Wednesday, November 1, 2017

September/October 2017

The Howard County Striders Racing Team has had a busy fall racing season! Team members have raced everything from the mile to the marathon in the past couple months. The most popular and most competitive race in the fall is the Army Ten Miler in Washington, D.C. This year, runners had to deal with unusually high humidity, so no one set a PR. But many team members placed in their awards categories, including Julia Roman-Duval who placed 2nd overall and 1st in her age group.

Army Ten Miler Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
2Julia Roman-Duval59:171st 35-39
11Caroline Bauer1:02:013rd 30-34
41Beth Hannon1:08:33
50Erin Chamberlin1:09:33
60Kelly Westlake1:10:301st 45-49
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
96Craig Lebro59:51
116Conrad Orloff1:00:52
204Ed Wilson1:03:572nd 55-59
244Adam Wytko1:04:50
254Jason Tripp1:05:10
1101Yasuo Oda1:16:50


Racing team members at the Army Ten Miler


Breaking it down by race distance:

All these fall races have paid off! Listed below are the racing team entrants in the 2018 Boston Marathon:
  • Stephanie Caporaletti
  • Rachel Collins
  • Conrad Fernandes
  • Craig Lebro
  • Yasuo Oda
  • Conrad Orloff
  • Eric Schuler
  • Jason Tripp
  • Ed Wilson


Next up for the racing team: Run Through the Grapevine 8K!

Thursday, August 31, 2017

July/August 2017

The Striders Racing Team began July with the one-time Columbia 5.0 Mile Race hosted by the Howard County Striders. The race was part of the Columbia 50th Birthday celebrations held throughout 2017. Runners were met with the hot and humid conditions that are typical for an early July race, but still performed well against the competition. Amanda Beal and Rachel Collins took first and second overall respectively while Eric Schuler and Kevin Ford took second and third overall on the men's side. All other racing team members who competed took home an age group award.

Columbia 5.0 Mile Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
1Amanda Beal32:20
2Rachel Collins37:10
4Tammy Liu38:121st Master
6Tiffany Hevner38:571st 35-39
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
2Eric Schuler27:27
3Kevin Ford29:04
6Mark Landree29:561st 45-49
7Jason Tripp30:092nd 45-49
11Tunde Morakinyo31:241st Grandmaster
12Adam Wytko31:262nd 35-39
14Brian Shadrick32:022nd 40-44
19Yasuo Oda33:551st 55-59
John Chall34:041st Senior Grandmaster


The other big summer race for the Racing Team was the Annapolis Ten Miler at the end of August. Runners enjoyed cooler than usual temperatures on what is usually a hot and humid weekend. Julia Roman-Duval took 1st place overall while Eric Schuler led the men's team, taking 5th overall. In the unofficial team scoring (top 3 on each team scored), the women's team took 1st place and the men's team was the runner up to their rivals in the Georgetown Running Club.

Annapolis 10M Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
1Julia Roman-Duval1:00:03
4Beth Hannon1:05:411st 30-34
5Amanda Beal1:05:441st 35-39
7Noel McCracken1:07:332nd 30-34
9Stephanie Caporaletti1:08:022nd 35-39
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
5Eric Schuler55:471st 20-24
9Andrew Madison57:33
26Adam Wytko1:00:45
28Jason Tripp1:01:231st 45-49
33Kent Werner1:02:27
47Tunde Morakinyo1:04:193rd Grandmaster
65Ed Wilson1:06:272nd 55-59
105John Chall1:09:101st 60-64


