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Welcome! This is the home of the world-famous (well, maybe locally well-known) SLR.
Our start time is at 8:00 AM for the rest of the year. Every Saturday we meet at North Meade Street Park, a small park northwest of the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) in Rosslyn. The closest address for mapping purposes is 1300 Arlington Blvd, and street parking is available in the neighborhoods adjacent to N. Meade Street. Be mindful of parking signs, since Arlington County enforces them enthusiastically, and please do not park on Marine Memorial Circle (inside Iwo Jima), because this parking area is for memorial use only. At least one porta-john is available year-round near the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the memorial's water fountain is usually on during the summer.
We run rain or shine! In cases of extreme weather (snow, ice, thunderstorms, heat waves) we do occasionally either change our meeting time or cancel the run for safety, but the run will be held as planned unless otherwise posted via email/twitter/facebook and here on the SLR web page.
All are welcome! We're an informal group, and there are no requirements for speed, racing experience, or what distance means "long" for you, other than the suggested route that most of our group will be running each week. If you don't want to run the same distance or course as the main group, you can go out for half of your own target distance and re-trace your steps back to Iwo Jima. More specific route info and mileage options will be given in the email/post preceding each Saturday's run. SLR always features a run from our extensive Route Catalog, which gives us a wide range of options to keep things fresh for you each week. We have routes that are flat, hilly, looped, out & back, roads, sidewalks, trails, and more, reaching all around the local area of DC, VA, and MD!
For more details about Saturday Long Runs please read our Frequently Asked Questions to get a sense for what it's like to run with us, or send an email to Anna if you have any other questions that are not covered.
To receive weekly SLR updates via email, please log in and check your email subscriptions.
Schedule:
| Date | Miles | Route Map | Navigation Downloads | Post/Mid-Run Beverages |
| 4/20 | 18 | Arboretum - Azaleas!! | Cue Sheet & GPS | Hope Seck |
| 4/27 | 12 | Piney Branch | Cue Sheet & GPS | Kristine Gift |
| 5/4 | 14 | MBT - Catholic | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/11 | 14 | Capital Crescent OaB | Cue Sheet & GPS | Kate Scott |
| 5/18 | 16 | Arlington Loop | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/25 | 14 | Battery Garesche | Cue Sheet & GPS | Kate Scott |
SLR: 18 Miles Rock Creek MBT
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Looks like tomorrow might be a little rainy (read: it's probably going to rain from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed). Please be careful both during SLR tomorrow and especially getting to and from North Meade Park! If you see high water or flooding at any time, follow the "Turn Around Don't Drown" rule and remember that flood water (especially moving water) is extremely dangerous both on and off the run. I don't think we'll hit any of that tomorrow, as most of the route is in areas that rarely flood and we are running earlier in the storm, but be mindful espeically throughout Rock Creek Park. In other random "it's going to be wet" reminders: bring a ball cap and remember that not every long run has to be a super fast stellar workout, sometimes it's important to test yourself in difficult conditions just in case it happens on race day (*long stare at the window to flashbacks of Marine Corps 2019*). Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we're running Rock Creek MBT (strava, gps, pdf) which not only happens to be objectively the best long run in the entire DC area, but also my favorite SLR route! Carl created it earlier this year and though we haven't run it too often as a club it's a fairly straightforward route (despite the many turns on the cue sheet). We'll go along the Georgetown Waterfront, up Rock Creek Park, then up a fairly large hill along Blagden Ave (the only one tomorrow!!!) before getting on Gallatin to take us across the city to the Metropolitan Branch Trail where we'll follow the metro down to the Capitol then to the Mall and back to North Meade Park. The MBT is a fabulous bike path in the city and they not only (finally!!) recently added protected bike lanes along 8th Street NW, but they also have recently repainted the murals near Alethia Tanner Park! As we are running through the city and especially because it's going to be rainy, please remember to look for cars at intersections and never assume someone will see you or stop!
Want Something Shorter? There are numerous ways to hop on the metro and shorten this route depending on how many miles you want. For 10, hop on at Fort Totten, for 11 stop at Brookland-CUA, for 12 Rhode Island Ave is your go-to, for 13 jump on at NoMa - Gaulladet U, if you want 14 Union Station is your friend, for 14.5 take a slight detour to Capitol South, and for 15.5 grab a train at Smithsonian (note if you're getting on the Red Line you will need to transfer at Metro Center)! There aren't a ton of other nice ways to shorten this one (but did I mention it's my favorite route and you should run all of it), though an out and back in the rain in Rock Creek Park is always a great way to kick off a weekend!
Need a Longer Route?Coming up through Rosslyn instead of by the cemetery will add an extra mile to get you to 19. It's also possible to get another extra mile by going down 15th street to the 14th Street Bridge and coming up the Mount Vernon Trail. For more than 20 miles, tack on a loop around Hains Point (or an out and back south along the MVT) to get those extra few!
Thirsty? Thanks to Sean Hicks for pre/post run drinks and Priscilla Sandoli for mid-run drinks! She'll be at the Bridges Public Charter School at the corner of Gallatin Street and the MBT! If you need more water than that, just lean your head back and let mother nature do the rest! In all seriousness there are some good water fountains along this route at mile 6 at Peirce Mill, mile 12 near the Rhode Island Ave metro, and along the Mall from miles 14.5-16 there are plenty to choose from (whether or not they're functional is a different story). Additional water jugs may still be out on the MBT that are great filling stations for bottles left by one of the local ANC members!
