Sallie Mae 10K Runs Out of Steam

The Sallie Mae 10K, for 24 years one of Washington's most competitive and remunerative prize-money races, suddenly is no more.

In the past 12 months, Sallie Mae Corp., the country's largest student loan company, has been rocked by turmoil in the credit markets; the company's stock price has dropped by more than two-thirds. But Sallie Mae officials declined to blame the ill financial winds for the race's demise.

Erin Korsvall, director of community outreach, said that "because of the cost associated with a race of the 10K's magnitude, the Sallie Mae fund decided to focus our efforts on other worthy initiatives that have a more direct and broad impact on the community."

Generous prize money and liberal travel arrangements attracted Olympians and many of the world's top international road racers, including Tom Nyariki and Khalid Khannouchi, who finished first and second in the memorable 1997 race; Boston and Marine Corps Marathon winner Olga Markova; and former marathon world record holder Steve Jones.

The mid-spring race has long been notable for its fast, flat course in West Potomac Park. In recent years, the event had made an effort to offer significant prize money to top masters and local runners, strengthening its appeal among area competitors.

"We realize this is a loss for the running community," said Laura Gemery of Sallie Mae.

Its quiet demise leaves open the weeks leading up to the Pike's Peek 10K in Rockville and the George Washington Parkway 10 Miler and 5K in Alexandria, both on April 27. Those events have been growing in recent years and hosted more than 6,000 runners combined last year, while Sallie Mae has been shrinking and had 1,362 finishers on May 6.

* HAVE HEART: Another racing staple, the Lawyers Have Heart 10K, opened online registration for its 18th running on June 14 at www.RunLHH.org.

* GET READY: The Marine Corps Marathon opens online registration, limited to 30,000 and expected to fill quickly, on April 30 at noon.

* BLOSSOMING: Women outnumbered men at last weekend's Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run by 6,387 to 5,870. And if you're checking math, the official number of 12,309 finishers, a record, includes 52 unidentified chips.

-- Jim Hage

hagej@washpost.com