FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
49th Washington's Birthday Marathon Strong After All These Years
Arlington, Va. January 20, 2010 - "This was my first time running this
course. My decision to do it was a combination of the fact that in the last
year or so I have switched my focus to running marathons and I live in
Hyattsville, Md., which is almost next door, so I think of it as home turf.
It's really an interesting setting for a marathon, with Greenbelt's unique
history and vibe, the Agriculture research complex, and the momentarily
disconnecting firing ranges that are audible from the course. It's
intriguing to be part of this smaller marathon that's been around for so
long. I hope it continues", stated 2008 winner (2:42:15), Christopher
Hamley
On Sunday, February 14, 2010 the DC Road Runner's Club will host the 49th
Washington's Birthday Marathon (WBM) and the 22nd three-person relay. The
race is located in Greenbelt, Maryland on the grounds of US Department of
Agriculture (USDA), National Agriculture Research Center. This is the race
your mother warned you about. The event does not offer the crowds of the
Marine Corps Marathon or New York but you will find the hospitality and the
small crowd flavor where runners are taken care of. You can be prepared for
18 hills and three loops with the excitement of a hill at mile 25. The race
is a prime trainer for the Boston Marathon.
The USATF certified course has the three lops which run counter clockwise
with a distance of 9.7 miles, 7.3 miles and the last 9.2 miles. The both
events start at 10:30 a.m., and the common exchange point for the relay is
the USDA Visitor Center. There are course marshals at key intersections
and fluid replenishment stations along the course. The strategy is to take
advantage of the flat sections of the course and use moderation to
negotiate the hills. The first loop is the confidence builder. The runners
who respect the hills always finish strong. The course is ideal for
training as it will point out your weak points and your ability to change
your movements between flat and hill running.
The registration fees are $35 for the marathon and $48 for the three-person
relay teams (Postmark February 4, 2010). Race day registration is $40
(marathon) and $60 (team). On-line registration located at
http://www.dcroadrunners.org.
Packet pick up and late registration will be at the Greenbelt Holiday Inn,
Saturday, February 13, 2010, 5:00 pm - 8:00pm. Race day pick up will be
8:30 am - 10:00am at the Greenbelt Youth Center (90 Centerway, Greenbelt,
Md., 20770). The start line is a five minute walk.
The host hotel is the Greenbelt Holiday Inn, 7200 Hanover Dr., Greenbelt,
MD 20770 (301-982-7000). Rates are guaranteed through February 2, 2010 and
request the marathon rate.
To break the event records for the marathon will require a strong desire
and determination:
Open
1978 Bobby Doyle 28 2:22:14 Baltimore, MD
1988 Rose Malloy 39 2:53:29 Annapolis, MD
Master
1969 John McDonogh 45 2:31:58 New York, NY
1993 Claudia Ciavarella 43 3:13:17 Arlington, VA
The 2009 Winners
Open
Frank Leiter 36 2:51:31 Harrisburg, PA
Anya Oleynik 20 3:10:32 Gaithersburg, MD
Master
Jim Wynn 41 3:06:25 Columbia, MD
Sarah Morrissey 40 3:34:38 Leesburg, PA
Relay
Open Men 3:00:11 Open Women 3:11:11
Master Men 3:24:33 Master Women 3:20:38
Coed 3:00:06
Hamley adds, "For me, the three loop course is very psychologically
helpful, it divides the race into distinct manageable sizes, helps with
pacing and being cautious about the hills. I had driven and run the course
once before, but still didn't have a sense of how hard it would be in a
race. I had run a 1/2 marathon two weeks before and then made sure to be
really well rested, fed and hydrated...so the hills just didn't seem too
bad and I was surprised (and quite happy!) to still feel strong going up
them in the terrible 20's. I didn't take that for granted. I was hoping to
finish somewhere between 2:40 and 2:45, and that's what happened. For a bit
of wind, the weather was almost perfect. I like the course and its hills
too."
"I am so honored to be first master woman. It was my first time running the
race. I didn't know it had 18 hills. I do run in the mountains when I go
back to Japan, where we have many serious hills. It is not because I was
awarded, but I would strongly recommend this race to anyone if they don't
mind the unpredictable weather. It was really challenging course and super
well organized. I truly enjoyed the course and the people. If I will run
the race again, I will train for hills more, so that I feel more
comfortable dealing with it", stated Yoshiko Jo of Swarthmore, Pa., 2008
master winner with a time of 3:37:30 (13th fastest winning time).
"This is my first DNF. I selected this race because I needed a training run
and thought it would be good. I didn't know the difficulty of the course.
That hill at the end is just not even funny! What's up with that? Oh, it
was brutal to even walk up it and I train on hill sin Frederick. I did
learn a lot from the race as I need to pace myself better. I also learned
that the last .2 miles of any marathon, whether, whether I run the whole
thing or not, is going to be the longest .2 of my life LOL", stated
Jennifer Sheriff of Ijamsville, Md.
There are five division for the three-person relay, open men and women,
master men and women and coed.
Marathon runners are permitted to run on a relay team but they must run the
first leg. A relay runner can only run one leg. The relay offers a good
workout and the distances are 9.7 miles, 7.3 miles, and 9.2 miles.
Volunteers are an integral part of the race and on race day they are needed
to serve as course marshals and to assist at the water stops. If you are
not able to run your support is appreciated or passes the information along
to others. The point of contact is Pat Brown (
703-576-5765.
Full race details and registration located http://www.dcroadrunners.org.
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