03 October 2004

Patty Keating would have won the women's Metric Marathon (26.2 km or 16.3 mi) last Sunday except that Bea Marie Altieri returned unexpectedly from Florida and crushed the women's field. "It was a lot of fun!" enthused Bea Marie, who was the fastest Howard County woman when she lived in Columbia several years ago. Ms. Altieri popped up from Clermont, FL, to visit her friend Vicki Lang, and she signed up after discovering the Metric was on the weekend of her stay. In the race, Bea Marie exhibited the same form she had before she left Howard County: she seized the early lead and extended it.

Altieri finished fourth overall (1:43:43) a few minutes behind the men's winner. Keating never stood a chance and didn't even see Ms. Altieri after the start. "She could have run the [accompanying] 5k and still had enough time to beat me in the Metric," a defeated Pat Keating said. Keating and Altieri were the only women in the field to break 2 hours for the 16.3 mile race.

The men's competition was closer, but winner Jason Tripp really had no problems with the men's field. Jason surged to an early lead and expected other runners would match his pace, but "nobody wanted to come along." So he ran the entire race in the company of just lead biker. By the half-way point, Tripp had gotten so far ahead of the runners immediately behind him that, having no one to follow, they missed a turn and briefly went off course. His winning time of 1:39:16 represented a Metric personal record. "I thought I had to break 1:40 to make it legitimate," he commented.

Known for its hills as well as its peculiar distance, Metric Marathon course runs from the center of Columbia to Ellicott City and back on residential roads as well as bike-paths. The course changed slightly this year, as the finish moved from the old Rouse Company parking lot to the bike path near the People Fountain next to Clyde's. None of the old hills were omitted, although some of the old Metric hands believe they are getting steeper.

Those not quite up to running the full Metric competed in a 5k race. There, Junior Strider Nicole Shouse (age 13) gave veteran Robyn Humphrey (age 40) quite a scare, but the older runner squeezed out a win in 19:16 and preserved order and decorum in the running world. In the men's 5k, Jay Sweet outlasted Luis Diaz to win the shorter race in 17:24.

A field of 308 runners completed the 16.3 Metric Marathon, while 130 completed the 5k. The excellent fall weather, sunny and cool, improved the sizes of the fields, and a number of participants registered on the morning of the race.

Overall and age group winners won walnut plaques and gift certificates from Feet First in Wilde Lake. All finishers received the well-known Metric Marathon gloves, a bottle of water, and all the Gatorade and Ledo pizza they could eat.

In its 28th year, the Metric Marathon is staged every fall by the Howard County Striders. John and Ann Worley directed the event. "I delegated everything and didn't have to do anything!" Mr. Worley said. He was assisted by delegates from the Columbia Clippers swim team, the Boy Scouts of America, and students from various local High Schools. Howard County Police provided excellent traffic control at tricky corners along the tedious route, and many of the runners thanked the officers as they ran past.

-- by Jim Carbary