Washington Running Club Newsletter Volume 8, Number 3 (0 1989 Washington Running Club March 1989 NOTE-NEW MEETING PLACE The Club's post-Cherry Blossom party will The MARCH Pizza Party (and meeting) of WRC be held at Marianne Dickerson's house at 1052 N. Randolph St., Arlington, Va., starting at will be held on Friday, MARCH 10,8:00 p.m., at Jack and Suzy Coffey's house, 6005 Shafer noon (April 2). The Club will provide beer, but Dr., Alexandria, Va. From Maryland go across we need food contributions. Please call Mari- Wilson Bridge and take Telegraph Rd. south anne (522-7489) or Pat Bullinger (524-8391) if exit. Go 1Y4-mile and turn left on Florence you can bring something. Lane. Take first left onto Shafer Dr. and go to 6005 Shafer on left. From DC take Rt. 1 across Beltway, at second light turn right on Hunting- Berni Creed and then Graves to secure second place in ton Ave. Go to Telegraph Rd. and turn left, and 38:17. Graves held on to third place with a 38:56. go one mile to Florence Lane and turn left. Creed finished a depressing fourth, just out of the Take first left onto Shafer Dr. money. She figured that those extra cookies she ate this The Club will provide the pizza, but you should winter added enough pounds to cost her the $50 third- bring your own liquid refreshments. place prize. To top it off, she won a prize she should try to do without-brunch for two at Ramparts. We under- stand they have delicious pastries. Results-Men: 1. Jim Hage (WRC), 31:05; 2. John GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY 10K WON BY WRC's HAGE AND BRISCOE Wessels, 31: 13; 3. David McMillan, 31: 18; 4. Chris Chattin, 31:34; 5. Rusty Moore (WRC), 31:51 (pr); by Ramona Fairfax John Sherlock, 35:37 (1st master); Chan Robbins, 36:45 Where better to hold a George Washington's Birthday (Ist 50+); Herb Chisholm (Ist 60+); Bill Osborn, 45:43 race than Alexandria, George's old stomping ground. Six (Ist 65+). hundred runners braved the 30· temperature on Febru- Women: 1. Pam Briscoe (WRC), 37:48; 2. Terry ary 18th to pay tribute to our first President (U.S. not Sweitzer, 38:17; 3. Win Graves, 38:56; 4. Berni Creed WRC) and to help raise some money for the T.e. (WRC), 39:44; 5. Joyce Rankin, 39:47 (Ist master); Williams High School Band at the George Washington's Elizabeth LaPlante, 42:05; Alicia Ruvollo, 44:37; Lilian Birthday 10K. Wolf, 56:35 (Ist 50+). There were some problems with the multiple-turn course. All but the top seven finishers ran several blocks WRC TAKES RELAY TEAM TITLES extra around the four-mile mark, adding almost two- AT G.W. BIRTHDAY MARATHON tenths of a mile to the distance. After the first seven, the next ten runners dropped out of the race unable to find by George Banker and Gerry Ives the correct route and the next runner made a new route There was a change of pace for the 28th running of that everyone else followed. the DCRRC G.W. Birthday Marathon in Greenbelt, After leading a group of fifteen runners through the Md., on Sunday, February 19, 1989. Several months ago first mile, Jim Hage pulled away from the main group DCRRC decided to add the attraction of a relay team with David McMillan and defending champion John race in conjunction with the marathon. The course, three Wessels. The three remained in a tight pack until Hage loops with several rolling hills, is a natural for this type turned on the after-burners going up a short hill after the of event. It was estimated that registration would com- six-mile point and outkicked them for the $100 win. mand about 15"20 teams, and it was a pleasant surprise In fifth place was WRC's Rusty Moore. Moore had a to get 39 teams to turn out for the event. In 1990 there stellar year in 1988, and it looks as if he's going to will be three new divisions for master runners, which continue to improve his performances in 1989. Moore's should attract an even larger turnout. 