The 2015 Boston Marathon may have been cold…it may have been windy…but that didn’t stop the WRC Women’s Masters team from kicking some serious butt! Julia Taylor, Lydia Pelliccia, and Shinobu Kusakabe put their heads down and fought till the finish line for an outstanding 7th place finish among the Women’s Masters Team competition. Check out their results below:

Lydia Pelliccia...........3:21:44
Julia Taylor..............3:25:58
Shinobu Kusakabe..........3:29:06
TOTAL TIME................10:16:48

The team trained through a harsh winter only to be greeted by less-than-optimal race conditions, but that didn’t stop them from performing their best. We couldn’t be more proud!

We’d also like to recognize several other WRC runners who ran unattached but with all of the passion of a true WRC-er.

John Kendra..............3:06:54
Hillary Tipton...........3:50:44
Kendall Tucker...........3:51:57

Impressive times for sure! Congrats on a great race, guys!

We’d also like to recognize our fellow DC Metro area compatriots, the Montgomery Country Road Runners, who WON the Women’s Masters competition with an impressive total time of 9:44:55. Way to represent the Nation’s capitol!

Shinobu Kusakabe is another all-star on our Master’s team for the Boston Marathon. She’s represented our club at several races and we’re just as excited to have her proudly wear our jersey once more. Good luck to you, Shinobu!!

Here’s more about Shinobu:

Boston qualifier: heck yes!

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?
A. I’ve run Boston three times and full marathon nine times. I’ll be running my tenth marathon on Monday.

Q. What are your goals for the upcoming race? 
A. To keep calm and run on.

She might hail from and live in Boston, but Kendall Tucker will always be a WRCer to us! Kendall first joined WRC a few summers ago just as her running career was taking off – it was probably the humidity that hooked her. In any case, she’s a great marathoner and we’re sure that her commitment to running will carry her through that coveted finish line!

Here’s more about Kendall:

Kendall proudly wearing her WRC jersey!

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?
A. This will be my second marathon but my first Boston.

Hey all!

All this Boston commotion made me forget to post about our Sunday Distance Run! We’re ON for tomorrow – same time, same place – 8:00 a.m. in front of the CB2 store on M Street in Georgetown. We’ll have a variety of distances of paces so all are welcome to join!

After the run, we’ll meet for coffee at Dean and Deluca.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and see you tomorrow morning!

Julia Taylor is a long standing member of WRC. She’s won the “Female Runner of the Year” award and is currently our race team coordinator. Julia commits herself to racing from the first day of her training cycle to the moment she crosses the finish line, and her race results show it! Good luck, Julia – we’re cheering for you!

Here’s more about Julia:

There’s nothing like a post-Boston smile!

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?  

Lydia Pelliccia is a member of our master’s team. With 27 marathons under her belt, Lydia Pelliccia an experienced and accomplished runner who will certainly represent WRC well at the Boston Marathon. We’re happy to have you on the team, Lydia!

Here’s more about Lydia:

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?
A. This will be my 8th Boston and 27th marathon.

Q. What are your goals for the upcoming race?
A. I always find Boston to be a technical and challenging course so I hope to stay strong throughout and run as even a second half as possible.

Q. What are you looking forward to the most about being in Boston?
A. I love the energy and the spirit of the race. Plus, I think it’s an honor to run with some of the best runners in the world — albeit behind them!

The 2015 Boston Marathon is fast approaching and the Washington Running Club has several superstar runners representing the club this year. We have three runners on our women’s masters team as well as other who are running unattached. Over the next few days, we’ll be profiling our runners as they prepare for the big day!

Here’s more about Hillary!

Hillary showing the trail who’s boss!

Hillary has been an active member of WRC for over two years. She’s tough, committed, and really fun to be around. Good luck at Boston, Hillary!

Q. How many Boston Marathons have you run? Total number of marathons?
A. This will be my first Boston and fourth marathon.

Q. What are your goals for the upcoming race?
A. My goals are to stay focused and confident to the end, and to BQ for 2016.

Q. What are you looking forward to the most about being in Boston?
A. Apart from finishing, I’m most looking forward to reuniting with a handful of my college XC teammates, both on the course and off!

Q. Do you have any tips from your last training cycle?
A. Layer up and brave the elements to the best of your ability throughout the winter. When your final weeks of training arrive, along with the warmer weather, getting out the door will be a breeze.