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Heavy running traffic keeps area hopping
By JOE SHAFRAN
The Census Bureau is telling us that the population of the United States is nearing 300 million. I would say that. on any given warm fall weekend, a goodly portion of the populace are either stuck in route 50 traffic headed for the Bay Bridge, on southbound I-97 on their way to the Renaissance Festival or either out running or getting ready for a race. Last Saturday, surrounding the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, there were electronic billboards warning of major traffic congestion over the weekend and recommending the use of Metro. It was the weekend of the Army Ten Miler. With almost 25,000 runners, plus their families and friends, it is estimated that at the Saturday packet pick-up and the exposition at a Marriot in Crystal City, Virginia, it is estimated that there were a hundred thousand people, runners and their fan clubs. I was at the expo and would you believe that among the hundred thousand, the only familiar faces were those of Craig Harrison and Lisa Fontaine of Annpolis, the directors of the Annapolis Ten Mile Run the end of August. If I were the “ inquiring reporter ”, I would speculate that the Annapolis Ten might be thinking of adding a few bodies to their mix. Craig and Lisa shut down registration when they hit 5,000... However, Annapolis is not Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. with a limitless expanse, able to easily handle 25,000. Annapolis is a very historic and confining space and 5,000 is about all we can handle. However aside from the Army Ten, to me things were abuzz about running all weekend. There was talk of the Steamtown marathon last Sunday in Scranton Pennnsylvania, with a busload of locals taking off to run it along with a bunch of midshipmen, members of the academy marathon club. Others were getting ready for the Baltimore Running Festival Saturday, the Marine Marathon the 29th of October in Washington, the Richmond on Saturday November 11th and others.
At the Steamtown at Scranton in the heart of the hardcoal country of Eastern Pennsylvania, the winner was Matt Byrne, 31, of Philadelphia, who did it in 2 hours and 21 minutes. Some of the local runners and their times were Nathan Nudelman who came in number 42 in 2:54. and Dr. Bill Tham, 514th in 3:37. Steamtown is named for the museum there that showcases the era of the steam railroads of the past.
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In this column, we’ll be trying something new: listing runners and races of note and a tip of the month, As for one of the more notable recent races … I would mention the Cliff Roop Memorial run at Kinder Farm Park last Sunday. That raises money to place AED’s the defibrillators that are used to revive people who go into cardiac arrest. The AED’s were on display at the park and I didn’t hear anyone say that they replace CPR, but the device speaks to you as you operate it, making it almost foolproof. There are numerous instances, that since they have been in use in this area, and they have saved lives. Lt. Russ Davies, an EMS officer with the Anne Arundel Fire Department and a representative of the company that makes one of the versions of the machine, were on hand to explain its use. The best way I can explain it, the unit is no bigger than a small George Foreman grill and packs a similar punch.
And as for a tip. … it’s about saving your knees. Run on grass or switch to triathlons. Not long ago, when I asked Commander Len Hamilton, in his forties, a noted marathoner, professor at the Naval Academy and coach of the Academy Triathlon Club why he gave up marathoning at such a young age, he said it was to save his knees. He now swims, bikes and runs 10 K’s with the award winning Naval Academy Triathlon club.
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Interesting tee shirt observed recently… It read: I’m a bomb squad technician. If you see me running, follow me.
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Race Results:
Metric Marathon... Sun. Oct. 1st
Southern High School, Harwood, Chip Times
Male Finishers
1. Matt Mace, 46, 1:46, 2. James Fitch, 42, 1:47, 3. Greg Hogan, 26, 1:48:20, 4. Thomas Johnson, 40, 1:48:53, 5. Paul Serra, 50, 1:49:30, 6. Josh Dorsey, 24, 1:49:55, 7. Dr. Tom Hattar, 45, 1:51:30, 8. Jeffrey Carlson, 40, 1:51: 30, 9. Prasid Geraro, 48, 1:52:32, 10. Sailesh Patel, 1:52:51.
Female Finishers
20. Margie Boyd, 1:59:02, 35. Carliegh Gregory, 2:08, 44. Jill Hargis, 2:12
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