Racing team members at the Annapolis Ten Miler


Here are some of the highlights from the rest of the summer:
  • Several racing team members kicked off the 4th of July festivities at the Arbutus Firecracker 10K: Eric Schuler (34:42, 3rd overall, 2nd AG 20-29), Mark Landree (37:54, 8th overall, 3rd AG 40-49), and Brian Shadrick (41:19, 14th overall).
  • At the Howard County Striders Meet of Miles (1M race on the track), Carlos Renjifo was the top finisher in 4:37 while Brian Shadrick took 3rd place in 4:53
  • Brian Shadrick continued his busy summer racing schedule at the Baltimore Road Race 5K, running 17:48 and taking 4th overall and 1st Master. In August, he ran the Coolest Mile on Main Street in Sykesville, placing 2nd in 4:42. The following week he won the Survivor Strong 5K in a time of 18:29. While training for all these races, Brian also had time to organize the Howard County Striders Centennial Mile series!
  • Beth Hannon was the top female finisher (and 5th overall) at the Lisa Wade 5K in a time of 19:23. A few weeks later, she finished third at the Frederick Women's Distance Festival, running 19:08.
  • Craig Lebro travelled down to the Crystal City Twilighter 5K. He ran 17:09 and finished 37th.
  • Amanda Beal and Mark Landree went to Anne Arundel County to run the Dog Days 8K cross country race. Amanda was the top female finisher in 32:41 while Mark ran 29:52 to finish 7th overall and 1st in his age group. The Dog Days 8K is part of the RRCA Maryland Grand Prix race series. In the standings, Mark has a comfortable lead in the 45-49 age group and needs one more race to qualify for an award. Amanda is currently in a close second place in her age group category and also needs one more race in the series to qualify for an award.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

May/June 2017

May began with the 2nd annual Spring Hops 5K, hosted by the Howard County Striders. The cross country race follows a similar course as the Striders' Run Through the Grapevine 8K, but the race is beer themed rather than wine themed. Runners were rewarded with a complimentary beer from Red Shedman Brewery, which was located at the start/finish line. On the men's side, Racing Team members Eric Schuler, Mark Eagles, and Jason Tripp swept the top three spots. Yasuo Oda, Rachel Collins, and Tammy Liu Hermstein all took home age group awards. Racing team members who were looking for a longer race on the same day made a slightly longer trip out to Frederick for the annual half marathon. Craig Lebro took 2nd overall in 1:17:02 while Julia Roman-Duval was the third female finisher in 1:19:48.

Spring Hops 5K Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
8Rachel Collins26:413rd 35-39
9Tammy Liu Hermstein26:501st 50-54
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
1Eric Schuler20:21
2Mark Eagles21:04
3Jason Tripp21:481st Master
18Yasuo Oda25:061st 55-59


Frederick Half Marathon Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
3Julia Roman-Duval1:19:481st 30-34
16Noel McCracken1:33:09
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
2Craig Lebro1:17:02
6Kevin Ford1:18:06
17Ed Wilson1:23:361st Master


Racing team members started strong in June with the Baltimore Ten Miler and the Bel Air Town Run 5K, both fast and competitive races in Maryland. In Baltimore, Eric Schuler took third overall, while Jason Tripp, Ed Wilson, and Tunde Morakinyo each earned an age group award. Amanda Beal took 2nd place overall in Bel Air (running a new PR) while Rachel Collins, Mark Loeffler, and John Chall won age group prizes.

Baltimore Ten Miler Results:
PlNameTimeNotes
3Eric Schuler55:17
16Jason Tripp1:00:391st 40-44
26Ed Wilson1:04:181st 50-54
27Tunde Morakinyo1:04:272nd 50-54


Bel Air Town Run 5K Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
2Amanda Beal18:59 (PR)
6Rachel Collins21:243rd 35-39
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
12Mark Eagles17:20
15Mark Loeffler17:381st 35-39
52John Chall20:051st 50-59


Morakinyo, Tripp, Schuler, and Wilson at the Baltimore Ten Miler


The Howard County Striders hosted a Women's Distance Festival 5K on June 24th. Julia Roman-Duval took first place in 17:03, Noel McCracken was 2nd in 19:39, and Rachel Collins took 4th overall in 20:57.

