2018 B&A Marathon and Half Marathon Results

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Sunday April 8, 2018 at 7:30 AM

Severna Park High School
60 Robinson Rd
Severna Park, MD 21146 United States

Congratulations to all B&A Marathon and Half-Marathon finishers!

By Joshua Harriman and Christian Zazzali

“We’ve got a lot of holes to fill before Sunday.” I was talking with my co-race director Christian with less than a week before the event. I wasn’t referring to the repaving construction that was occurring on the B & A Trail, I was talking about key volunteer positions that needed be filled otherwise there is no race, i.e. key positions like the truck driver and crew that deliver the water stop supplies. Luckily we are talking about an Annapolis Strider’s event. At the monthly board meeting the Tuesday night before Sunday’s race, many in attendance said they would help with the race. At the expo on Saturday, other key positions were filled as well, when people heard there was a need. This organization of all volunteers never ceases to amaze me, always rising to the occasion and making the all of the races great for both participants and the volunteers. I want to emphasize this point again: this race cannot happen without the myriad of volunteers working as a team to make the event happen.

The weather on April 8th, 2018 was perfect for running a personal record. Cold, sunny and clear with only a slight breeze. The rain had used itself up on Saturday at the expo, and Sunday was blue skies picnic perfect. In the 27thyear of the marathon and the 23rd year of the half marathon about 800 runners and families gathered at the start line at Severna Park High School. This year we were also the RRCA State Championship half marathon race, with separate medals and prizes given for the winners. It was our second year at the new school –and we would once again like to thank Anne Arundel Co schools and especially the principal and her staff for working closely with us to make the event successful.

Matt Bender, 33, of Baltimore, MD was the male open marathon winner with a time of 02:43:56. Gabrielle McKenzie, 27, of Bethesda, MD was the female open marathon winner with a time of 03:07:12. The male master winner was our own Dave Phipps, 54, of Severna Park, MD with a time of 02:58:02. The female master winner was Julia Skinner, 41 of Windsor Mill, MD with a time of 03:27:42.

The open female half marathon winner was Mary Reiser, 23, of Annapolis, MD with a time of 01:20:49. The open male half marathon winner was Jack Huntress, 21, with a time of 01:16:56. Daniel Kosteca, 47, was the male master winner with a time of 01:24:48, and Courtney Perna, 40, of Bethesda, MD was the female master winner with a time of 01:29:53. The male grandmaster winner of the half marathon was the ageless Maurice Pointer, 62, with a time of 01:27:28. The female grandmaster was Amy Sachs, age 53, with a time of 01:51:03. There were 227 marathon finishers and 416 half marathon finishers, with many untold stories of personal accomplishment and goals met. We are proud to be a part in assisting everyone meet their goals.

One of the aspects of the race that has always worried me are medical emergencies. Being a nurse I am always thinking of the worse possible outcomes of any situation. We always have a few emergencies each year and call 911 2 or 3 times. This year we coordinated with the Anne Arundel Fire Department to have ambulances, emergency trucks and personnel on standby both at the school and stationed along the trail. The Fire Department also coordinated with the Anne Arundel Police Department and the Anne Arundel Radio Club to be on the lookout for any situations as they arose. Luckily, no major events happened this year.

The premium and volunteer shirts were a big hit. We returned to the rabbit theme of the original races from the 1990s and introduced the Maryland terrapin as a contrast. The rabbit and the terrapin in constant flux as we have fast and slow years and fast and slow races. We support both the rabbit runners and the terrapin ones, some participants chose to walk the entire 13.1 miles. Thanks to Ali Coleman for volunteering her time in designing the shirts and promotional materials. Thanks to everyone to making the expo a big success and the water stops. Thanks again to the all volunteers for helping with the food after the race and keeping everyone safe and well fed. Thanks to Whole Foods for donating gift cards.

Overall it was a great race and many, many thanked us in person and by email and Facebook for the great event, venue and volunteers. We could not do it without the help of all the Annapolis Striders and the many people that stepped up to fill in needs as they arose. Looking forward to seeing everyone next year. Thanks again for a great day.