By Tim O’Keefe

Welcome to the awards ceremony for the 35th running of the Summer Decathlon Series. For 10 Wednesday evenings over the summer a large group of Steeplechaser runners gathered at the Frederick High School track and joined in the fun of racing distances from 200 meters up to 2 miles. 110 different runners participated…38 women & 72 men. There were lots of families, groups of training partners, runners who had never been in a track race before, and stalwart veterans of the 400 meter oval. The youngest runner was G G Thompson who ran the mile & edged out her father TJ at the finish line. Our most veteran runner was 86 year old Ron Chiariello who loves testing himself on the track. Most of the runners attended most of the races but there were 9 who managed to run all ten races including John Way who completed 159 decathlon races in a row. 16 years of not missing a race! If that’s not enough, John has run 85 races so far this year including 8 races in 9 days over the past 2 weeks.There were incredible displays of athleticism including 6 men racing the mile in under 5 minutes and 7 men going sub 60 seconds for the 400 meter. One of our award winners won every single race she ran…all 10! Spoiler alert!!! She was not the womens champion! My particular favorite was Amos DesJardin who ran a marathon on Sunday July 25 (3:30 maybe?), came to the decathlon Wednesday, ran the 2nd heat of the mile in 6:35, jumped in the 3rd heat of the mile minutes later & ran a 5:40. That’s the kind of fun we have in the decathlon!

To make the series even more fun Kristen Burns Watkins from Charm City Running had a make your own sundae Ice Cream Social following the 400 meter race. On a hot night, there were a lot of appreciative runners. To add to the excitement, she also donated 10 x $10 gift cards to use as prizes. Not stopping there, she donated hydration mix and sponsored a shoe demo night where the runners could test out a variety of shoes. She definitely upped our game this year. 

The series is a totally volunteer run event from timing, organizing, recording, and set up. I was amazed how I would get to the race and set up the sign in sheet, turn around and all the equipment was set in place. People just grabbed things and got them where they needed to be. Same with clean up…everyone pitched in. 2 volunteers that made every event run smooth were Johanna Schick and Jake Sisler. Jake became our master timer and ensured everyone got an accurate recorded time for their race. Johanna organized the finish cards for the heats and made sure every runner had a person going out to get their name and age. Two huge jobs that are the foundation of a successful decathlon. Many thanks to Katie Davis who parlayed an injury into helping out with the finish line organization. Carey Ahr was again remarkable in not only getting the results out super fast but making sure they were accurate. Our hosts and hostesses made sure the event stayed fun by providing freeze pops for the kids race and then extras inhaled by “the big kids”. They also came up with fun prizes for the relays at the end. Many thanks to Art Gregory & Ruth Taylor, Johanna Schick & Jake Sisler, Ron & Bev Black, Heidi & Larry O’Hara, Scott & Melissa Wallace, Paul Christiansen, and John Way. Lou King and Harriet Langlois had all the goodies set to go but unfortunately that was the night of the cancellation. I’m pretty sure Lou finished the last of the freeze pops last week. Lou was also amazing at organizing and recording 10 heats of the 400 meter race. No easy task when you are trying to get a runners name and age who is getting over oxygen debt and sweating all over you.

Many thanks also to Michele Newton and the FSRC executive board for again making this a free event for club members. And a special thanks to Barb Cosgrove and Michele Newton for jumping in at the last minute to organize this picnic!

You’ll hear a lot about Age Grading and percentages in the awards. If you race and look at your results posted on the website, the last column is that percentage. In simple terms that percentage comes from how your time compares to the fastest runners in the world for your age. The higher the percentage the closer you become to being the fastest runner in the world. A mental visual for this…in the 60% range, you are a very good runner most likely placing in the top 10 for your age group in local races. In the 70% range you are winning local races and placing high in races at a state level. If you are running 71% or better, you should be on the Steeps Racing Team! 80% puts you in elite status…you are winning regional and placing high nationally. Runners who are in the 90% range are national and world class runners…very few locally reach this stratospheric level. Believe it or not we have one…and he is a world record holder! Remember, this is by age …the super fast runners that win local races are usually young and they are being compared to world record holders. So here we go…

