Desta Beriso Morkama of Arlington wins 2017 Marine Corps Marathon

Desta Beriso Morkama of Arlington VA, wins 2017 Marine Corps Marathon

Desta Beriso Morkama, 32, of Arlington VA added another jewel to his crown by winning the 42nd annual Marine Corps Marathon in 2:25:14, more than two minutes ahead of his closest competition.

Morkama ran the first mile with Kieran O'Connor, 30, also of Arlington, who inadvertently ran off the course at Lee Highway and continued onto Key Bridge in the absence of a lead vehicle. After a full minute of running alone, they realized their error and doubled back into the pack. At that point, Jeffrey Stein, 31, of Washington DC held the lead.

Gradually, the determined duo inched back to rejoin the leaders, and Morkama took the lead for good with two miles to go, as the course passed in front of Long Bridge Park.

Wesley Turner, 31, of Danville VA passed O'Connor late in the race to finish second in 2:27:34; O'Connor scored third in 2:28:06; and Stein ended up eighth in 2:30:53.

Among women, Sarah Bishop, 35, of Fairfax took the gold laurel wreath in 2:45:07, with Megan Curran, 31, of Fort Carson, Colo., second in 2:50:24, and Suzanne Hutchins, 37, of Gastonia, N.C., third in 2:53:36.

Since coming from his native Ethiopia to Arlington in September 2016, Morkama has won races of every distance from 5K to marathon all over the region -- Annapolis MD, Ashburn VA, Baltimore MD, Ellicott City MD, Leesburg VA, Rockville MD, Piney Point MD, Vienna VA, and Washington DC, to name a few.

At last year's Marine Corps Marathon, Morkama finished second in 2:24:28, behind winner Samuel Kosgei, 32, of Junction City KS, who won in 2:23:52.

Morkama's training consists of a two-hour run in the pre-dawn hours every morning and speed training with Potomac Valley Track Club every Monday and Wednesday night.

Coincidentally, Morkama's photo is on the cover of both this month's Montgomery County Road Runners Club's Intervals newsletter and RacePacket magazine, and he has clinched victory in RacePacket's 2017 Grand Prix race series.

Sponsored by Safety And Health Foundation, Boom Nutrition, Hybrid Pedals electric bike company, and Seven-11, Morkama has been studying English at Arlington Mill Community Center, where he earned a scholarship to move from beginning English to intermediate. He also volunteers at local races when he's not running them. He won DC Road Runners Club's "Bunion Derby" summer race series, undefeated in his age group, and he earned one of Potomac Valley Track Club's outstanding athlete / volunteer-service awards for winning all his PVTC races and assisting as coach of their Young Flyers youth track & field program.

Marine Corps Marathon is the fourth largest marathon in the USA, seventh largest in the world. Billed as "The People's Marathon," 20,303 finished this year's 26.2-mile race.

In the accompanying 10K, two Arlington men shared the podium -- Denzel Ramirez, 34, first in 32:17; and Craig Morgan, 26, second in 32:22. Erik McMillan, 20, from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, landed third in 32:50. Bethany Sachtleben, 25, of Alexandria VA, won the women's race in 34:07, ahead of Julie Tarallo, 28, of Washington DC, second in 38:01; and Amy Smith, 29, of Seattle WA, third in 38:55, among 7,061 total finishers.

