Metric Marathon

* Saturday: A Place for Your Pace, Peerce's Plantation, 8 a.m.; Virginia 10-miler, Lynchburg, 9 a.m.; RASAC Harmony half-marathon, 8 a.m., 638-0235.* Sunday: Zoo Zoom, Baltimore Zoo, 9 a.m., 566-RUN2; WRRC 8-K, Union Mills, 8 a.m.; Fritzbe's 10-K, Reston, Va., 8 a.m., (703) 242-3668; United Way 10-K, Washington, 8 a.m., (202) 833-8365; The Great Race, Pittsburgh.* Future book: RASAC Obstacle Course 5-K, Oct. 5; Great Allegany Run, Cumberland, Oct. 5; Market Street Mile, Frederick, Oct. 5; Glen Burnie/B&A Trail 10-K, Oct. 6; BRRC 15-mile championship, Oct. 6; Georgetown 10-K, Oct. 6; Quaker 5-miler, Oct. 12; Annapolis Metric Marathon, Oct. 13; Bachman Valley half-marathon, Oct. 13; Seagull Classic 8-K, Oct. 13; Fifth Avenue Mile, Oct. 19; Piney Orchard 5-K and biathlon, Oct. 27; Greater VTC Dundalk 10-K, Nov. 24; North Central Railroad Trail Marathon, Nov. 30.* Marathons: Portland (Ore.

* Saturday: State Fair 8-K, Timonium Fairgrounds, 7:30 a.m., 494-8649; A Place for Your Pace, Loch Raven, 8 a.m., 566-RUN2; Dougan Memorial 5-K, Cumberland, 9 a.m., 777-2894; Women's Distance Festival 5-K, Greenbelt, 8 a.m., 699-1477; Maggie Valley Midnight 5-K; Crim Road Race, Flint, Mich., Aug. 24.* Sunday: Annapolis 10-miler, Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, 7:50 a.m., 268-1165; Tri-Maryland Triathlon (for kids), Bel Air, 882-6103.* Aug. 31: Charleston (W.Va.) 15-miler; Six-Hour Run, Greenbelt; Labor Day Classic 5-K, Rehoboth, Del.* Sept.

* Today: Nike Capital Challenge, Washington.* Saturday: A Place for Your Pace, Loch Raven, 8 a.m., 566-RUN2. Crofton 5-miler, 9 a.m.* Sunday: Down's Syndrome Airport Run, Westinghouse, BWI, 8:15 a.m.; RASAC Plumb Point 8-K, Aberdeen PG, 8:30 a.m., 838-0871; RASAC Coon's Corner 15-K, Harford CC, 8 a.m., 838-1931; National Guard 8-K, Greenbelt, Pat & Mike's 8-K, Gaithersburg; BRRC Early Fall 10-K, Lake Montebello, 8:30 a.m.; Parkton 10-K; Philadelphia Distance...

The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Mondays. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). We do not accept results by phone. When two Howard County teams play, players from both teams (first and last names) must be mentioned in the write-up. Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Running Metric Marathon For the first time its 35-year history, the Columbia Metric Marathon (26.2k) featured pacers and pace groups, with paces from 7:45 per mile to 10:30 per mile in 15 second per mile increments.

Name: Richard "Dickie" George Job description: Completing fifth year as president of the Howard County Striders, running club of about 800 people. Group's goal is to promote running and physical fitness in the community; $10,000 budget helps with staging local races and events in the community and schools. Started with club about 13 years ago to accompany daughter, now 21, and son, now 18, who wanted to run in the club's junior program. Club conducts weekly events; will hold its next big race Nov. 19, the 24th Metric Marathon, a 26K event starting in Columbia's Town Center and heading back after a jaunt into Ellicott City.

* Saturday: A Place for Your Pace, Peerce's Plantation, 8 a.m.; Coon's Corner 15-K, Harford CC, 8 a.m., 838-1931; Top of the Mountain 5-miler, Gettysburg, Pa., 9 a.m., 717-264-5390.* Sunday: Great Subway Race 10-miler, Reisterstown Plaza Metro station, 8 a.m., 882-5455; Cambridge Row-Paddle Triathlon, 10 a.m., 228-2505; Back to School 8-K, Chevy Chase, (202) 393-8280.* Future book: Virginia 10-miler, Sept. 28; Harmony half-marathon, Sept. 28; Zoo Zoom, Sept. 29; Union Mills 8-K, Sept. 29; Fritzbe's 10-K, Sept.

* Saturday: Great Allegany Run 15-K, 5-K, Cumberland, 8 a.m., 729-3088; A Place for Your Pace, Peerce's Plantation, 8 a.m.; RASAC Obstacle Course 5-K, Aberdeen Proving Ground, 9 a.m., 836-8872; Market Street Mile, Frederick; Sykesville 5-K, 9 a.m., 795-4843; Chinmoy 2-miler, Patterson Park, 8 a.m., 467-3223; MCRRC 5-K, Bethesda, 8 a.m., 353-0200.* Sunday: Glen Burnie/B&A Trail 10-K, Severna Park High, 9 a.m., 787-4367; BRRC 15-mile championship, Ashland, 8 a.m., 566-RUN2; RASAC Women's Distance Festival, Belcamp, 9 a.m.; Georgetown 10-K, Washington.

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Soccer The Thunder Soccer Club is holding supplemental tryouts for our current U-7 and U-8 boys teams. Email corbett433@gmail.com for more information.   Thunder Soccer Club's U-9 boys Spurs team (born after Aug. 1, 2002) is holding supplemental tryouts every Tuesday and Friday in October from 6-7 p.m. at Hawthorn Park.

The weather is getting cooler. Vacation season is over. It is running time. And there are plenty of weekend races for distance and recreational runners. So, between now and the Baltimore Marathon (Oct. 16) think about getting out the sneakers and hitting the pavement. St. Joseph Medical Center Run to Remember The race is dedicated to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Proceeds are donated to the Baltimore City Police Department and the Baltimore City Fire Department. When: Saturday; race-day registration is at 7 a.m.; the race starts at 8:45 a.m. Where: Starts at the Baltimore Police Headquarters, 601 E. Fayette St. Distance: 5 kilometers.

Dave Berardi overcame early challenges by Jack Peach and Rod Young to win the county Striders Metric Marathon by more than a minute.A record 600-plus runners competed on a course that was slightly altered from last year's because of construction at the Columbia waterfront.Berardi took an early lead in the 16.3-mile race, but Young and Peach stayed within striking distance for the first 3.5 miles. Berardi had the race under wraps by the 10-mile mark and cruised to the finish line in 1 hour, 26 minutes, 25 seconds, close to the course record.