The award for 10th place for the men goes to 16 year old MILES GHIM. With the number of runners completing all ten races, it is especially impressive that Miles could crack the top 10 with only 6 races. That also gives you a clue as to the speed of Miles. The rising junior on the Thomas Johnson High School track and cross country team was continually up with the lead pack in every race & always finished in the top 5. His AG percentage ranged from 77% to 83%…very elite running. His best finish was in the 1500 where he ran a 4:30 placing him 3 overall & 2nd in AG. That was an 80% effort. He also ran a stellar 2 mile in 10:41 which AG to a 10:03 & 2nd place. Congratulations to Miles & best wishes for a great cross country season.

For the ladies, 10th place belonged to AINSLEY CAIN. The 37 year old missed the SD announcement and started the series late. However the 6 races she did run showed off her blazing speed. Gone are the days of a slow start and fast finish. Now it’s fast from the gun & even faster at the finish. Being young means she doesn’t get a lot of help from AG so the points she got were earned with effort. Coached on the sidelines by the amazing Athena, Ainsley ran her 1500 m in 6:29 which translated to a 6:17 AG & good enough for 4th place. She was stellar in the 3000 m with a 13:25…the equivalent of a 14:24 2 mile & 4th overall woman in the race. Not only a fabulous runner but if you need a good pair of running shoes, see Ainsley at Charm City & she’ll fix you up.

9th place for the men goes to 77 year old JEFF JONES. Jeff ran 9/10 races & after finally giving up softball is now able to run injury free & show the speed he is known for. If you have the chance to talk with Jeff you’ll find him a font of knowledge about all things running over the past 4 decades. He’s even been known to wear race shirts from decades ago. Though a strong & consistent road racer, Jeff’s strength lies in the sprints…the shorter the race the more his talent shows. In the 800 m his 3:33 time was an AG 2:19 which was a 72% effort. In the 400 m he flew around the track in 1:25 which AG to a 54.9, 78% and 4th overall at age 77. What struck me most was watching Jeff when he arrived at each race. He would do a walk around the track and come back with an armload of litter. He did the same at the conclusion of each race. He never said a word but we surely left the track in better shape than when we arrived!

GRETCHEN WHITESELL captured 9th for the women. The 32 year old ran 8/10 races & gets faster every year. She is always smiling & seems very laid back but when the race begins she is total focus. Her excellent running form enables her to press the pace throughout & then unleash a wicked kick at the finish. Too young to get much AG help, her placements all come from her fast times. How fast? Her 36.7 for the 200 m was 4th fastest out of all the women. In the 400 m she ran a 1:21 which put her 7th out of 28 women. Her final race was her best as her 6:58 in the mile placed her in 3rd overall. Congratulations Gretchen!

In 8th place on the men’s side was 16 year old LAWRENCE PROULX. Lawrence has hockey practice so accepting on his behalf is his cousin Lily O’Hara. The rising junior at Walkersville High School ran 7 out of 10 races. Lawrence has an unusual cross training program. In addition to running track at Walkersville, he is a very accomplished hockey player on a very competitive travelling team. All his races were run in the very competitive 70+% range & he was always in that last fast heat with the fastest runners. His mile was a 5:05 & his AG of 4:47 put him in 8th place & a 77%. Showing off his speed, he ran the 200 m in 26.9 which was 76% & 8th AG. His strength in high school as well as on the track is the 800 m & he let loose with a 2:17. That was a 76% effort and 8th AG. Best of luck in both hockey & track this year!