Marine Corps Marathon - October 22, 2017 - Top 100 M/F

Men

#1,Desta Beriso Morkama, 32, Arlington VA, 2:25:14

#2,Wesley Turner, 31, Danville VA, 2:27:35

#3,Kieran O'Connor, 30, Arlington VA, 2:28:07

#4,Kristopher Houghton, 36, Albuquerque NM, 2:28:29

#5,Patrick Hearn, 27, Irvine CA, 2:29:04

#6,Michael Biwott, 28, Joint Base San Antonio Fort S TX, 2:30:14

#7,Will Christian, 34, Norfolk VA, 2:30:36

#8,Jeffrey Stein, 31, Washington DC, 2:30:53

#9,Jeremy Bennie, 23, Charlottesville VA, 2:30:59

#10,George Kiplagat, 31, Colorado Springs CO, 2:31:37

#11,Peter Koskey, 27, Fayetteville NC, 2:31:46

#12,Trevor Lafontaine, 24, Lakewood WA, 2:32:00

#13,John Brough, 21, McLean VA, 2:33:31

#14,Rob Coslick, 34, Scottsdale AZ, 2:33:39

#15,John Butler, 24, Washington DC, 2:34:29

#16,Brett Lechtenberg, 28, San Pedro CA, 2:37:12

#17,Pedro Rodriguez, 37, Colorado Springs CO, 2:37:29

#18,Tom Dichiara, 40, Garrett Park MD, 2:37:30

#19,Justin Turner, 38, Pensacola FL, 2:37:52

#20,Matthew Devillers, 29, Lake Forest Park WA, 2:38:23

#21,Keaton Naff, 23, New York NY, 2:38:35

#22,Logan Jostes, 20, South Elgin IL, 2:39:00

#23,Joshua Crowther, 24, Uffculme, 2:39:09

#24,Dante Zappala, 42, Philadelphia PA, 2:39:32

#25,Ruben Garcia, 46, Mexico, 2:40:01

#26,Timothy Richard, 29, Clovis NM, 2:40:38

#27,Robert Pultorak, 40, Perkasie PA, 2:41:14

#28,Kenny Rayner, 27, Arlington Va VA, 2:41:34

#29,Kevin Saur, 42, Snohomish WA, 2:42:22

#30,Luke Rodina, 35, Fpo Ap 96377 AP, 2:42:52

#31,Bryan Kelly, 34, Edwards CA, 2:43:02

#32,Kurt Warwick, 29, Clinton WA, 2:43:04

#33,Anthony Maynard, 43, Blythewood SC, 2:43:32

#34,Andrew Smith, 32, Taunton, 2:43:40

#35,Pedro Flores, 45, Mexico, 2:43:43

#36,Charles Ware, 33, Raeford NC, 2:44:13

#37,Christopher Huggett, 28, Cartmel, 2:44:28

#38,Peter Lawrence, 45, Houston TX, 2:44:51

#39,Andrew Stay, 38, Arborfield, 2:44:55

#40,Alex Drozd, 24, Bethel Park PA, 2:44:56

#41,Randall Myers, 41, Arlington VA, 2:45:09

#42,Mark Mueller, 21, Usafa CO, 2:45:18

#43,Patrick Murray, 45, Alexandria VA, 2:45:35

#44,Matthew Barresi, 34, Palmyra VA, 2:45:52

#45,Matthew Howard, 26, Arlington VA, 2:46:14

#46,Aaron Schwartzbard, 40, Washington DC, 2:46:20

#47,Matthew Howe, 30, Chapel Hill NC, 2:46:42

#48,Shlomo Fishman, 25, Silver Spring MD, 2:46:49

#49,Tesfaye Wosene, 36, Fpo, 2:47:05

#50,Jamie Hospers, 25, Washington DC, 2:47:11

#51,Roberto Hernandez, 42, Mexico, 2:47:39

#52,Greg Menegat, 50, Eugene OR, 2:47:39

#53,Patrick Cooper, 29, Jacksonville FL, 2:48:19

#54,Dan McDevitt, 29, McLean VA, 2:48:45

#55,Adam Lowe, 35, Mechanicsville MD, 2:48:50

#56,Liam Collins, 46, West Point NY, 2:48:55

#57,Jason Montano, 36, Newton MA, 2:48:58

#58,Steve Speirs, 51, Virginia Beach VA, 2:49:15

#59,Bryn Phillips, 38, Yeovil Somerset UK, 2:49:37

#60,Juan Carlos Velasquez, 31, Naucalpan Estado De Mexico, 2:49:40

#61,Miles Aitken, 33, Washington DC, 2:49:56

#62,Olivier Leblond, 45, Arlington VA, 2:50:00

#63,Stacin Martin, 48, Chesapeake VA, 2:50:09

#64,Matthew Eyler, 31, Wilmington NC, 2:50:10

#65,Matthew Shannon, 27, Philadelphia PA, 2:50:14

#66,Matthew Wolpert, 41, Ogden UT, 2:50:21

