Smiles, Medals, and Milestones at Run Thru Reston

By Matt Reider, Staff Writer

Photo by Benjamin Burgess

A brisk spring morning set the perfect stage on April 24 as hundreds gathered for the "Run Thru Reston" half-marathon and 5K, a celebration of fitness and community spirit organized by Reston Runners.

While the race didn't begin until 7:30 a.m., South Lakes High School was buzzing more than an hour earlier. Volunteers in red shirts set up registration tables, unpacked race bibs, and prepared for the crowd. At the center of the activity was race co-chair Jeannie Johns, answering a steady stream of questions as the start time approached.

Johns stepped up to lead the event after previous chair Anna Newcome stepped down, determined to keep the race — a tradition since 2013 — going strong. Planning began as early as June 2024, with more than 125 volunteers needed on race day alone.

Co-chair Clyde Rollins noted that some participants had completed a 14-week training

program, also organized by Reston Runners. He called the race a “good community event,” with all proceeds supporting scholarships for Herndon and South Lakes high school students through the Reston Runners Community Fund, a separate nonprofit.

Among the many volunteers, Johns’ son, Jason, and his friend John Palus set up the water station and prepared awards. Jason, in his third year helping to organize the race, said, “Last night when we went to bed, we really felt prepared and ready.” Meanwhile, volunteer Sergei Plotnitskii and his 10-person team placed about 100 signs and chalked the course to guide runners.

To support runner safety, a medical tent was set up near the start. Volunteer podiatrists Dr. Kevin Diep and Dr. Stanley Idiculla, along with volunteer Kathy Le, were on hand to assist participants as needed.

By 7:30 a.m., the starting gate was in position, water and sponsor tables were ready, and the clocks were ticking. More than 450 participants gathered at the track. Half-marathon runners aiming for fast times moved to the front, followed by 5K runners, who started 15 minutes later.

After the races, awards were distributed. PR Running gift cards went to the top three male and female finishers in 15 age groups. The top three overall winners were: males: Nick Turner in 1 hour, 24 minutes, and females: Brianne Kaufman in 1 hour, 39 minutes. 5K overall winners were: males: Austen Motes in 18 minutes, 41 seconds, and females: Thea Motes in 22 minutes, 53 seconds.

The day also marked the awarding of scholarships. Santiago Hernandez, a South Lakes runner and STEM IB student accepted to the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan, received the first-ever $4,000 Tim Cohn Scholarship. Two additional $1,000 scholarships were awarded to Celeste Hammond, Herndon High School’s track and field captain heading to the University of Mary Washington, and Jason Raffel, South Lakes’ cross-country captain and future University of Richmond runner.

For Johns, the best part of the day was “seeing the smiles on the faces of the finishers." Whether chasing a personal record or simply crossing the line, each runner had something to celebrate — made possible by the hard work of Reston Runners and its volunteers.