Wardian Is Repeat Marathon Winner

Weather Curtails Spectators Along New City Course

As Arlington resident Michael Wardian cruised down the final stretch of yesterday's National Marathon toward a repeat victory, he waved his arms and cupped his hands to his ears, trying to coax more cheers from the damp crowd.

"I'm cheesy," Wardian said afterward, an American flag draped around his shoulders and his eight-month-old son, Pierce, in his arms.

A heavy rain drenched the field right before the 7 a.m. start in front of the D.C. Armory, but runners reported near-perfect conditions on the course. The overcast skies kept the sun away and body temperatures lower. In the marathon, 1,160 finished; 2,306 finished the half-marathon.

The crowd, however, was more sparse than desired for the second running of the National Marathon, which became a runner's race this year, just as Race Director Keith Dowling intended.

"I think the weather was great for runners; it could have been better for spectators," Dowling said. "I think it's going to take awhile, but once the tradition keeps growing hopefully we'll get more spectators out."

Wardian defended his title in 2 hours 26 minutes 36 seconds, 4:19 faster than he ran last year. Philadelphia resident Bryan Skelly finished second in 2:29:02.

Wardian did not better the 2:22 Olympic qualifying standard, but the 32-year-old already qualified last weekend at the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. Wardian has set his sights on making the 2008 Olympic team and breaking the world record for running a marathon while pushing Pierce in a stroller.

"Believe it or not, I'm really going to try to make the Olympic team," Wardian said. "I'm really going to throw down a bunch of miles and see what I can do. I'm not kidding myself, it's going to be a lot of work, but this is the beginning of that effort."

Many competitors, including women's half-marathon winner and San Diego resident Tamara Lave (1:21:05), said the race was a good tuneup for the Boston Marathon on April 16.

"Normally, when you're trying to find a half-marathon at the right time before a marathon, you don't usually get to come to Washington, D.C., to do it," she said. "That was really a lucky stroke of fortune."

Christopher Raabe, 28, from Washington, won the half-marathon in 1:07:09. Jerome Ross Jr., from Anchorage, took fourth in the half-marathon in 1:09:18. Victor Palma, who is stationed at Bolling Air Force Base, ran the 13.1 miles in bare feet, a practice that started eight years ago when he trained on the beaches of Panama City, Fla.

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty finished the marathon in 487th place in 4:08:04. The marathon winners each won $1,000, and half-marathon winners $500.

The course was changed this year to remain within the District's borders and touch every quadrant, as opposed to last year's course that weaved into Prince George's County. Runners complained that last year's closing stretch was too hilly. This year's course included the Calvert Climb at Mile 19.

The new course also showcased some of the city's burgeoning communities, particularly along H Street, through Adams Morgan and in Rock Creek Park.

"In Colorado we've got our gorgeous mountains and water, but we don't have this history," said marathon winner Katie Blackett, who qualified for the Olympic trials with a time of 2:44:59.

"There's less fans and less people on the course, but the beauty of this course really makes up for any hill, any lack of fans, anything. Especially with the mist, it gave it kind of a surreal feeling."

Top marathon finishers, E10