Other notable race results:
  • Mark Loeffler won both the NASA Goddard 10K and 2M (one week apart), running 37:18 and 11:04 respectively
  • Beth Hannon won the Maryland Half Marathon for the third year in a row, running a PR 1:27:32
  • Mark Landree, competing in the MD RRCA Grand Prix series, took 9th place at the Germantown 5M, running 29:03 (PR)
  • Tammy Liu Hermstein ran both the Hills of Milltown 5K and the AFCEA 5K, running 24:21 and 22:24, respectively
  • In the marathon: Kevin Ford ran 2:52:12 at the Vermont City Marathon while Adam Wytko ran 2:59:36 at the Youngstown Marathon (4th overall and 1st in his age group)
  • Amanda Beal won the Dawson's Fathers Day 10K with a PR 40:11

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

April 2017

April was a busy month for the Howard County Striders Racing Team. Many team members competed in some of the biggest races of the year this past month, with many setting new PRs. The month began with the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, one of the most competitive races in the area. Julia Roman-Duval led the women's team, placing 16th overall and 9th among American women while setting a new PR. Ed Wilson set a grand-master's racing team record and picked up an age group award, running a PR 1:00:44. A few more racing team members competed in the Cherry Pit Ten Miler on the same day in Annapolis. Amanda Beal led the women's field with a winning time of 1:04:27, which was also a new PR. Adam Wytko took 3rd overall while Mark Landree placed 6th overall and was the first masters runner.

Cherry Blossom Ten Miler Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
16Julia Roman-Duval58:09 (PR)
22Beth Hannon59:53 (PR)
29Caroline Bauer1:01:08
40Tori Berard1:02:56
75Kelly Westlake1:04:472nd 40-44
99Noel McCracken1:06:02 (PR)
310Tammy Liu Hermstein1:13:25 (PR)
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
38Carlos Renjifo52:32
40Andrew Madison52:49
50Kevin Ford55:22 (PR)
55Mark Buschman55:49
78Mark Loeffler57:33 (PR)
149Ed Wilson1:00:44 (PR, RTR)2nd 50-54
216Tunde Morakinyo1:03:05


Cherry Pit Ten Miler Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
1Amanda Beal1:04:27 (PR)
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
3Adam Wytko59:36
6Mark Landree1:01:03 (PR)1st Masters


Racing Team Members at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler


The next big race was Clyde's 10K, organized by the Howard County Striders. The racing team had a strong showing at the race. Eric Schuler and Luke Janik led the men's field, placing top two overall while Noel McCracken took second place among women. Mark Landree ran a PR for the second week in a row, while picking up the first place prize for his age group. The hillier course prevented any one else from running a PR, but many team members won age group awards.

Clyde's 10K Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
2Noel McCracken41:18
13Rachel Collins46:303rd 35-39
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
1Eric Schuler34:35
2Luke Janik35:12
5Craig Lebro35:48
8Adam Wytko35:561st 35-39
11Mark Landree36:20 (PR)1st 45-49
12Mark Eagles36:501st 20-24
13Mark Loeffler37:202nd 35-39
15Tunde Morakinyo38:561st Grand Master
19Brian Shadrick40:24
30John Chall41:472nd 55-59
37Yasuo Oda42:213rd 55-59


The racing team followed Clyde's with another competitive local 10K at Pikes Peek. The net downhill course and pleasant weather led to several PRs and many fast times. Carlos Renjifo led the men's team, placing 6th overall, while Caroline Bauer led the Striders women, placing 7th overall.

Clyde's 10K Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
7Caroline Bauer37:40
30Linda-Lou O'Connor43:473rd 45-49
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
6Carlos Renjifo31:31
17Kevin Ford33:30
20Luke Janik33:54 (PR)
24Mark Loeffler34:35 (PR)2nd 35-39
33Ryan Bull35:46
36Adam Wytko35:533rd 35-39
37Mark Eagles36:09
44Tunde Morakinyo37:071st 50-54
67Brian Shadrick38:54 (PR)
104John Chall40:422nd 55-59
119Yasuo Oda41:413rd 55-59


Racing Team Members at the Pikes Peek 10K


Several racing team members made the trip to Boston for the 121st Boston Marathon. Runners dealt with warm, sunny conditions but still managed to run fast times on the prestigious course.