31 :51 is a two-second improvement over his all-time 10K mark set last year. Pam Briscoe had an easier time finishing first among Articles, results, and items of interest to the the women in 37:48, although Win Graves went through WRC Newsletter, should be mailed to Gerry the first two miles looking as if she might give her a Ives, 7817 Tomlinson Ave., Cabin John, MD battle for the $100 purse. Terry Sweitzer moved up from 20818. fourth position just after the two-mile mark, overtaking MARCH Washington Running Club 2 (Vol. 8) WASHINGTON RUNNING CLUB The race directors, Larry Noel and Bill Brogran, said ington Birthday 10K in Alexandria the previous day, that the marathon normally attracts about 200 runners. clocking a 31:05. Second across the line, in 52: 11, was The registration always lags up until race day because Jack Cleland, running for WRC's 'B' team, and also everyone is watching the weather, which can get tricky running the full marathon. In third place was yet an- at this time of the year. This year the sunny skies, and other WRCer, Bill Larsen, with a time of 53:02 for the relay event, brought out well over the normal field as WRC's 'A' team. Larsen continued on for another loop. the temperature neared 40· by the 10:30 a.m. start. Being a sportsman, and being a little out-of-breath, Larsen ran slightly behind teammate Bob Trost so he The Marathon couldn't be accused of pacing. The start saw John McGrail establish his position with The first female at the exchange point was, you've authority as he led the way. There was never a threat to guessed it, another WRCer-Kathy Merkel of WRC's McGrail's dominance as he settled into his pace up and 'Women Warriors.' More than five minutes back was down the rolling hills. McGrail crossed the line in Valeri Guilfoil of Howard County Striders in 61:44, 2:30:25, after the sole wheelchair competitor, Kenny followed by Renee Culbertson on the 'Honey Bees' team Carnes (2:22:14), but before the first relay team. With in 67:05. McGrail's wife, Jennifer, expecting their first child in An eight-mile second leg took the runners up to the July this might be his last marathon for a while. Second 17-mile point, the WRC 'Mad Dogs' still maintained position went to Jim O'Keefe of Baltimore, well behind their lead. The 'Mad Dog' himself, Jerry Merkel, McGrail in 2:37:18. WRC's Jack Cleland was in third crossed the line with 1:39:59 on the clock, a little more place with 2:37:56, a little over nine minutes ahead of his than three minutes ahead of Bob Trost (1:43:13) of the sixth-place finish last year. First master finisher was Ben WRC 'A' team. The Fleet Feet 'G', with a 1:44:45, was Mathews of Columbia, Md., with a 2:56:22 (8th closing fast on the second-place WRC team. Fading overall). back to sixth place was WRC's 'B' team, as James Ruth Riemenschneider of Winchester, Va., captured Scarborough brought them to the exchange area in the women's crown, clocking in at 3:07:50. Second place 1:49:40. went to Kathy Stiles of Berryville, Va., in a time of Meanwhile, WRC's Women Warriors were holding on 3:08:54. Third was Leslie Maerke of Southampton, to the lead in the women's race. Flu victim, Marianne N.Y., in a time of 3:15:11. First woman master was Lyn Dickerson, had just enough energy left to pull her Brooks of Baltimore, in a time of 3:35:15 (7th overall through the eight miles. Up until the day before the race woman). it was uncertain if Dickerson would be able to make it, The Relay but she put on a gutsy performance and more than held her own. The second place women's team was still For the relay, the course was divided into three legs- Howard County Striders, as Linda Lash hit the line in 9 miles, 8 miles, and 9.2 miles. There were 15 men's, five 2:03:21, followed by Anna Berdahl of the Honey Bees in women's, and 19 co-ed teams that finished. 2:09:00. The leading relay team member to get to the first The final leg was to prove who was the best of the 39 exchange point was Jim Hage, who clocked 50:58 for teams. Phil Woodyard brought home WRC's Mad Dogs WRC's 'Mad Dogs.' Hage had won the George Wash- in first place, with a time of 2:31 :36, despite a strong challenge from the Fleet Feet G team. Fleet Feet had held their best runner, Rudy Robinson, until last. Robin- son slipped past Robert Rodriguez at the 24-mile mark, Washington Running despite a valiant performance by the WRCer. However, despite making up 97 seconds, he couldn't catch Woo- Club dyard.Fleet Feet 'G' finished in second place in 2:34:45, PO Box 32378, Calvert Station, Washington, DC 20007. with WRC's 'A' team close behind in 2:35:34. Jim Ventura of WRC's 'B' team was directed off-course by a CLUB OFFICERS misguided course marshal and did not finish.