#67,Mike Galvin, 44, St Petersburg FL, 2:50:23

#68,Paul Jacobs, 39, Washington DC, 2:50:30

#69,Stephen Munchak, 34, Silver Spring MD, 2:50:37

#70,Jim Gregory, 45, Wheaton MD, 2:50:48

#71,Brian Dumm, 34, Washington DC, 2:51:02

#72,David Schwartz, 27, Teaneck NJ, 2:51:30

#73,Austin Olshavsky, 24, Brunswick OH, 2:51:58

#74,Javier Torres Rolon, 35, Aibonito PR, 2:52:00

#75,John Walker, 21, Norfolk VA, 2:52:03

#76,Henning Kramer, 38, Paoli PA, 2:52:08

#77,Adam Coy, 30, Burlingame CA, 2:53:04

#78,Patrick Wheeler, 32, Annapolis MD, 2:53:05

#79,Mike Stout, 30, Cedar Falls IA, 2:53:09

#80,Kirk Webb, 24, Louisville CO, 2:53:19

#81,Josh Emdur, 40, Boulder CO, 2:53:26

#82,Scott Haug, 38, Elkhorn NE, 2:53:43

#83,Evan Fallor, 26, Arlington VA, 2:53:50

#84,Michael Wardian, 43, Arlington VA, 2:54:05

#85,Tyler Eckhoff, 30, Alexandria VA, 2:54:32

#86,Ryan Graddy, 31, Baltimore MD, 2:54:34

#87,Damon Jensen, 34, Bethesda MD, 2:54:37

#88,Kirby Mills, 32, Oceanside CA, 2:55:08

#89,David Gary, 39, Philadelphia PA, 2:55:10

#90,Ermin Mujezinovic, 29, Pinehurst NC, 2:55:22

#91,Andrew Lange, 32, Chicago IL, 2:55:26

#92,Jason Brosseau, 32, Colorado Springs CO, 2:55:45

#93,Steven Putansu, 33, Washington DC, 2:55:59

#94,Josh Orr, 21, Lexington VA, 2:56:27

#95,Wayne Parfitt, 52, Newport News VA, 2:56:32

#96,Jonathan Aikman, 40, Alexandria VA, 2:56:41

#97,Ian Thomas, 54, Banbury, 2:56:47

#98,Phillip Scheanon, 23, North Bethesda MD, 2:56:57

#99,Jeremiah Tatum, 44, Cookeville TN, 2:57:02

#100,James Munnis III, 53, Shepherdstown WV, 2:57:04

Women

#1,Sarah Bishop, 35, Fairfax VA, 2:45:07

#2,Meghan Curran, 31, Fort Carson CO, 2:50:24

#3,Suzanne Hutchins, 37, Gastonia NC, 2:53:36

#4,Chelsea Kim, 27, Sanford NC, 2:54:58

#5,Katherine Irgens, 28, Lake Forest Park WA, 2:55:59

#6,Lindsay Rheiner, 24, Emerald Isle NC, 2:58:37

#7,Amy Natalini, 35, Barksdale Afb LA, 3:01:25

#8,Madeleine Carey, 25, Santa Fe NM, 3:01:32

#9,Molly Astudillo, 31, Fairfax VA, 3:03:10

#10,Jennifer Comfort, 24, Clarksville TN, 3:04:00

#11,Alice Henley, 28, Oakland Park FL, 3:04:02

#12,Jamie Henry, 34, Rockville MD, 3:05:04

#13,Natalie Hopkins, 28, Carlsbad CA, 3:05:10

#14,Annie-Norah Beveridge, 24, Imperial Beach CA, 3:06:08

#15,Phoebe Markle, 33, Alexandria VA, 3:06:09

#16,Kelli Proctor, 40, Waterford PA, 3:07:03

#17,Christin Newman, 26, Norfolk VA, 3:07:55

#18,Angela Grdina, 36, Fairfax VA, 3:08:31

#19,Sharon Schmidt-Mongrain, 42, Lafayette Hill PA, 3:08:33

#20,Margaret Smith, 37, Baltimore MD, 3:09:13

#21,Katharin Taylor, 27, Poulsbo WA, 3:12:27

#22,Haley Dumke, 25, South Boston MA, 3:12:46

#23,Christie Wetzel, 30, Falls Church VA, 3:14:04

#24,Hallyn Brewster, 31, Washington DC, 3:14:16

#25,Jennifer Karkoska, 26, Hanover MD, 3:14:30

#26,Angela Buch, 21, Usaf Academy CO, 3:14:32

#27,Ashley Glover, 37, Savannah GA, 3:15:25

#28,Allison Midei, 28, Baltimore MD, 3:15:35

#29,Tessa Mah, 35, Southington CT, 3:15:49

#30,Sophie Nielsen, 25, Westfield IN, 3:15:59

#31,Laura Lavezo, 27, Seattle WA, 3:16:38

#32,Nadia Fisher, 37, Odenton MD, 3:17:20

#33,Jessica Nachman, 32, New York NY, 3:17:54