121st Boston Marathon Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTime
80Beth Hannon2:59:33
Men's Results
PlNameTime
228Eric Schuler2:42:08
1135Conrad Orloff2:57:37
1465Ed Wilson3:01:09
2311Jason Tripp307:02


With so many fast races in April, many of the racing team members will probably take some time off. But you can still catch some of them out running at the Howard County Striders Spring Hops 5K or the Frederick Half Marathon.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

March 2017

The Striders Racing Team had a handful of big races in March as the spring racing season got underway. Many runners competed in the annual Shamrock 5K in downtown Baltimore. The St. Patrick's day themed race attracts top racing talent with its fast downhill course and cash prizes. Carlos Renjifo led the men with a second place finish in 15:25 while Caroline Bauer led the women with a third place finish in 17:37. Beth Hannon, Amanda Beal, Kevin Ford, and Mark Loeffler all ran PRs, while many received age group awards for their performances.

Shamrock 5K Results:
Women's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
3Caroline Bauer17:373rd overall
4Beth Hannon17:51 (PR)1st 30-39
Amanda Beal19:01 (PR)
Linda-Lou O-Connor20:381st master
Tammy Liu21:281st 50-54
Men's Results
PlNameTimeNotes
2Carlos Renjifo15:25
3Andrew Madison15:36
11Kevin Ford16:19 (PR)
18Ryan Bull16:45
19Craig Lebro16:45
21Mark Loeffler16:56 (PR)
23Adam Wytko17:00
28Jason Tripp17:122nd 40-44
29Mark Eagles17:20
41Brian Shadrick18:073rd 40-44
50Tunde Morakinyo18:301st 50-54
80John Chall19:271st 55-59
95Yasuo Oda20:022nd 55-59


Racing Team Members at the Shamrock 5K


While some Striders member stuck to the shorter distances, those training for spring marathons like Boston chose to race longer distances. At the Rock & Roll DC races, Eric Schuler and Kelly Westlake ran the half marathon while Ed Wilson ran the full marathon. Eric finished 11th overall in 1:11:14 (PR) to place 1st in the 20-24 age group. Kelly ran 1:29:42 and won first place masters. Ed finished in 3:16:50. Caroline Bauer and Linda Lou O'Connor traveled to Virginia Beach to run the Anthem Half Marathon. Caroline won the race in 1:19:55 (PR) while Linda-Lou ran 1:35:30 to win the 45-49 age group. In the Tim Kennard River Run in Salisbury, Tori Berard finished 3rd in 1:05:16.
Eric Schuler finishing the Rock & Roll DC Half Marathon


April promises to be a busy month for racing team members. Runners will compete in the Cherry Blossom 10M (April 2nd), the Boston Marathon (April 17th), Pike's Peek 10K (April 23rd), and the Clyde's 10K Howard County Striders.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

February 2017

Racing team members began February with the annual Penguin Pace 5K. The yearly event supports the Bain Senior Center in Columbia, MD, which also serves start and finish for the race. The Bain Center also hosts the post-race brunch provided by the Elkridge Furnace Inn, a race sponsor. The racing team cleaned up the awards at the Penguin Pace, sweeping the top 3 overall awards on both the men's and women's side. Many racing team members also won age group awards. Performances by racing team members are highlighted below. Click here for full results

Women's Results
PlNameTimeAward
1Caroline Bauer19:061st overall
2Beth Hannon19:321st 30-39
3Amanda Beal20:242nd 30-39
5Linda Lou O'Connor22:061st 40-49
6Tammy Liu Hermstein22:471st 50-59
Men's Results
PlNameTimeAward
1Andrew Madison17:081st overall
2Adam Wytko17:371st 30-39
3Mark Loeffler17:562nd 30-39
5Mark Landree18:142nd 40-49
10Mark Eagles18:552nd 20-29
13Brian Shadrick19:17
14Tunde Morakinyo19:241st 50-59
16Ed Wilson19:532nd 50-59
20John Chall20:353rd 50-59
35Bobby Gessler22:351st 60-69


John Chall and Tunde Morakinyo, Penguin Pace 50-59 age group winners

Adam Wytko and Mark Loeffler, Penguin Pace 30-39 age group winners


Brian Shadrick went up to Druid Hill Park in Baltimore for the Cupid's Crush 5 Miler. He placed 8th overall in 33:27 and won first place masters.
Brian Shadrick

