Matt Klaschus and Luke Belford appeared ready to race swiftly into the new year Sunday in the annual RASAC New Year's 10K in Joppa. The two started the race at a quick tempo together ahead of 84 other runners.
This was a rematch of last year's 10K in which Belford set a course record of 33:43 and Klaschus finished second. Both had recently worked into good racing shape, as evidenced by Belford's 25:23 on a 5-mile training run in December. Klaschus ran interval workouts of 200 and 400-meter repeats leading up to the race.
Karsten Brown of Virginia, who set the course record at 35:35 in 2010, was also in the field. Midway through the hilly 6.2-mile course, however, it was all Klaschus. The tall, Towson-University grad from Street pulled away to a big lead as Belford faltered, hobbled by a slow-to-heal foot injury sustained in December.
Klaschus finished alone in 35:28. Brown crossed the line in second at 36:07. Masters runners Charles Powell II and Jerry Henderson finished third and fourth, respectively, in 36:53 and 37:06. Belford jogged across the finish line fifth in 37:53.
Others in the men's top 10 were Jeff Damiano, 38:49; David Stevenson 40:11; Zach Huffman, 40:47; Joe Richardson, 42:21; and Kirk Ingold, 42:37.
Lauren Greenberg of Bel Air won the women's race in 47:31, edging Donna Lewis, recently returned from African safari, 48:07. Lorrie Chieffo, 48:10; Sarah Zephir-Thomason, 48:43; Michele Hoffman, 50:44; Kathy MacAtee, 51:28; Andi Miller, 51:37; Anneliese Carbone, 51:40; Janet McAdorey, 51:45; and Bryanna Leyen, 51:48, completed the women's top 10.
In other recent races...
Jessica Rogers of Bel Air won the 1600-meter run for 11-12-age girls in the Track Showcase All-Comers Meet in Landover Dec. 18. Running on the 200-meter Prince George's Sportsplex indoor track, she finished in 5:52.
Kendall Sinosky, 15, of Abingdon, placed fifth in the under-16 age group in the Baltimore New Year's Resolution Run Sunday. She clocked 23:43 to place 72nd overall among 644 runners.
Robert Tisch of Bel Air was the runner-up among masters men in the Celtic Solstice 5 Miler in Baltimore's Druid Hill Park Dec. 17. He placed 17th among the 2,801 finishers in 28:23.
Duane Christy and Erika Stasakova were winners in the RASAC Holiday Run 5K in Bel Air Dec. 18. Christy ran 19:41 to lead 27 other runners to the finish. Chester Wrobel was second among the men in 21:11, and Sam Chan, third in 21:45. Stephani Smith, 25:25, and Chi-Chin Wu, 27:09 finished behind Stasakova in the women's race.
Coming races
Jan. 8 - RASAC North Harford 10K, Pylesville, 8 a.m., 410-452-5756.
Jan. 15 - RASAC North Bend 6.5 Miler, North Bend Elementary, Jarrettsville, 8 a.m., 410-652-9829.