Sunday, September 4^th, 2011. 15K at 5:00 p.m., 3K at 5:10 p.m.

Through Greenbelt, MD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Center 

A fundraiser conducted by the DC Road Runners Club to benefit

Take part in renewing a tradition this Labor Day Weekend! We are returning the Larry Noël races to their historical (2008 and earlier) courses!  Some hills for the strong, some straight-aways for the swift make these courses both fun and a challenge.  The T-shaped 15K course runs through the USDA’s Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and offers sights and scents of the experiments being conducted there, plus four refreshment stops to keep you hydrated.  The 3K Fun Run, a family-friendly event, travels the scenic path around Greenbelt Lake in Buddy Attick Park.  The Race & Run celebrate the 57^th Annual Greenbelt Labor Day Festival.  The Festival includes photo shows, art shows, The Miss Greenbelt Pageant, and the Midway Carnival, where you’ll find amusement rides, games, foods and snacks to help you cool off.

A fund raiser for The Girls Gotta Run Foundation.  Girls Gotta Run provides support for impoverished Ethiopian girls who are training to be runners. $5 of your registration fee supports this locally-based, all volunteer, charitable organization.

Time & Fees: 15K at 5 p.m.  $30 on or before 8/21, $35 after 8/21 or on race day.  $25 for registered runners of the 2011 Annapolis 10-Miler, see below.  3K at 5:10 p.m., $20 on or before 8/21, $25 after 8/21 or on race day.  All fees include a $5 contribution to the Girls Gotta Run Foundation.  No refunds.

Annapolis 10-Miler Runners: We share your disappointment that the race was canceled due to Hurricane Irene.  To welcome you to our race, we are offering a discounted 15K price of $25.  Please select the appropriate price when you register.  You will be asked to present proof of your Annapolis 10-Miler registration (such as your confirmation e-mail) when you pick up your race materials. 

Artistic T-Shirt guaranteed to all registered on or before 8/21.

Awards: 15K race features cash or gift certificate awards to first three overall and first Master (over 40), male & female.  Both races will have 10-year age group awards: 1st, 2nd & 3rd.  Young runner awards!  $10 cash or gift certificates for the first five runners, 13 years and younger, who finish the 3K Fun Run.

Post-race refreshments after the race at the finish line (weather permitting) or in the Greenbelt Youth Center.

Packet Pickup and Late Registration in the Greenbelt Youth Center 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. The 15K starting line is on Northway opposite St. Hugh’s School Parking Lot (135 Crescent Road).  The 3K starting line is between the Youth Center and the tennis courts.

Special Notice: We hold this race as guests of the City of Greenbelt and USDA, which is conducting delicate experiments.  Many of the fields are treated with pesticides or other chemicals.  Any runner seen leaving the course and entering the fields or woods for an unauthorized “rest stop” will be disqualified.

Personal Audio (headphones, ear buds, etc.): The 15K Race course is over public roads, which we share with vehicle traffic.  To ensure runners' situational awareness and safety, headphones, ear buds, etc., are not permitted and may be grounds for disqualification.  The 3K Fun Run course is on a trail closed to vehicles, so personal audio is discouraged.

Help us run the race without, you know, actually running! The Larry Noël races are not possible without the help of volunteers – your time and energy are greatly appreciated, and we need lots of volunteers for this race.

To volunteer or for additional information, please contact the race director at ben@dcroadrunners.org.

Directions: Take Beltway Exit 23, Kenilworth Ave (Rt 201) North for 0.2 miles.  Turn right on Crescent Road at light.  Go east on Crescent Road for 0.6 miles to the St. Hugh's School parking lot.  Additional parking is available a half mile farther down Crescent Road at the Greenbelt Cooperative Store and Recreation Center.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW!

The Girls Gotta Run Foundation (GGRF) is a 501c3 all volunteer charitable organization founded in 2006 to raise funds to support impoverished Ethiopian girls who are training to be professional runners. Running is more than a sport for women and girls in Ethiopia. It empowers them to stay in school, avoid early marriage and childbirth, and gain economic self-sufficiency. By providing support for these aspiring athletes, GGRF helps them improve not only their lives but the lives of their families and communities. To date, GGRF has provided support for some 50 girls on four teams created with their assistance. Funds are provided for needs such as running shoes, athletic clothing, additional food (“calorie money”), transportation, and so forth. Besides training, the girls are finishing high school or post high school education, so their options are open. And they are committed to "paying it forward."

For more information:

15K course map: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/‌showMap.asp?courseID=MD04002RT

3K course map: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/‌showMap.asp?courseID=MD01040RT