NPC 5K Participants Beat the Heat

Despite high heat and humidity, the winner of the National Press Club 5K on July 17 nearly set a record.

Gurmessa Kumssa Megers ran the course in 15:34, charging through temperatures headed north of 90 degrees, even at this year’s earlier start time, 8 a.m.

The event drew 759 participants and recorded the highest number of teams in its 13-year history (http://twitter.com/npc5k). Proceeds support training and scholarship programs at the NPC Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library.

“This is the largest turnout we’ve had in recent memory, and gosh knows you suffered for it,” NPC President Alan Bjerga joked at the post-race awards breakfast, referring to the sweltering race conditions.

The top NPC female finisher was Amy Elliott (23:48). Erik Wemple led NPC males (19:56). The first overall female was Christine Whalen (19:22). A complete listing of results will be posted on the NPC Web site on July 19 (http://www.press.org/5k).

CQ/Roll Call won for both the biggest and fastest media team – News Travels Fast. The largest non-media team was Nova Explosion. The fastest overall team was Yale Can. The race also featured a Capitol Hill team comprised of the office of Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va. Capito also ran in the event.

Tony Horton, a fitness expert who served as the race marshal, led pre-start stretching exercises. At a July 16 Luncheon, Horton conducted a demonstration of his P90X workout, an intense in-home bootcamp designed to reduce weight and build muscle.

Horton concluded the post-5K breakfast by exhorting the crowd to maintain the motivation that helped them run through sauna-like heat.

“Do your best and forget the rest,” Horton said.

--Mark Schoeff Jr., [email protected]