18 April 1999

Faisal Hasan believed he had a chance of winning last Sunday's Clyde's 10k race if he stayed with the leaders until the final half mile. The former Wilde Lake runner, a 4:15 miler now at the University of Maryland, knew he could out-kick any one else likely to be in the field. "I knew that, too," said Gerry Clapper, a local favorite who has won Clyde's 10k in previous years. Running a 5:25 first mile and a 5:02 second mile, Hasan and Clapper joined Matt Ventimiglia of Annapolis and Brian Ferari of Williamsport in a lead pack of four that broke away from the other fast runners between two and three miles. The four tested each other for the remainder of the race and ran the last mile particularly hard. They rounded the final turn onto Little Patuxent Parkway together, and Ferrari surged about 600 yards from the finish. Both Clapper and Hasan answered the charge, but, sure enough, the 4:15 miler won the race to the line. Faisal's 32:07 victory may signify a changing of the guard at the race; the 21-year-old miler was born the first year that Clyde's held its 10k.

The surprise in the women's race was not that Columbian Bea Marie Altieri won, but that she took so long to assume the lead. Maggie Lasaga-Flister of Catonsville flew through the first uphill mile in 6:10 with both Altieri and Baltimore's Denise Knickman in pursuit. Knickman took the lead at the bottom of the hill, and "with a convoy of men," Altieri moved to the front at the top of the next hill near two miles. By two miles, Bea Marie had a lead of 50 yards on Denise, and cruised to win in 37:02.

In the master's competition, Rockville's Peter Kirk gained a measure of revenge by beating Columbia's own Tony Basile, who had beaten Kirk at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler the week before. "Is this the same Peter Kirk?" Basile wondered during the 10k. Apparently it was not, as Kirk won the over-40 race in 33:21, with Basile about 15 seconds behind. Immediately after they finished, Peter asked Tony what race he was doing next weekend!

With a time of 42:52, Joy Glass of Westminster easily beat all the master women.

Of particular interest were the performances of two of the youngest and oldest participants in the race. Eleven-year old Johnna Esposito completed the 6.2 miles in 44:41, and 60-year-old John Elliott finished in 39:11. Because Clyde's 10k is fully certified, both times may be significant for United States Track and Field age-group statistics.

After the race, Clyde's of Columbia treated all runners and volunteers to a sumptuous brunch on the shores of Lake Kittimiquindi. The fare included fresh cantaloupe and strawberries, pasta salad, chicken breast sandwiches, hot-dogs Clyde's chili, Perrier and Yoo-Hoo, Coke, and Budweiser. Participants picniced on the grass by the lake front pavilion and listened to the awards ceremony. "They ran the last mile hard so they would get to the food early," one race official at the finish line commented.

The 21st annual Clyde's 10k took place on a cool, sunny spring morning last Sunday. Over 1000 runners entered the race, and a sizeable number registered on race morning. Mick Slonaker directed the race with the able assistance of co-director Ray Lake. They enjoyed the support of traffic coordinator Tim Beaty, finish-line coordinator Miles Weigold, results coordinator Jim DiScuillo, dozens of high school students at two water-stops along the route, numerous race marshalls, and the Howard County police, who provided traffic control at key intersections.

-- by James Carbary