The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Wintersteens Carrie and Matt earn Resolution Run victories in midnight mile on Great Allegheny Passage
18 humans, 5 dogs complete very dark downhill journey on trail

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Complete results

By The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
LAVALE, Md., Jan. 1 - Carrie and Matt Wintersteen posted the fastest mile times of the year in Allegany County early Saturday morning during a downhill Resolution Run on the Great Allegheny Passage.

To clarify, however, it should be noted the run began just a couple minutes after midnight on the very first day of 2011 - which means there is plenty of time for both the women's and men's unofficial records to fall.

Carrie and Matt ran together much of the way but Carrie, 37, beat him out to the finish line with a time of 7 minutes and 38.5 seconds. Matt, also 37, finished a close second in 7:39.4. The two made the drive of nearly four hours to visit family for the New Year.

Jason Fornwalt converted to a runner in 2010. It seems as if 2011 could be another breakthrough for the 36-year-old Cumberland resident. In October, he averaged 9:23 per mile in a 5K road race. On Saturday morning - and with no competition, as he was stuck in no man's land between second and fourth place - Fornwalt finished third overall in 8:27.6.

And he felt good at the finish line, indicating good things to come for Fornwalt on the physical fitness side of things in the New Year.

Aidan Macklen, 7, of Ridgeley, W.Va., led a group seven runners ages 11-and-under to the finish line. Macklen crossed the line in 9:41.6 - about a half-second ahead of his father, John Macklen Sr. - and finished in sixth place overall (fifth on the trail).

Alexandra Griffith, 10, of Short Gap, W.Va., edged close friend Maggie Macklen, 10, of Ridgeley, for ninth place. Griffith finished in 11:11.2 to Macklen's 11:11.9.

David Eberly, 50, of Frostburg, was the only runner to take advantage of the remote option and finished his treadmill mile in 8:45.

The event was coordinated by the Mountain Maryland Marathon Club with assistance from the Allegany County Bureau of Police.