The women’s 8th placer finisher is BETH FULCHER. The 33 year old new mom ran 8/10 races. Though she claimed to be “just trying to get back in shape post baby”, she opened her series with a 1600 meter run in an 8:01. Good…but her goal was to get back. Fast forward to the mile 10 weeks later where her time of 7:26 showed a 35 second drop in time in a race a tad bit longer.  Beth is one of those quiet runners that seems to be just cruising along until you realize she passed you & is now far ahead. That’s her MO…keep moving up and ahead of everyone. Beth has been running the decathlon for years & this strategy continually puts her in the top ten. One of her best runs of the series was her 800 m where her 3:09 was significantly faster than her mile pace. Doing all those baby curls is paying off! 

7th place for the men is occupied by a most amazing athlete…60 year old JOHN WAY. Amazing may be a bit mild …more like phenomenal as John ran 10/10 races extending his streak to 159 SD in a row. Add to that John’s other races where he may be running 2-4 races each week & all of them are all out runs. A member of the Steeps Racing Team, all of John’s races are in the upper 60 to mid 70% range. He also has incredible recall of others past races & times and is my go to person for figuring the number of heats to safely & efficiently run each race. John’s 1600 m run was a 6:19…5:04 AG at 72%. A speedy 800 m of 2:51 was an AG of 2:17 & 72%. His best showing was the 1000 where a 3:39 turned to a 2:54, 75% AG & 5th overall. Many happy & healthy runs, John!

MELISSA WALLACE took 7th for the women running 7/10 races. It doesn’t seem that long ago the 44 year old translated her field hockey skills to racing on the track. Though a great road racer, her skill across all distances on the track is remarkable. She has the speed of a sprinter & endurance of a distance runner. She ran the mile in 6:59 which AG to a 6:20 & 5th place. The 800 m she ran in 3:05 AG to 2:55. The 3:05 was 3rd fastest of all the women. The 200 m was a blazing 33.4…2nd fastest of all the women. Next year she’ll be in a new age group with no signs of slowing down.

6th place in the men’s division belongs to 70 year old RON BLACK. As is the norm for him, Ron ran all 10 races. After battling several years with a variety of injuries Ron came into the series healthy & ready to reclaim his dominance on the track. Last year’s Grand Master Runner of the Year showed why he earned that award by consistently running every race in the 70+% range. He opened the season with a 1600 meter run in 7:18…AG 5:20. 10 weeks later he knocked 6 seconds off in the slightly longer mile run. No slow poke in the sprints, his 35.3 in the 200 m was an AG of 26.5. Good enough for a 73% and just a few seconds off the top runners. Ron nearly cracked the 3:00 mark in the 800 m clocking a 3:06. That AG to a 2:15 and 74% rating. Now that he’s healthy and able to run consistently you’ll see a lot of Ron on the awards podium for 70 year olds.

HEIDI O’HARA was the 6th place winner on the ladies side. The 43 year old had 9 very strong races with high placements throughout the series. While we only had one cancellation of a race, several races were run under threatening skies. The two mile was one such race & Heidi mentioned that it would be okay with her if we just didn’t do the 2 mile at all. Despite her advice, it was still run & she may not have liked it but ran a 17:21 that AG to a 16:09 & 8th overall. Heidi REALLY likes the short distances. In the 400 she ran 1:22 which put her 8th out of 28 runners. In the 600 m she ran a 2:16 which was the 4th fastest time for women. Finally the 200 m was a blazing 36.2 and the 3rd fastest time. None of the past 3 were AG…those were actual placements! Congratulations to our speedster Heidi!

Continuing with the O’Hara dynasty…5th place for the men belonged to LARRY O’HARA. The 46 year old teacher & cross country coach ran 9/10 races. Last year’s Master of the Year award recipient always ran in the fastest heat & with times in the mid to upper 70% range, that is exactly where he belongs . He opened his season with a 5:20 for 1600 m. The AG was 4:49 & the 76% placed him 5th. By season’s end he lopped off 10 seconds over the slightly longer mile for a 77%. Similar to his nephew Lawrence, Larry’s strong race was the 800 m. He ran a 2:19 which AG to a 2:05 & a phenomenal 80% rating …good enough for 5th overall. With these amazing stats, it’s no wonder the T J cross country team gets such good coaching!

