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Contest update

BY BILL FREEHLING

Date published: 4/29/2008

BY BILL FREEHLING

All aboard the Great Train of prizes for this week's Weekly Challenge.

The topic of our weekly contest is Sunday's Great Train Race in downtown Fredericksburg. All of our Top-10 finishers will get a great prize donated by local businesses.

The Great Train Race is a one-mile run through downtown Fredericksburg for people 18 and under. More than 3,000 people are expected to do the mile, and another 400 younger children are doing The Caboose Run. Proceeds go to the Fredericksburg Area Service League. The first heat starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday at the train station. Spectators are welcome.

Enter through 5 p.m. Saturday: Fredericksburg.com/weeklychallenge. Here are the prizes:

A $50 gift certificate from VA Runner.

A $25 gift certificate from Olde Towne Bicycles-- we have two of these.

A family four-pack of kettle korn from Appalachian Kettle Korn--we have two of these.

A $50 gift certificate toward a party, class or league at the Fredericksburg Field House.

A $30 gift certificate to Marquee Cinemas, courtesy of Germanna Community College.

A one-month family membership to the Rappahannock Area YMCA.

A dozen fudge-covered strawberries from Sweet Hannah's Fudge Shoppe--we have two of these.

Congratulations to Joanna Sledziona of Spotsylvania County, who won last week's contest on Stonewall Jackson's possible return to the Fredericksburg area for this weekend's 145th-anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Chancellorsville. The event is Saturday and Sunday at 6301 Plank Road in Spotsylvania County. Details are at spotsylva nia.org.

Sledziona was among 140 people who correctly answered all 10 questions, but she answered earliest.

Rounding out last week's Top 10 were: Harold Green Marcia Stevens, Kimberly Green, Robb Baczkowski, Curt Enzbrenner, Judy Haymes, Carol Freeman, Pat Retter and Darlene Green.

Last week 127 people, including Sledziona, got a bonus point for correctly answering the question in Friday's Free Lance-Star Life section. There will be another bonus question in this Friday's Life section.

Kenneth McKane is our overall leader after 16 weeks of contests. Ryan Crisp, Kathleen Edwards, Harold Green and Darlene Green are all within five points.

The Weekly Challenge is a yearlong contest testing your knowledge of a different topic every week. Everyone who gets 50 points in the standings by the end of the year qualifies for a year-end prize drawing. So far 19 people have qualified.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5405
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com

Here are the answers to last week's contest on Stonewall Jackson's return. 1. His arm 2. Gray 3. Thomas 4. Joseph Hooker 5. Route 3 6. Germanna 7. Harrison Crossing 8. Transportation 9. Virginia Military Institute 10. $3.40-$3.49 (It was $3.45) 11. Bonus: Stonewall Jackson These are the questions for this week's contest on the Great Train Race. Enter: Fredericksburg.com/weeklychallenge 1. Which of the following is closest to the number of feet that the one-mile Great Train Race covers? a. 4,300 b. 5,300 c. 6,300 d. 7,300 2. What will be the age of the fastest female runner in Sunday's Great Train Race? a. 18 b. 16 or 17 c. 14 or 15 d. 13 or under 3. What is the abbreviation for Fredericksburg's local running club, which is putting on this weekend's races? a. FRED b. AARP c. FARC d. MSFT 4. What will be the age of the fastest male runner in Sunday's Great Train Race? a. 18 b. 16 or 17 c. 14 or 15 d. 13 or under 5. The Caboose Run, which is for children 5 and under, is 400 meters. That is how many times around a standard-size outdoor running track? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 6. Last year's top male finisher, Christopher Young, ran the Great Train Race in 4 minutes and 47 seconds. Will this year's top male finisher beat that? a. Yes b. No 7. The race course starts at Fredericksburg's train station, turns right toward the Chatham Bridge and then quickly takes a right toward the City Dock, where it finishes. Knowing that, which of the following roads is NOT included in the course? a. Caroline Street b. Princess Anne Street c. Butler Road d. Sophia Street 8. Last year's top female finisher, Leah Schubel, ran the Great Train Race in 5 minutes and 33 seconds. Will this year's top female finisher beat that? a. Yes b. No 9. When the Great Train Race's first heat starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, what will be the local temperature listed at the top of the Fredericksburg.com homepage? a. 50-59 degrees b. 60-69 degrees c. 70-79 degrees d. 80-89 degrees e. None of the above 10. Since 2000, the fastest time recorded in the Great Train Race came in 2002 when Mike Porter Jr. ran it in 4 minutes and 19 seconds. Will any runner beat that time this year? a. Yes b. No

Date published: 4/29/2008