FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Liza Recto
301-863-8431
150 Runners Kick Off
The Inaugural Booz Allen Hamilton Lower Potomac River Marathon
One hundred fifty runners from eighteen states, the District of Columbia,
England and Japan took off in the crisp morning air as the horn sounded the
start of the Inaugural Booz Allen Hamilton Lower Potomac River Marathon on
March 6, 2005. Runners of the Chesapeake Bay Running Club's first annual
26.2-mile footrace, which started and finished at the Harry Lundeberg
School of Seamanship in Piney Point, were treated to scenic vistas of the
Potomac River from St. George's Island and Lighthouse Road before pounding
out the remaining 14.4 miles on the shoulders of Rte 249. For those not up
to tackling the full distance, there was the Michelobâ ULTRA Two-Person
Relay, which split the distance into segments of 14.6 miles and 11.6 miles.
Volunteers from sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton, the Piney Point Lighthouse
Museum, Cedar Cove Marina, and the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab lined the roads
at approximate two-mile intervals to offer liquid refreshment and energy
gels to the passing runners.
It was a race for second place as John Piggott, 39, of Williamsburg, VA
shot ahead of the pack on his way to a more than twenty-minute victory in
2:37:22, with Eric Stuber, 41, of Lansing, MI and Patrick Lynam, 50, of
Arnold, PA trailing. Stuber outlasted Lynam to take second place in
2:57:56 to Lynam's 2:58:40. Top local finisher in the men's race was Kerry
Staats, 39, of Lexington Park, veteran of over 100 marathons, who finished
sixth overall in 3:09:11.
The women's race was decided much later on the course, as Francesca Conte,
32, of Charlottesville, VA, surged past Antonia Baum, 44, of Chevy Chase,
MD in the last miles to win handily in 3:29:52. Baum finished in 3:35:15
just as Courtney Anne Granville, 30, of Washington DC, made the final turn
into the campus to cross the line in 3:38:53 for third place. Top local
woman was Cindy Hagan, 45, of Lusby, MD, fourth among the women in 3:44:47.
The race, presented by Chesapeake Bay Running Club in cooperation with St.
Mary's County Recreation and Parks, benefits the Piney Point Lighthouse
Museum and Chesapeake Bay Field Lab.
###
|
