It comes as no surprise that Monika Bachmann probably will be running in next year's Northern Central Trail Marathon.
The 29-year-old resident of Comus in Montgomery County has two second-place finishes and a pair of first-place runs in the race, including a 3-hour, 28-second finish 10 days ago.
That one was good enough to break the women's course record by almost 14 minutes and improve her personal record for the marathon by 12.
"I had not been marathon training," says Bachmann, a doctoral candidate in international history at the London School of Economics. "I ran it this year because I had run it the last four years."
Her finishes in those races had fallen "somewhere between 3:14 and 3:16," so her 16-minute, first-place runaway -- Carole Rosasco was second in 3:16:15 -- caught her by surprise.
"For the first half, I just ran with a pack that was maintaining a 7-minute pace," says Bachmann, who also has completed four Marine Corps marathons. "After the turn around, they just maintained that pace and I just dropped that pace a bit."
A native of Switzerland who recently received her U.S. citizenship, Bachmann says she is able to keep running in step with her doctoral work.
"As it is, I find running and studying very complementary," she says. "The writing is the brain-taxing part of it, and the running has been the physical outlet. It's a very complementary relationship."
Briefly
There were 605 finishers in Saturday's Jingle Bell Run 5K at Church Hospital. . . . The weekend's top finishers:
SATURDAY
Jingle Bell Run 5K
At Church Hospital
Males: 1. Ken Fowler, 28, 15:21; 2. Neville Anderson, 33, 16:05; 3. Maurice Pointer, 39, 16:52; 4. Michael Sterling, 34, 17:11; 5. Bob Becker, 43, 17:46; 6. Tom Wassin, 19, 17:53; 7. Bob Zeminsky, 36, 17:56; 8. David Ramsey, 38, 18:06; 9. Chris Sinclair, 27, 18:07; 10. Fin Mears, 38, 18:10. Masters: 1. Becker.
Females: 1. Denise Knickman, 26, 19:08; 2. Jennifer Englehart, 16, 20:42; 3. Heather Taylor, 24, 21:46; 4. Juliet Baker, 23, 22:02; 5. Michelle Holliday, 36, 22:10; 6. Sandy Salazar, 43, 22:13; 7. Kim Fleming, 33, 22:15; 8. Megan McNew, 15, 22:18; 9. Michelle Rowell, 29, 22:19; 10. June Sparks, 39, 22:38. Masters: 1. Salazar.
SUNDAY
RASAC Charity Run 5K
At Harford Mall
Males: 1. Eric Estrada, 15:56; 2. Mark Bogardy, 16:23; 3. Jeremy Bopst, 16:36; 4. Bryan Fitzpatrick, 17:01; 5. Bert Booth, 17:19; 6. Greg Thompson, 17:38; 7. Chris Parkinson, 17:44; 8. Michael Feinberg, 17:50; 9. Jeff Hinte, 17:59; 10. Mike McGinley, 18:03. Females: 1. Janice Chasson, 22:28; 2. Karen Hanson, 23:40; 3. Ann Romagna, 36:15.
Coming events
Saturday, MCRRC River Rumble 20K, Potomac, 9 a.m., (301) 353-0200.
Saturday, Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5K, Wilmington, Del., 10 a.m., (302) 764-8254.
Sunday, BRRC Hillside 5-Miler, Hillside & Stevenson, 9 a.m., (410) 243-3153.
Sunday, RASAC Fox 5K, Bel Air, 9 a.m., (410) 638-2717.
Sunday, Delaware Marathon, Middletown, Del., 9 a.m., (302) 654-6400.
Sunday, WRRC Dancer Dash 10K, Westminster, noon, (410) 848-1782.
Sunday, HCS 2M, 5M, Swansfield Elementary, 2 p.m., (410) 964-1998.
Dec. 17, BRRC Santa's Sack 6M, Lake Montebello, 9 a.m., (410) 243-3153.
Dec. 18, RASAC Holiday Run 5K, Harford Mall, 9 a.m., (410) 879-0018.
Dec. 18, MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog 8K, Rockville, 9 a.m., (301) 353-0200.
Dec. 18, Annapolis Striders' Anniversary 15K, Annapolis, 10 a.m., (410) 268-1165.
Dec. 18, Tri-Maryland Biathlon Series (2M run, 12M bike, 2M run), Columbia, 10 a.m., (410) 882-6103.
Dec. 18, YRRC Spring Valley 5K, Spring Valley, Pa., 1 p.m., (717) 845-2856.
Dec. 18, HCS 2M, 10K, 15K, Thunder Hill Elementary, 2 p.m., (410) 964-1998.
Dec. 31, First Night Wilmington's 5K, Wilmington, Del., 3:45 p.m., (302) 654-6400.