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Sisay, Akbar set event records in accompanying half-marathon
By Steve Nearman, Running USA wire
WASHINGTON, D.C. - (March 29, 2008) - Michael Wardian quickly dispatched a decent field at the 3rd SunTrust National Marathon on Saturday at RFK Stadium.
That gave him more time to think about getting to the airport by noon, flying to Knoxville and preparing for a marathon in that city the next morning.
"I just went out hard and I kept going," said Wardian, who had nearly a minute on his closest pursuer by the midpoint and nearly four minutes by the finish in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 59 seconds.
Prior to the race, the 6-foot, 145-pound ultra-marathoner expressed concern about two competitors, especially since he had suffered from flu-like symptoms and a sore throat while moving into a new home during the week of the race.
His health was not a factor, nor was Kenyan Charles Kamindo (best time 2:15) who dropped out the race. His other concern was Samuel Gebremichael, an Ethiopian training in Hyattsville, Md., who had outrun Wardian for the win at Shamrock just two weeks before. After the opening mile, Wardian never saw Gebremichael until the finish chute.
The win, in an event record, was no surprise to anybody, including Wardian. The 33-year-old Arlington resident had been triumphant in the other two editions of the National Marathon.
The surprised victor was Myriam Grenon in the women's marathon. She, too, ran solo for most of the race, except that because the half-marathon participants ran the first 13.1 miles with the marathoners, she didn't realize she was leading the marathon until after 22 miles.
The 39-year-old mother of four from Longueuil near Montreal who had never placed better than fifth in six previous marathons won in 2:54:51, nearly seven minutes out in front and good for 26th overall in her first 26.2-mile race in the United States.
It was by sheer coincidence that Grenon and her husband were entered in the marathon, coming to the Washington area to watch their 15-year-old daughter Steffi play in a soccer tournament in Richmond hours after the race.
"I had expected to run 2:52," Grenon said in French while her husband, Serge St-Antoine, interpreted for her after he completed the tour of the neighborhoods of the nation's capital about six minutes quicker. "I thought there'd be more competition."
The competition was in the accompanying half-marathons, where 19-year-old Ezkyas Sisay, an Ethiopian training in Washington, dashed any plans Christopher Raabe of Washington had of repeating his 2007 triumph here. The 2006 Ethiopian steeplechase champion ran 1:06:17, an event record, to edge Raabe by seven seconds.
The women's half-marathon field was loaded with half a dozen athletes sharpening for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston in three weeks. Samia Akbar of Herndon, Va. controlled the race as expected, yielding the lead only briefly after five miles to Ethiopian and frequent area racer Teyba Naser. Akbar cruised in 1:16:31, another event record, with Naser following in 1:17:00.
"This was a great confidence builder," said Akbar, a 2:34 marathoner who has a legitimate shot for a spot on the Beijing Olympic team. "I haven't raced much in the past few months. Training has been going very well and I'm healthy. I think I can PR in Boston."
Other Trials qualifiers, from third through seventh, were Abby Dean of Philadelphia (1:17:34), Briana Whaley of Culpeper, Va. (1:18:17), 2006 National Marathon champ Susan Graham-Gray of Greencastle, Pa. (1:19:07), Emily LeVan of Wiscasset, Maine (1:19:47) and Phebe Ko of Baltimore (1:19:58).
A total of 4,090 starters - 1,387 marathon finishers and 2,640 half-marathon finishers - were treated to spectacular views of the Capitol from several different vantage points along the course. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty enjoyed the marathon course and the cool temps, sporting Bib #1 and nailing a personal record 3:40:10.
POSTSCRIPT - Wardian said he "was really pleased with the effort" in Knoxville the next day but he was disappointed that he couldn't improve on his runner-up status from last year's Knoxville Marathon. He said he led from mile 2 to 24 before falling to third Sunday in 2:29:50. "I guess my legs weren't as fresh as they could have been," he offered.
3rd SunTrust National Marathon - Washington, DC, Saturday, March 29, 2008
MEN
1) Michael Wardian (VA), 2:24:59*, $2000
2) Samuel Gebremichael (ETH), 2:28:53, $800
3) Brendon Moody (OH), 2:29:42, $700
4) Philippe Rolly (VA), 2:32:39, $500
5) David Hryvniak (VA), 2:33:27, $300
*Event record (previous record, 2:26:35, Michael Wardian, 2007)
WOMEN
1) Myriam Grenon (CAN), 2:54:51, $2000
2) Denise Knickman (MD), 3:01:39, $800
3) Nicole Hugie (WA), 3:09:53, $700
4) Amanda Starr (PA), 3:11:05, $500
5) Karen Grabowski (IL), 3:12:28, $300
Half-Marathon
MEN
1) Ezkyas Sisay (ETH), 1:06:17*, $1000
2) Christopher Raabe (DC), 1:06:24, $500
3) Will Christian (VA), 1:06:55, $250
4) Paolo Natali (DC), 1:09:22, $200
5) Adam Condit (VA), 1:09:50, $100
*Event record (previous record, 1:07:10, Christopher Raabe, 2007)
WOMEN
1) Samia Akbar (VA), 1:16:31*, $1000
2) Teyba Naser (ETH), 1:17:00, $500
3) Abby Dean (PA), 1:17:34, $250
4) Briana Whaley (VA), 1:18:17, $200
5) Susan Graham-Gray (PA), 1:19:07, $100
*Event record (previous record, 1:21:01, Tamara Lave, 2007)
More results at: NationalMarathon.com
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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