trials qualifier Elizabeth Maloy and Olympian Julie Culley entered in the race, 5:30s might simply be needed to win.
Running in first-year races can be a roll of the dice sometimes.
Planned water stops can disappear. The course distance can be off, or markers point you in the wrong direction.
When Amanda Garzon was making preparations to host the third annual Hydrocephalus Association 5k Run/Walk on September 29, she knew that many of the runners participating would not have a first- hand knowledge, or even an awareness of the disease. Many would be standing on the starting line on the mild Saturday morning in late September mainly because they were searching for a local, flat, and fast 5k race to include in their competition schedule. At the same time, however, Garzon, the Co-Chair of the race and the Director of Media and Marketing for the Hydrocephalus Association (HA), hoped that by drawing local attention to the HA cause, she could raise awareness and build support for finding treatment and a cure for the disease.
Garzon knows all too well about the impact hydrocephalus can have on lives. Her 13-year old daughter, Gabriela, has suffered from the disease since she was a baby, and has had 15 brain surgeries. Hydrocephalus, a condition characterized by the buildup of fluid in the ventricles of the brain, afflicts over one million Americans. Anyone can get hydrocephalus, at any age, and there is no cure. The primary treatment is the implantation of a shunt in the brain, a surgery with a high failure rate requiring repeated revisions.
The message to participants in Sunday’s Prevent the Cancer Walk/Run 5K was simple: get healthy and get tested.
According to the American Cancer Society, Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S. More than 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer and approximately 500,000 will die from cancer in 2013. Further, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly one-third (30 percent) of all cancer cases can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, and physical inactivity.
It’s Saturday morning and the sun is just starting to rise over the Potomac, spreading its orange rays over the rowers out on the water. It’s quiet and cool. The roads are empty. Near Whitlows on Wilson in Arlington, though, a sleepy Saturday morning disappears – a timing clock counts down to the 5k start time.
It’s Clarendon Day; Every September, the community celebrates the unique flavor of the Clarendon neighborhood with a street fair, live music and children’s activities. The day kicks off with a pair of 5k and 10k races, both of which start in front of the Whitlows restaurant and finish near the Rosslyn metro station.