Need a Bathroom? There are some great ones at Peirce Mill and some (well) less great ones on the Mall at the Washington Monument. Union Station also has some great options, however they're a bit far from the entrance though they are useful in a pinch!
The next club race is the National Capital 20 Miler and Janet Braunstein 5 Miler this Sunday at Carderock. We still need volunteers for the event so please consider helping out if you're available! We also need some more volunteers for SLR drinks in October if anyone is available! This will count towards Snowball Series Volunteer credit!!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 21 Miles - The Big Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Summer has officially come to an end according to Capital Weather Gang and this weekend should be the coolest SLR in quite some time. It should be barely over 65 by the time the run is over, which compared to the last few months is a really nice change. It also comes at a great time for everyone who is racing this weekend! Good luck to everyone and hopefully the good weather will continue into the marathon season! Now let's get into it:
The Route: In terms of DC Running, The Big Loop (strava, gps, pdf) might be the most famous long run route of all time. It also happens to be one of my favorite routes in the area, but don't just take my word for it, Christie Wetzel, Coach Big Guy, and many others are also huge fans! We'll embark on a journey up Rock Creek Park, cross Maryland via Leland St (which does turn a few times as mentioned on the cue sheet, when in doubt follow signs for Leland!!), and finish all the way down the Capital Crescent Trail. Running this loop is a big accomplishment (pun intended) and no marathon training cycle is complete without it! I also always shorten this route to 20 miles and end at Baked & Wired (the best cupcakes in DC) for some cupcakes afterwards as a celebration. I know for a lot of folks this is the first 20 miler of your training cycles (and in some cases ever!!), you should be proud of your accomplishment this weekend and know you're one step closer to crushing it on race day!
Want Something Shorter? The Bethesda Metro Station around mile 13 is a great midway point to ensure you get all of the fun hills in this route for a few less miles on the back end! If you're looking for something other than a metro route or an out and back in Rock Creek Park, the wonderful Ross Ridge Loop is a great way to get 14 miles in, take in the sights of Rock Creek, and still have company for a good chunk of the route.
Need a Longer Route? Do you really? For a couple extra miles, continuing down through Georgetown and across the Memorial Bridge instead of the Key Bridge will add a couple miles to an already long day!
Thirsty? Thank you to Bonnie Harvey for pre and post run drinks this week! Sean Hicks will also be at the Honda Dealership in Bethesda as soon as you get on the Capital Crescent Trail around mile 13 with mid-run drinks! There are some great water options every 5-8 miles along this route, so bring a bottle but expect some nice filling points! My favorites are at mile 5.5 just before you get on Beach Drive, along the Capital Crescent around mile 15 before the little bridge near the water treatment center, and at Fletcher's Boathouse around mile 17.7 as a good last fill before finishing out strong! As these runs get longer, fueling becomes more and more important! Don't forget to bring a few gels tomorrow so you're still feeling strong on that long downhill!!
Need a Bathroom? Those also come roughly the same frequency as the water fountains! Mile 5.5 just before getting on Beach Drive has two different sets of bathrooms (pro tip: going up the hill by the community garden and Mill gets you private bathrooms instead of the multi-stall ones). There are additional bathrooms along Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park every 1-2 miles, keep your eyes out for them along the side of the road near the various picnic areas! There aren't a ton of great options along the Capital Crescent trail aside from Fletcher's Boathouse at mile 17.7, but there are a few gas stations along the way that make a good stop in a pinch!
The next club race is the National Capital 20 Miler and Janet Braunstein 5 Miler next Sunday the 24th! We need a lot of volunteers to keep this event running smoothly, so please consider helping out (especially if you still need Bunion Derby credit)! On that note, we also need volunteers for SLR drinks throughout the month of October (and beyond!), this will count towards Snowball Series volunteer credit (and is also just an awesome thing to do)!
Happy Running!
Anna
New Balance Gear Distribution at SLR 9/9
Hey Folks!
Sorry for the double ping! Two quick things before tomorrow:
1. If you're planning on taking the metro, don't forget to bring a shirt along with your metro card! Had a station manager the other week get pretty annoyed when I wasn't wearing one (though they did still let me ride), but would like to spare everyone from that experience.
2. Speaking of shirts: the New Balance gear that was available for purchase back in June has arrived and Steve will be at SLR tomorrow to distribute! If you can't make SLR tomorrow, he'll also be at Monday Chill Run and Tuesday Night Track this upcoming week. Email steve@dcroadrunners.org with any questions and to coordinate pickup!
Happy Running and see you all tomorrow!
Anna
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Upcoming Events
| May Happy Hour/Snowball Series Awards Ceremony Thu, May 23rd, 2024, @6:00pm |
| DCRRC Women's Distance Festival 5K and Run After the Women 5K Sun, Jun 9th, 2024, @8:00am |
| Book Club Sun, Jun 16th, 2024, @4:00pm |
| DCRRC Hugh Jascourt 4-Miler Fri, Jun 21st, 2024, @7:00pm |
| DCRRC Age Handicapped 4-Miler Thu, Jul 4th, 2024, @8:00am |
| DCRRC Bastille Day 4-Miler Sun, Jul 14th, 2024, @7:00pm |
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The DC Road Runners Club is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and is also affiliated with USA Track & Field. We provide a year-round schedule of running events that offer everyone a chance to participate regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. |