#34,Lauren Columbare, 24, Mansfield MA, 3:17:59

#35,Nancy Agrillo, 49, Grand Rapids MI, 3:18:07

#36,Jessica Paschke, 32, Forest Lake MN, 3:18:31

#37,Erin Bellissimo, 32, Little Rock AR, 3:18:32

#38,Frankie Brillante, 25, Wallingford CT, 3:18:32

#39,Angelica Valdez, 31, Alexandria VA, 3:18:42

#40,Karen Pulkkinen, 33, Cambridge MA, 3:18:44

#41,Victoria Perez, 20, Usaf Academy CO, 3:18:48

#42,Maddie Jenkins, 24, Ypsilanti MI, 3:19:11

#43,Kacey Gibson, 27, Yorktown VA, 3:19:12

#44,Jessica Brown, 26, Arlington VA, 3:19:33

#45,Gina Aalgaard Kelly, 41, Lisbon ND, 3:20:10

#46,Elizabeth Lynch, 26, West Hartford CT, 3:20:12

#47,Cornelia Pritchard, 51, Frederick MD, 3:20:16

#48,Mariah Hill, 24, Needmore PA, 3:20:17

#49,Abigail Cember, 25, Ardmore PA, 3:20:20

#50,Liz Greenlaw, 30, Arlington VA, 3:20:22

#51,Kali Gall, 25, Mount Pleasant SC, 3:20:26

#52,Tricia Thompson, 29, Washington DC, 3:20:50

#53,Maureen Valladares, 37, Guatemala, 3:21:23

#54,Alicia Mucci, 29, New York NY, 3:21:26

#55,Rachel Ackerman, 34, Washington DC, 3:21:29

#56,Carlee James, 35, Statesboro GA, 3:22:00

#57,Sandra Pahl, 39, Virginia VA, 3:22:06

#58,Sara Pacheco, 32, Montclair VA, 3:22:08

#59,Hassetou Wandaogo, 47, Washington DC, 3:22:31

#60,Mindy Toothman, 38, Carlsbad NM, 3:22:38

#61,Christina Noordstar, 41, Tierra Verde FL, 3:22:59

#62,Rachel Wein, 26, Washington DC, 3:23:01

#63,Melanie Fineman, 25, Washington DC, 3:23:23

#64,Anne Portlock, 35, Bloomington IN, 3:23:33

#65,Stephanie Spitznogle, 33, Alexandria VA, 3:23:41

#66,Jenae Gureff, 39, Oakton VA, 3:23:44

#67,Jennifer Pierce, 38, Camden TN, 3:23:46

#68,Krista Breitzman, 26, Arlington VA, 3:23:49

#69,Candice Weiss, 23, West Newton MA, 3:23:59

#70,Megan Smyth, 33, Dallas TX, 3:24:10

#71,Molly Knight, 31, Norcross GA, 3:24:19

#72,Jessica Uhrin, 20, Gibsonia PA, 3:24:20

#73,Eva Henck, 31, Atlanta GA, 3:24:22

#74,Diane Woodruff, 30, The Woodlands TX, 3:24:25

#75,Ashley Spencer, 30, Lynchburg VA, 3:24:35

#76,Elizabeth Herman, 36, Wake Forest NC, 3:24:41

#77,Heather Costello, 39, Lugoff SC, 3:24:44

#78,Kristin Herring, 38, Newport News VA, 3:24:50

#79,Hannah Robb, 27, New York NY, 3:25:01

#80,Lindsay Sellers, 39, New Canaan CT, 3:25:14

#81,Cori Maley, 32, Silver Spring MD, 3:25:19

#82,Kathleen Anthony, 24, Nashville TN, 3:25:20

#83,Katie Filemyr, 26, Willow Grove PA, 3:25:32

#84,Katelyn Storey, 22, Salisbury NC, 3:25:35

#85,Amy Davis, 32, Newton MA, 3:25:48

#86,Alexandra Moses, 30, New York NY, 3:25:59

#87,Emily Diehl, 20, Saline MI, 3:26:11

#88,Brittany Cain, 25, Arlington VA, 3:26:13

#89,Jessica Ramsey, 27, Fairborn OH, 3:26:31

#90,Abby Petter, 36, Louisville KY, 3:26:40

#91,Nneamaka Adirika, 25, Severna Park MD, 3:27:00

#92,Maria Omachel, 32, Ridgewood NY, 3:27:25

#93,Sarah Dunn, 39, Carmel IN, 3:27:32

#94,Amber Douglas, 39, Camden TN, 3:27:33

#95,Katie Buenaga, 26, Williamsburg VA, 3:27:42

#96,Amie Pendleton-Knoll, 28, Washington DC, 3:27:52

#97,Kat Schaefer, 28, Richmond Hill NY, 3:27:57

#98,Jessica Glenn, 32, Virginia Beach VA, 3:28:04

#99,Amy Bowen, 34, Arlington VA, 3:28:04

#100,Priti Bhansali, 41, Millersville MD, 3:28:08