Neither the start nor the finish went well for Matt Klaschus in the 34th Annual Annapolis 10 Miler Sunday. Still, the 22-year-old from Street managed to finish eighth in the field of 4,558 and run personal best.
Klaschus, a recent Towson University graduate who runs for the Charm City Run Racing Team, carpooled to the race with Charles Powell and Jerry Henderson, of Bel Air. Caught in heavy traffic entering Annapolis, they arrived 15 minutes before the race and were a 50-second dash away from the starting line when the gun went off.
Klaschus weaved his way through the pack and passed all but the first seven finishers. When he crossed the finish line at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, however, he learned that he had lost his timing chip. A search for the chip ended happily. It had fallen off after he crossed the finish line, preserving his time of 56:37, a personal best by 44 seconds.
Powell and Henderson also salvaged good performances despite the late start. They finished one-two in the 40-44 age group, the largest age group, with 430 runners. Powell ran 59:31 for first place and Henderson, 59:52 for second.
Several other Harford runners finished well in their age groups. John Escarsega was seventh in 45-49 in 1:05:49. Lonnie McNew was ninth in 65-69 in 1:30:15; Dawn Crawford, 16th in women’s 45-49 in 1:20:43; Bonnie Schaffer, 23rd in 50-54 in 1:29:51; and Bill Fornoff, 28th in 65-69 in 1:43:44.
Mesa Falls Marathon
Veronique Hauschild and Donna Lewis earned huckleberry milkshakes as finishers of the Mesa Falls Marathon races in Ashton, Idaho, Aug. 22.
Hauschild, of Joppa, completed 26.2 miles in 3:33:44 over a point-to-point course that began in the Targhee National Forest. She finished fourth among the women, seven minutes behind the winner and was second in the 40-44 age group.
Lewis ran the half marathon in 2:03:53 for second place in 50-54 despite an injury that slowed her throughout the 13.1 miles. There were 525 finishers between the two races.
In other races ...
Danny McDonnell of Fallston led the 50-55 age group in the Celebrate Your Style 5K in Hunt Valley on Saturday. He ran 22:38 and placed 12th overall among 110 runners. Sarah Bethke, of Jarrettsville, was fourth among the women in 25:05.
Mike Feinberg, of Bel Air, placed third in the 45-49 age group in the Parkersburg Half Marathon in West Virginia on Aug. 22. He ran 1:28:41 and was 63rd among 849 runners.
Coming races
Sept. 6: Charm City Run 20 Miler, Northern Central Trail (Ashland Market Place), 8 a.m., 410-308-1870.
Sept. 11: Run to Remember 5K, Baltimore Police Headquarters, 7 a.m., 410-308-1870.
Sept. 12: 17th Annual Renie Amoss 5K, Goucher College, 9 a.m., 410-337-6389.