And you thought we were done with the O’Hara’s! Not yet…I’ve saved the best for last! 10 year old LUCY O’HARA brought home 5th place, narrowly beating out mom. Making the best of the 9/10 races she ran, Lucy already has that innate sense of pushing the pace & then unleashing a wicked kick. Case in point…in the final race of the year, the mile, I spent 3 laps slowly closing the gap on Lucy. We were side by side on the final lap and came to the last 100 meters. I started a feeble kick, Lucy looked over her shoulder & sprinted. She beat me by 20 seconds! How can someone go that fast in 100 meters? Lucy can! Keeping with family tradition she ran a fast 800 m in 3:36 which AG to 3:00 and 6th overall. Her 400 m was 1:26…an AG of 1:09 & 68% rating. Finally a 38.4 for 200 m was a 32.3 AG, a 68% rating, & 6th overall. Not only is Lucy fast but loves running enough to join in the relays at the end of each meet. Lucky Lucy was on several teams that took home prizes including her 20 minute track run where she won a $10 gift card.

The 4th place finisher for the men is no stranger to the top of the decathlon as he has won it several times. 46 year old SCOTT WALLACE ran 7/10 races to claim this spot. A quick reminder that AG % in the 70’s is strong state wide, 80’s is regional and national, and 90’s is reserved for the truly elite. Scott is one of the truly elite! During the indoor season at the World Championships in Philadelphia, Scott & 3 teammates ran a 4 X 800 relay that set a new world record for the 45-49 age group. It doesn’ get more elite than that! Even at age 46 & running against 20 somethings, Scott placed in the top of the races he ran this summer. His 4:41 for 1600 m was 3rd fastest & had an AG of 86%. The 600 m he ran in 1:29 which was 3rd overall & an AG of 90%. Finally, his specialty, the 800, was an incredible 2:03 with an AG of 90%. It is rare to have a local runner in the 90% range but we have one here in Scott!

No less spectacular in 4th for the women is the ageless RUTH TAYLOR. At age 57 last year’s Master Runner of the Year used her 9/10 races to stay within arm’s reach of the decathlon crown. As a member of the Steeps racing team, all the races she ran in the decathlon were in the 70+% AG. There is no easing into a race for Ruth…she is all out from start to finish. A 2 mile run in 15:57…AG 12:24…put her 4th overall with a 72% effort. She upped that in the mile with a 7:10…AG 5:30 & a 76%. She got the runner up spot in the 1600 m race with a 7:07…AG 5:21 & another 76%. All these fantastic races were run around a mid summer marathon that Ruth ran in. They don’t come any tougher than Ruth!

KEVIN CAMP was 3rd for the men running 10/10 races. The 36 year old made the journey up 270 each Wednesday, sometimes arriving minutes before the events began. Always at the front of the lead pack, Kevin’s times for every race were in the upper 70% range no matter what distance he ran. He snuck in just under the 5 minute mark in the mile recording a 4:59…AG 4:49… for a 77% effort. The 2:11 for the 800 m was an AG 2:09 for a 78%. Before each race as well as after, you couldn’t find a more upbeat & happy runner as Kevin. He always added a positive spin to the entire group starting each race. His 1000 meter run in 2:51 not only had an AG of 2:48 but the 77% earned him 3rd overall. We were lucky he fought the traffic to get here each Wednesday & provide such a show of excellence!

In a fitting finish for the top 3 spots for the ladies, there was a tie for 2nd place. 63 year old CHRIS THOMAS used an amazing finish the final race, the mile, to move into a tie for the runner up spot. In the 9th of the 10 races Chris not only went sub 7 but did so significantly with a 6:49. This put her 2nd overall in the race, 1st with an AG time of 4:47 & an incredible 87%…the highest of any woman in any race!  Chris has been at the top of the decathlon for many years but this was her breakout year. With only 3 races in the upper 70% range & the rest in the 80’s Chris was a dominant force in every race. She was the AG winner in the majority of her races & runner up the 2  times she didn’t win. Her 800 m was a speedy 3:04…AG 2:15…83%. Chris blazed through the 2 mile in 16:07…AG 11:28…& was 3rd woman in the race. Even at the short distances she crushed opponents like the 400 m where her 1:22 was a 60 second AG & a 78% effort to take the win. Most of slow down as the years pass…Not Chris , she seems to get speedier every year!

