Our 2014 Dahlgren Trail Half Marathon got off to a bumpy start thanks to some heavy winter weather. The race director (Vic Culp), in conjunction with our Friends of DRHT President (Dave Jones), opted to postpone the race a week to keep runners and volunteers safe. Personally, I was a bit dismayed when the announcement was made but after a second band of over eight inches of snow, I eventually agreed that it was the best decision to make.
Things turned out to be nearly perfect when race day arrived. Volunteers were there before 6AM to get ready for the nearly 150 runners that would eventually complete the 13.1 mile course. The sky was clear but temperatures were near freezing and many cars had frost on their windows. By the time the last runner crossed the Finish line, the sun would be out and the temperatures much more pleasant at the 55 to 60 degree mark. There was very little wind and almost no humidity.
With volunteers manning three aid stations along the course, the Start/Finish area, and the newly restored Caboose, we can’t thank them enough for their hard work. Unless you’ve volunteered at a race before, you don’t really know how much work they put into it. Sometimes I think they work harder than those of us running the race. With the fire pit going and food and drink ready, the first wave of runners left at 8AM. Every two minutes after that another wave of runners would leave on their journey through the woods of King George County.
The runners saw a few patches of semi-frozen mud and snow along the course but for the most part the trail was clear of any obstacles. Once again our volunteers worked hard to clear trees and branches before the race. With our HAM radio volunteers following the last of us running, we crossed over Indiantown Road, crossed Comorn Road, and then finally started to hear gun fire. Many new runners on the trail may find it nerve-wracking to learn the trail passes through the Northern Virginia Gun Club. I’ve never had any issues over the years and I’m thankful to have members of the Gun Club there to run an aid station for the half marathon and the 50k ultramarathon in August. They’ve saved my hide many times.
I left in the last wave and was barely three miles into my run when the lead runner was on his way to winning. The second place male runner was a few minutes behind but then the runners started coming more frequently. The top two women came through fairly close together but third place wasn’t that far behind. I tried to take a picture of everyone as they passed by and was happy to see nearly everyone was smiling.
When it comes to predicting the winners, it was a bit of a guessing game thanks to the weather. On the men’s side of the race, Alexander Hetherington was the winner with a time of 1:20:27. We predicted he would be the winner based on his previous times running the course. Mateo Ayala was second in 1:31:01 and Dennis Billings was third in 1:31:40. We predicted Dennis would podium and sure enough, he did. Allen Vaughan also proved we can predict a race by claiming first in his 60-69 age group. Local runners included Steve Dortonwas first in his age group (1:33:53), Paul Koepfinger (1:44:27), Shawn Pallotti (1:48:08), Steve Rowles (1:50:16), Jonathon Dachos (1:51:13), Steve Dillenschneider (1:55:43), Ron Del Rio (1:56:27), Brett Affholter (1:59:20), Frank Christy (2:04:05), Jeremy Millspaugh (2:06:01), George Clotfelter (2:09:41), Howard Thomas (2:38:33),Neil Richard (2:44:58),and Kenechukwu Ogbu (2:54:10).
On the women’s side of the raceLeslie DiMichele took first with a time of 1:32:40. Our predicted winner, Caroline Lauver, came in close behind with a time of 1:34:08. Local runner Alice Pallotti took third in 1:42:20. True to form, and our prediction, local runner Donna German took first in her age group in 1:51:37. Unfortunately, our wild card pick, Elizabeth Austin, came in sixth in her age group with a time of 2:19:44. It is still a solid performance to be proud of. Other local runners included Jennifer Hagewood (2:25:16), Ashley Jackson (2:29:28), Elizabeth Guthrie took second in her age group (2:36:43), Lin Jones (2:39:59), Gena Smith (2:54:11), and Kristi South (3:10:38).
In the end, everyone had a great time on a great trail and in great weather. The donuts and warm fire were a wonderful treat at the end of the race and everyone involved appreciates all the cooperation in trying to keep our parking lot intact. We didn’t want to have everyone park down the road but it did help preserve the parking lot and keep everyone from getting stuck in the mud. Until next year everyone!
Race results:
Teri Priebe’s Photos:
Neil Richard’s Photos: