Piney Point, MD – Constantly changing forecasts for snow threatened the 13th Lower Potomac River Marathon, and race staff offered registered runners the option of deferring their entries to next year to facilitate travel plans, but race day dawned clear as 82 of 100 registrants toed the starting line at the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship on Sunday, March 12.
Desta Morkama, 31, of Arlington, VA shot ahead of the pack in the 28-degree chill as the field of runners slowly spread out along the 26.2-mile course over St. George Island, Piney Point, and Route 249. As Morkama returned to the mainland and began the out-and-back leg on Lighthouse Road, Rich Ryan, 30, of Philadelphia, PA, trailed by a mile. About a minute behind Ryan was AJ Kelly, 35 of Altoona, PA. The three men held their positions as they reached the turnaround at the top of Route 249 nearly 19 miles into the race, but Ryan was now eight minutes behind Morkama, with Kelly trailing by three more minutes. The lead female runner, Leanne Powers, 30 of California, MD, reached the turnaround 35 minutes behind Kelly, tailed closely by Kayla Pinilla, 26 of Cranford, NJ.
Morkama widened his lead as he ran south on Route 249, seeming to glide effortlessly over the rolling road that leveled off near the 22-mile mark. The native Ethiopian, who won the silver medal at October’s Marine Corps Marathon in a time of two hours and 24 minutes, sought to set a course record at Piney Point, but his training had been hampered by an overuse injury to his lower leg. He was still a half-mile from the finish line as the clock ticked past 2:31:28, the record set by Paul Riley of Madison, WI in 2010. Although Morkama fell short of his 2:30 goal, his winning time of 2:34:11 was the fastest finish at the Lower Potomac River Marathon since the record was set. Morkama had set a new course record at the Lower Potomac River Ten-Mile Run in October, and was glad to be running in Piney Point again. “I’m happy that I won, and happy that I was invited,” he said during the post-race luncheon. Morkama has a marathon personal best of 2:13, achieved when he won the Poland Marathon in 2013.
Rich Ryan had maintained the eight-minute gap behind Morkama and finished in 2:42:22 for the silver medal. Although AJ Kelly dropped well behind Ryan on the final eight miles, he held his position to win bronze in 2:58:40.
In the women’s race, Kayla Pinilla surged past Leanne Powers to win gold in 3:36:38. Powers, 30, posted a 3:41:29 for the silver medal, and Kristi Sammadar, 42, of Phoenix, AZ, won the bronze medal in 3:46:59. Although Pinilla considers herself “relatively new” to marathons (her first was in May 2016), she has run six marathons in the last 10 months, with a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states. Sunday’s marathon was her fastest so far. “I must say that it was a great and challenging experience battling the cold winds,” Pinilla wrote in an e-mail. “It was also my first race without wearing headphones (prohibited at the LPR Marathon since roads are open to traffic), which really challenged my ability to stay positive, but with the other racers cheering me on, I did not want to disappoint.”
Leanne Powers, the first St. Mary’s Countian to podium in the women’s division, also drew energy from fellow runners. “This race was perhaps the most fun one I’ve had, with such a friendly group of runners,” she wrote. “Runners that were ahead of me and behind me were cheering me on, so it made the 26 miles fly by.” She qualified her remark, also adding a plug for the county: “Well, maybe not the last five [miles]. Plus, you can’t beat the scenery in Piney Point!”
The Lower Potomac River Marathon has filled its 200-runner limit nearly every year since it debuted in 2005, but registration dropped significantly when the high-profile DC Rock & Roll Marathon moved to the same weekend last year. However, the low-key race, produced by Chesapeake Bay Running Club and hosted by the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, continues to draw runners from around the country, and occasionally from abroad. This year’s roster represented 21 states and Washington, DC, with runners ranging in age from 14 to 76. Rebecca Tidwell of King George, VA, who finished in 4:16:24, was the youngest runner in the marathon’s history. The oldest finishers this year were Ms. Toby McGinn of Gaithersburg, MD, and Mr. Pini Haroz of Norcross, GA, both 69 years old. McGinn finished in 4:54:30, almost three minutes ahead of Haroz.
Course support was provided by the St. Mary’s County Amateur Radio Association, Pax Velo cycling club, the Second District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Friends of the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum, Calvert Marine Museum and volunteers from Leonardtown High School. The race benefits the Friends of the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and the historic skipjack Dee of St. Mary’s, docked at Calvert Marine Museum.
For complete results, go to www.cbrcmd.org
