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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 until next summer! 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 |
| 4/5 | 14 | Marymount Chain Bridge | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/12 | 12 | Pentagon Army Navy | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/19 | 13 | Cathedral Clintons | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/26 | 18 | National Arboretum | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/3 | 12 | Potomac Overlook Loops | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/10 | 13 | Southeast DC | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/17 | 16 | Around the World in Fourteen Miles | Cue Sheet & GPS | 62 Embassies! New Route! |
| 5/24 | 14 | Ross Drive | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/31 | 15 | Long Bridge Park | Cue Sheet & GPS |
SLR: 14 Miles Ross Drive
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Well, originally this was going to be the week that we move from 8 to 7, but it’s so dang nice out we don’t really need to. That being said, plan for next weekend to shift SLR’s start time from 8 to 7. Tomorrow I’ll see everyone at 8 at North Meade Park! Now let’s get into it:
The Route: Ross Drive (strava, gps,pdf) is an absolute favorite of the SLR board of directors (me) and many other club members (you, probably). We'll head up Rock Creek through the Zoo Loop (which yes, some of you will avoid, but I will see it on strava and I will be disappointed), then up Beach Drive before heading back down via Ross Drive and Ridge Road. As a reminder, Beach Drive is closed to vehicle traffic but Ross Drive and Ridge Road are not, keep an eye out for cars (though I usually only see one or two a run, and they know who really owns those roads).
Want Something Shorter? An out and back through Rock Creek Park is the easiest way to cut mileage off. If you're looking for a different route back, you can also come down to the waterfront instead of the trail when leaving Rock Creek Park (though that does add a little bit of mileage, so keep that in mind).
Need a Longer Route? My favorite option for adding mileage is something I like to call "A Ross Drive so Nice You Run it Twice" aka run a second loop of Beach-Ross-Ridge for a little over 3 miles extra.
Thirsty? There aren't a ton of options for water, so be sure to bring some if you need it. The only really reliable stop is at Peirce Mill (yup, it's spelled like that) in Rock Creek around miles 5.3 and 9, but I haven't run there recently enough to know whether it's on for the winter or not (it has, however, been on in the past).
Need a Bathroom? Peirce Mill (my copy editor (also me) complains about this every time) is also your best bet for those as well at miles 5.3 and 9! There aren't a lot of other options, so keep that in mind for tomorrow!
The next club event is our annual Mile Time Trials night at Wednesday Track, perfectly coinciding with Global Running Day. No registration required, just show up to W&L High School in Arlington on Wednesday June 4th at 7 PM. Everyone is welcome regardless of experience or pace. We’ll have pacers and heats to accommodate a variety of speeds!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: New Route! Around the World in 14 Miles
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Hope you like humidity because we’ll be serving it up on a warm, sticky platter for the remainder of the summer! The only thing to beat the summer heat is electrolytes, water, and some good old fashioned gels (or new, I guess, if you’re into those). As a reminder volunteering for post run drinks twice or mid run drinks once gets you Bunion Derby credit, the undying gratitude of all SLR attendees, and a shoutout in the world’s second-best Friday newsletter (Ali On The Run if you’re reading this hi! You win!). Now let’s get into it:
The Route: Ukraine! Finland! Belgium! Morocco! East Timor! Haiti! What do these all have in common? We’ll run by their embassies tomorrow morning in our new route: Around the World in 14 Miles (strava, gpx, pdf). All in all we’ll hit 62 (by my count) embassies in 14.7 (by Strava’s count) miles. Though I don’t recommend stopping at each of them, I do recommend playing my favorite game: what country flag is that? We’ll head out along the Mall and up 17th to Connecticut Ave. and get on Massachusetts Ave. to head up Embassy Row. At the Finnish Embassy we’ll turn right onto 34th street and head up to Van Ness via Reno Road. Take a right at the Malaysian Embassy and head around International Circle for a tour! After this we’ll head back down Connecticut Ave to the Klingle Trail and down RCP.
Want Something Shorter? There are countless red line stops available to hop on at and get your share of countries without all the dreaded downhills at the end of this run. Otherwise an out and back up Massachusetts Ave. will let you spot embassies on both sides of the street, something I often struggle with when doing this route.
Need a Longer Route? An out and back in RCP will get you some shade and some more miles. If you want more embassies, New Hampshire Ave. and Massachusetts Ave. have some more and will get you a few more miles. If there’s a particular country you’re looking for, this map is my go-to for all things embassies!
Thirsty? We will not be hitting Peirce Mill tomorrow, so there are minimal options for water after mile three when we hop off the Mall. Bring some in the morning! Or better yet, bring enough to share and volunteer for drinks!!
Need a Bathroom? These are also limited, and I can’t say I’d recommend asking any of the embassies nicely. There are some on the Mall at the Lincoln Memorial and a few more may be scattered throughout the route, but I don’t know of any that will definitely be open.
The next club race is the One Hour Track Run on Wednesday May 21st at St. Anges and St. Sebastian’s! Come out and test your counting abilities as a volunteer or an athlete. Prizes for anyone who can get over ten miles and permenant internet glory!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 14 Miles Southeast DC
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Spring is reminding us it isn't quite over yet with an absolutely lovely morning on deck for tomorrow. Dare I say the perfect combination of heat/humidity/wind/vibes to make for a wonderful Saturday morning. Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be treated to a nice tour of the Wharf and the southern portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk as we take on Southeast DC (strava, gps, pdf). We'll head into the city via the Memorial Bridge, head down L'Enfant Plaza and through the Wharf to get to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (new and improved as of a few years ago), make our way up the Anacostia Riverwalk and across the Sousa Bridge (named for the inventor of the Sousaphone), before heading to the Capitol via Pennsylvania and back to North Meade Park via the Mall. The easiest way to make sure you take the right bridge is to look for the Pirate Ship Playground. That's your cue to turn and head over the bridge immediately after it!
Want Something Shorter? Coming back across the 11th Street Bridge (a severely underrated DC bridge in my humble opinion) and heading back via M Street will get you around 12.5 miles instead of the normal 14. There's also the option to take the metro back ($2.50 on weekends!) from a number of stations including Potomac Ave, Eastern Market, Capitol South, and Smithsonian!
Need a Longer Route? The Anacostia Riverwalk is great for adding additional mileage (and is super flat too if you need a workout)! For 18 miles, consider doing the full Anacostia Riverwalk Loop. Another option for around 16 miles is to take the East Capitol Street Bridge back across the river and continue down East Capitol Street all the way to the Capitol to head back.
Thirsty? We're still in need of post-run. drink volunteers all summer! Please sign up today! As far as drinks along the route go, the water fountains along the Mall are flowing steadily, but if you depend on them they will certainly be turned off. Other than that there is a fairly dependable fountain near the pirate ship playground at mile 7.7 that is a good bet.
Need a Bathroom? Along the Mall you'll find the usual selection at the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. There are also some very well-positioned ones also at 7.7 near the playground. Otherwise along Pennsylvania Ave. there are a lot of restaurants and shops that generally will let you use their restrooms if you ask nicely. My personal favorite restrooms are the ones in Capitol Hill Books in the foreign language section.
The next club race is the newly-ressurrected One Hour Track Run on May 21st at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes's High School. Special prizes for anyone to break the 10 mile barrier (that's forty laps for those counting at home). Speaking of counting, if you can count to 50 you can volunteer! Help out today and get in on the fun without all the dizziness!
Happy Running!
Anna
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Upcoming Events
| Women's Distance Festival and Run After The Women Sun, Jun 8th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Rock Creek 5K Sun, Jun 22nd, 2025, @8:00am |
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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. |