5K start with Woody Wilson

For decades the Home Run 10K has been a chance for runners to traverse the rolling hills on Montrose Road in Rockville, MD. The event started on a gorgeous last day of summer. On the south side of the Panera Restaurant runners lined up for the 10K race that would be followed ten minutes later by a 5K race. On the other side of the restaurant, there was loads of food and drink as good as you can find at any race awaiting the runners’ return.

The 5K no longer sneaks into the neighborhood at the midway point but follows Montrose to near 270 the same as the 10K. The longer race heads up the road and circle around to Wooton Parkway nearly making it to the Pike before returning the roller coaster ride back home.

The first two runners returning turned off Montrose onto East Jefferson for the final quarter mile in tandem, almost tied together. Both youngsters picked up the pace a little for the final sprint across the parking lot but did not seemed too concerned who would get the victory. Reuben Winston (#260) got the lean over Harry Wandersman (#249) by .07 seconds. In a race with four teenagers in the top ten, third place Anhang George, 51, was the top master in 19:06. Paige Waterman, 47, was tenth overall as the first woman as well as the top master. Runner-up Deborah Marcus arrived a couple minutes later in 23:34, followed closely by Christina Washington in 23:41.

The first thirty or so racers were in the 5K but as always it is to tell by different finishing kick styles which race runners were entered in. When the police motorcycle turned the corner, we knew the 10K champion would be coming next. All of the true 10K runners would have a 5K split recorded and Kunihiko Hayashi, 38, of Rockville, MD had earned his 18:13 side by side with Jack Conant, 24, of Harpers Ferry, WV. On the way back Hayashi separated to win in 36:10 with Conant trailing in 36:41. Masters racer Andres Wright of Frederick, MD is back after a layoff from local running with a very nice 38:12 for fourth place but he was bested by Craig Chasse (37:38) for masters honors. Chasse made up some ground on sixth place Ted Poulos who currently leads the way in the RacePacket Grand Prix Series. Before Poulos could finish Woody Wilson took his big head across the 5K finish line in 29:34.

Following top grandmaster Poulos is Bill Stahr in a very nice 44:16, his fastest 10K of the year. Stahr’s race was his 299th race of the year. He trails the world record holder, Poulos, who ran 337 races in 2003. Third grand master Mike Cannon is not too shabby at 45:38 for his 85th race of the year. He held off Jason Parks, 8, who is one seventh his age. Parks was golden in 45:56. Dave McSherry, another member of the 50 Plus Club has more than 75 10K races this year well on pace to break his own record of 90 from 2013.

For the women, Emmie Perchak, 27, of West Milford, NJ won easily in 45:01. Ruth Taylor was second in 46:59 and ran the other Grand Prix event, the Kensington 8K (results), to move her up closer Myra Washington for fifth place in the series. Fifty-eight year old Mary Lowe Mayhugh earned third place in 47:26 to ease by Liz Hollis, who ran at Kensington, in the Grand Prix Series.

In photo race Director Robin Lerner (l) gets awards ready for the top three women in the 10K, lined up third to first.

Full race day results.