Women’s Distance Festival attracts strong field of runners

The 43rd annual Women’s Distance Festival 5K and 38th annual Run After the Women 5K (men’s race) took place July 9 in West Annapolis.

This race, which is directed by Kathy Hanson of the Annapolis Striders and traces its origins to giving women additional opportunities to compete, plays an important role in contemporary society — highlighting women’s running.

The first Women’s Distance Festival (WDF) events were held in July 1980 on the same date of the men’s marathon at the Moscow Olympics. Today, the festival celebrates the history of women’s rights to participate in running events at any distance and at any age.

While women’s participation in distance running nearly matches, and in some cases surpasses that of men, the WDF continues to serve as a celebration of the determination and dedication of women runners across the country.

But when one looks at the race with a wider lens, the quote from the Portuguese writer José Saramago, recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature, comes to mind: “not everything is as it seems, and not everything that seems is.”

Indeed, the Annapolis version of the WDF is more than just a race run on a road; it is a journey through almost 400 hundred years of the twists and turns of West Annapolis history.

Although many think of West Annapolis as being part of the city for time immemorial, it was not always so. The area was owned by John Norwood in 1650 and operated as a farm for centuries, growing tobacco and vegetables, while also housing cattle and livestock.

After the Civil War, the 225-acre property began operating as a vineyard named Horseshoe Farm and owned by Major Luther Giddings. It stretched down to what is now Perry Circle and featured over 16,000 grapevines producing Catawba grapes, as well as growing fruit not designed to be used as ardent spirits.

Major Gidding, who fought in the Mexican War, was a force in Annapolis, as summarized in a letter published in 1868 in the weekly Maryland Gazette. “It is our purpose to speak in this communication, of the improvements that have taken place on Severn, within the past 10 or 12 years since Major Giddings came among us, bought the property, and began a series of improvements that sat most of our easy jogging farmers all agog,” the letter writer stated.

One suspects that a “jogging farmer” does not use the word “jogging” in the modern sense. Following the death of Major Giddings in 1884, Elizabeth Giddings sold five acres to the Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line Railroad with the tracks running through a ravine in West Annapolis, across the Severn River and eventually into Baltimore.

And the area began to develop from there with carriage makers and various shops supporting the new residents of the area, and a school which is still there, and eventually serving as the race course for the WDF.

As is the case in many areas, the street names changed. Tolson, and Tucker Streets and Segelken Lane were renamed in honor of those who grew up in West Annapolis and gave their lives in World War II.

In January 1951, West Annapolis was annexed into the city along with Homewood, Eastport and Parole, doubling the size of Annapolis overnight.

Runners in the WDF are treated to all of the West Annapolis history on display for those that look, along with healthy competition. A runner with a keen eye will see the old railroad tracks over the ravine and recognize that when one looks across to the Severn, one sees a straight line to an opening in the trees near Ferry Farms heading directly to what is now the B&A Trail.

It becomes rather obvious that the remnants of centuries past are all around us, as we traipse this former farm as a quick pace on asphalt roads designed for speed.

This year’s race produced new winners who took the crowns from the 2021 champions. Erin McCloskey finished first for the women’s race with a time of 19 minutes, 40 seconds with defending champ Nicole Dawon right behind in 19:56. In the 70-and-over category, Beverly Harvey crossed first in a 41:41 with 78-year-old Jeanette Novak coming in second in 45:17 and Virginia Fromel finishing third in 48:14.

In the men’s race that followed, John Ford won in 17:59, which was 41 seconds ahead of 2021 winner Martin Shpuntoff.

Congratulations to the runners, volunteers and organizer for continuing this important tradition. Interested in checking out a WDF 5K race? There are races all around the state through the summer. More information is at maryland-rrca.org/wdf-series/