By Matt McFarland
Special to The Washington Post
WASHINGTON DC — For almost a half-mile, the National Press Club 5K looked like a close race. A throng of runners sprinted down 13th Street NW and fanned out across Pennsylvania Avenue. But a few blocks later, it became clear who was the former Olympian in the field.
Ethiopian Dagne Alemu, 27, sped from the pack and remained unchallenged for the remainder of the 11th annual race yesterday in downtown Washington.
He finished in 16 minutes 5 seconds, good enough for a comfortable 28-second margin of victory, but far from his best time. In the race’s second half, Alemu glanced over his shoulder often, seeking a reason to summon the speed that once brought him within seven-tenths of a second of an Olympic bronze medal in the 5,000 meters.
When he crossed the finish line, Alemu wasn’t even breathing hard. Unlike many of the 573 finishers who battled humidity and a steep hill shortly before the finish, he didn’t stop, bend over and rest his hands on his knees.
Although Alemu skipped the water station halfway through the race, he was in no hurry to grab a post-race drink.
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“Sixteen, 15 minutes, it’s easy for me,” Alemu said. “It’s a small race. No one would compete with me.”
Alemu ran a 13:37.17 in the 5,000 meters at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, taking sixth place.
He still resides in Ethiopia, but is traveling from race to race, raking in prize money. Two days ago he won a 5K in Baltimore. Soon he’ll head to Iceland for a race.
Baltimore’s Ingram Benjamin, 31, took second place in the men’s division in 16:33.
Alemgena Desta, 27, of Silver Spring won the women’s division. She finished in 17:22, 10 seconds faster than her third-place time in last year’s race.
“Last year was not good. This year was okay,” she said through an interpreter while munching on a muffin.
Sarah Spalding, 27, of Washington placed second in the women’s division in 18:20.
Perhaps the most impressive performance was Burke’s Larry Dickerson, 77, who won the 75-99 age group in a time of 26:59.
Dickerson ran high school cross-country, but got serious about running after smoking for 20 years. At age 48, he began running competitively, knowing it would force him to quit his habit.
Now he’s retired and has run in more than 1,000 road races in 32 states, including six marathons.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Dickerson, who recently self-published a memoir titled “Running All the Way.” “I enjoy the sore muscles because I can use them.”