Last year’s decathlon champion was this year’s men’s runner up. 24 year old DAVEEN BAVARI ran all 10 races & was either the leader or pressing the lead. He only has one gear…fast! In his 2 mile race, he was sub 5 minutes through the mile and only slowed a bit to win in a 10:09. Out of his 10 races, he was the overall winner in 5 of them. HIs mile time was 4:29 which was 2nd overall despite an 82% effort. He is too young to get any help from AG so his 2nd place was earned by talent & speed. He crushed the 1000 m with a 2:42 . That 80% effort gave him both the overall win and AG win. The longer the race, the better Daveen ran. However he was no slacker in the shorter runs as he clocked a 57 second time for the 400 m run where he was 3rd overall. The winner of this year’s Frederick Half Marathon showed he can also produce on the track. Congratulations Daveen!

The other half of the tie for ladies runner up was 27 year old JOHANNA SCHICK. Not only did Johanna run all 10 races, she WON all ten races often producing huge gaps until the next lady runner came in. Johanna always ran in the fastest heat which was often male dominated but that was exactly where she should be. Her speed is jaw dropping as she hammers the pace from start to finish. On the sidelines, it was interesting to hear in almost every race “That was faster than Claire”. The reference to Claire Heasman who dominated the track & running in general. Though she won every race, her youth was her handicap in a series based on AG…Johanna got no help there. Not only did she win the 800 m, her time of 2:27 was the only sub 3 minute time & 37 seconds ahead of 2nd place. She was the only female to break 30 seconds in the 200. As part of the Steeps Racing team, all her races were in the upper 70% range with her best being the 3000 m where she hit a 78%. Congratulations to Johanna…she’s easy to spot…just look on the awards podium after any race!

Our champion for the men this year is 28 year old DANIEL LEMEN. New to the summer decathlon scene Daniel used his 10 races to cement his champion spot. Daniel was always leading the pack or right on the leader’s shoulder. Even with that fast pace, he still had an incredible kick. All his finishes were in the top three overall including 3 outright wins. He opened the season with a 4:41 1600 m…78% & then closed the series with the slightly faster mile in a time of 4:26…the overall winner & an 83% effort. Even at the shorter distances he was dominant. His 400 m run at an amazing 53.6 seconds was an 80% & 2nd fastest of all runners. His best effort at 85% came in the 600 m where his 1:24 was 3 seconds ahead of 2nd place. Daniel is an efficient run with no wasted effort in his form. He is on the attack from the start & pulls the rest of the field to fast times. Congratulations to our champion, Daniel Lemen!

In another outstanding year, 65 year old BEV BLACK is the women’s decathlon champion. To defend your championship once is phenomenal but this is the 3rd year in a row Bev has won the decathlon series. Even more remarkable is that Bev despises running in the heat! Yet in 7/10 of her races her times were in the mid 80% range with the other 3 in the upper 70’s. While she only won 3 of her races, she never finished worse than 2nd! Her 7:08 time for the 1600 AG to a 4:56 & 84% good enough for the win. 10 weeks later she ran the slightly longer mile in 7:04…a 4:49 and 87% AG. Even the shorter distances didn’t prove an obstacle as her 1:28 for 400 m was an AG of 63 seconds & 75%. Despite the late July heat, Bev ran the 2 mile in 15:48…a 10:55 AG & 2nd overall in the race. That 78% effort also gave her the AG win. A healthy Bev is a wonder to behold & we look forward to her continued dominance in her new age group.

Thank you for your patience in honoring all the accomplishments of these incredible runners. You too can experience the change of pace and fun challenge track running brings with the 36th running of the Summer Decathlon in 2026!