The racing team wrapped up February with their most important race of the year: the RRCA Club Challenge 10 Miler! Each year, the racing team represents the Striders against all other running clubs in Maryland and DC. The women's team, not bothered by the strong winds, took home a collection of trophies. They won the overall, under-40, and grand-master team awards while placing 2nd in the master's division. On the men's side, the grand-master's team finished 2nd, just 5 points behind the winning Montgomery County team. They placed 3rd in all other divisions (overall, under-40, and master's), losing to rivals Georgetown and Falls Road running clubs in each division. Julia Roman-Duval was victorious individually with a winning time of 1:00:04. Andrew Madison led the men's team, placing 8th overall in a time of 54:05. Click here for all individual and team results.

Women's Results
PlNameTime
1Julia Roman-Duval1:00:04
4Caroline Bauer1:02:03
9Beth Hannon1:03:48
11Tori Berard1:04:09
16Amanda Beal1:06:03
45Linda-Lou O'Connor1:12:14
69Tammy Liu Hermstein1:17:17
Men's Results
PlNameTime
8Andrew Madison54:05
10Eric Schuler54:17
11Carlos Renjifo54:20
23Kevin Ford56:25
28Mark Buschman57:00
34Luke Janik58:13
37Craig Lebro58:40
42Mark Loeffler59:23
44Adam Wytko59:26
51Jason Tripp1:00:12
54Ryan Bull1:00:27
92Ed Wilson1:04:41
112Tunde Morakinyo1:06:14
151Yasuo Oda1:09:31
152John Chall1:09:28


Racing team members at the RRCA Club Challenge 10M

Finally, the racing team welcomed Luke Janik as its newest member. Luke currently attends Northeastern University in Boston where he competes with the school running club. He is currently working a Co-Op in the Maryland area for several months.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

January 2017

The Striders Racing Team began the new year with the annual Striders Resolution Run 8K in Columbia. Unlike past years when the prediction run was held on New Years Day, this year's event was held on New Years Eve. Several racing team members participated before enjoying their new years celebrations. Yasuo Oda was the closest team member to the winning time, finishing only 18 seconds before 3:00pm.

Racing Team MemberFinishing Time
Jason Tripp2:58:08.39pm
Eric Schuler2:59:13.81pm
Bobby Gessler2:59:18.80pm
Noel McCracken2:59:19.00pm
Yasuo Oda2:59:42.64pm
Tammy Hermstein3:00:30.77pm
John Chall3:00:55.26pm
Kelly Westlake3:01:52.21pm


Maryland road races are few and far between in January, but Caroline Bauer traveled to Florida to participate in the Key West Half Marathon. She placed sixth overall and second among women, running a time of 1:23:06.

The racing team got a rare opportunity to dress up in non-running clothes to attend the annual Striders Banquet. Several racing team members received yearly awards at the banquet.
AwardRecipient(s)
Most Improved Runner of the Year - FemaleCaroline Bauer
Rachel Collins
Beth Hannon
Most Improved Runner of the Year - MaleMark Landree
Senior Grand Master Runner of the Year - MaleMick Slonaker
Grand Master Runner of the Year - MaleTunde Morakinyo
Master Runner of the Year - FemaleKelly Westlake
Master Runner of the Year - MaleJason Tripp
Runner of the Year - FemaleJulia Roman-Duval
Runner of the Year - MaleEric Schuler

Racing team members at the annual banquet and awards ceremony

The racing team welcomed two new members to the team in January. Amanda Beal, a former runner at the University of Pittsburgh, joined the Elite Team after running qualifying times at Clyde's 10K and the Down's Park 5 Miler. Adam Wytko rejoined the Development Team after taking some time off due to injuries.

The Racing Team will begin February with the Striders Penguin Pace 5K on February 5th at the Bain Center in Columbia, MD. They will also compete in the RRCA Club Challenge 10M on February 26th at Howard Community College.