Mid-December saw the local running scene end the year with two great races, the Annapolis Striders 15K Anniversary Run in Quiet Waters Park on Dec. 10 and the Naptown Half Marathon 10K and 5K on Dec. 16.
The Anniversary Run 15K is the last race of the Annapolis Striders Championship Series to commemorate the founding of the organization. Originally run at the end of December at the Naval Academy, it is now held the second weekend of December on the trails of Quiet Waters Park.
Held entirely within the park, the 9.3-mile race is a double loop that has many small hills and changes in scenery from open roads to a winding path through the woods with several bridge crossings that make for an interesting morning.
Race day this year saw rainy conditions for the 121 competitors with Andrey Zabinsky placing first in 54 minutes, 2 seconds, while Gabrielle McKenzie was the first female finisher in 1:00:13.
Scott Koehler led the male masters division (40 and over) in 56:06, while Kristjana Cook was first among female masters in 1:06:16. Jack Nebbia, age 16, took first in the 19-and-under male category in 1:02:59 with 14-year-old Reed Sim coming across second in 1:06:33.
In the male over-70 age group, there was quite the battle between Al Guerieri and William Watson. The 72-year-old Guerieri finished in 1:30:24 to edge the 70-year-old Watson by just under a second. Ken Power, 71, was right behind in 1:37:10. Marie Delany, 75, took first in female over 70 category in 2:04:22.
Meanwhile, the Naptown Half Marathon, 10K and 5K, organized by TCR Event Management, had good weather this year, especially for a December race, with runners taking a tour of downtown and for those in the half marathon a run to the B&A Trail for a return to Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.
The half marathon saw 387 finishers with the 10K having 255 and the 5K totaling 181. In the half marathon, Connor Jops finished first in 1:15:35 (5:46/mile) and the first female was Jennifer Jackson in 1:27:16 (10th overall).
The top Annapolitans on the male side were Noland Guercio (1:30), Sam Sheeder (1:32) and Christopher Hurst (1:33), and on the female side Meghan Hubley (1:35), Kim Walker (1:45) and Izzie Baldwin (1:46).
Congratulations to both races and their organizers for putting on races in December.
First Day Hikes
The annual “First Day Hikes” in Maryland state parks kicks off Dec. 31 and runs through Jan. 2. You can choose from more than 60 hikes across 40 state parks, including ranger-led and self-guided options for the whole family and many opportunities to explore the trails during runs of varying distances.
Locally, Sandy Point State Park will hold its ranger-led hikes on Jan. 1 (10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) with participants meeting at the South Beach Plaza for a three-mile loop along the Chesapeake Bay coastline and through the Blue Crab trail. Leashed dogs are welcome to come along.
A little further afield is a ranger-led hike in Charles County at 2 p.m. Jan. 1 at Smallwood State Park in Marbury. Over the course of 2.6 miles, this scenic and historical guided hike along the Generals Walk Trail, named after General William Smallwood of the Revolutionary War rests right along Mattawoman Creek, a name derived from the Algonquian compound word Mataughquamend, “where one goes pleasantly.”
Hikers will go over the Mattawoman Creek to the general’s retreat home, and venture through the colonial tobacco barn. Finishers will receive a First Day Hike 2024 achievement sticker and, with the rangers and fellow hikers, enjoy a relaxing campfire overlooking the creek at the end of the journey.
And for those seeking a timed event, the “Race up the Ridge” will take place 10 a.m. Jan. 1 in Greenbrier State Park in Boonsboro. Participants will race up the steep and rocky Bartman Hill trail (six-tenths of a mile) and back down.
Registration is required and participants will be sent off in heats of 10 runners at a time. For more information on all of the First Day Hikes visit: dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/firstdayhikes.aspx
Calendar
Jan. 28 (8 a.m.): Eternal Winter 6-Hour Run, Greenbury Point. Information: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/EternalWinter6HourRun
Jan. 2024: Annapolis Striders Champ Series Registration. Information:
https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/AnnapolisStridersChampionshipSeriesRaces
Feb. 24: Hashawha Trails 50K, Westminster. Information: https://new.vhtrc.org/races/hh
March 9: Annapolis Running Festival, Navy Marine Corps Stadium. Information:
https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/AnnapolisRunningFestival