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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: 20 Miles Ross Drive Extended
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
We’ve got a new take on an old favorite this week and some normal weather for this time of year (sorry folks, looks like high 60s again this Saturday, we’ll get a nice weekend one of these weeks). Hydration is important all year, but especially as we start having cold and warm swings in weather it becomes even more important on the warmer days like this one. Now let’s get into it:
The Route: Love Ross Drive but always wish you could do a little more mileage for it? Well this week we’ve got you covered in Ross Drive (Extended Edition) (strava, gps, pdf)! We’ll head over the Key Bridge and up Rock Creek to do a nice Ross Drive loop, then repeat that same loop for more Ross Drive than ever. After this we'll head back down the trail to the Key Bridge for a double-lollipop route. As a reminder, for Ross Drive make a left immediately following the police station in Rock Creek Park onto Joyce Road, cross the little bridge, and take the next left onto Ross Drive up the hill! If you’re the kind of person to grab the route from the website before this email, I made a couple small tweaks (read: completely screwed this one up the first go around and got both the mileage and route incorrect, sorry about that)!
Want Something Shorter? A classic Ross Drive route will get you 15 miles (without the trail, and less if you take the trail) and almost as much Rock Creek Park action. For even less mileage, an out and back is your best bet! If you want somewhere between 15 and 20, doing a single loop of Ross Drive and then returning over Memorial Bridge instead of Key Bridge will get you around 18 miles.Â
Need a Longer Route? There’s a good contingent of folks planning a trek around the Big Loop tomorrow, which is the perfect way to tack on a couple miles to this 20 miler. Just keep heading up Rock Creek Park to Leland and follow the Capital Crescent Trail back down to the city.
Thirsty? The Peirce Mill water fountain has seen better days, but the new one (with a bottle filling station!!) next to the bathrooms makes up for it and more! Thanks to Don for post run drinks this week! We're in need of volunteers for any and all drinks from next week onward, consider helping out the club today and get your Bunion Derby volunteer credit taken care of!
Need a Bathroom? Peirce Mill also has you covered with two options (there are some at the actual Mill as well). We’ll pass those ones twice, which are by far your best bet to avoid the Rock-Creek-woods squat of shame.
The next club race is Le Quince Septembre aka the not so Bastille Day Four Miler. We’ve got registration and volunteers open, get your Bunion Derby credit in before 9/30! The book club will also be talking about “Do Hard Things” by Steve Magness this Sunday after we all do some hard things at SLR this week! Reach out to Eunja or Viriginia for more information.Â
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 17 Miles Arlington Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Summer isn't over yet and we'll be getting some heat tomorrow! With mid-run drinks and plenty of water fountain options along the way, we'll hopefully be able to stay cool, but bringing a bottle never hurt anyone. We've got a new twist on a classic route this week! Now let's get into it:
The Route : This week, we're doing an Arlington running legend and one of my personal favorites, the Arlington Loop (strava, gps, pdf). This time with a bit of a twist. In the past, SLR has, well to put it nicely, cheated a bit when it comes to the Arlington loop by missing out on the Mount Vernon Trail section between Rosslyn and the Memorial Bridge. This week, we'll be (finally) adding that extra little bit of mileage to do a "true" Arlington Loop. We'll head down Lynn Street the Mount Vernon Trail, take a right down to the Four Mile Run trail, continue onto the W&OD (which celebrates its 50th birthday next weekend!!), and then take a right onto the Custis Trail. We'll run about 17 miles and all of them except the initial miles to get to the Arlington Loop will be on paved two lane bike paths!
Want Something Shorter? For around 15 miles, instead of coming back along Custis take the Bluemont Connector trail (which is a different bike trail about a mile before the turn for Custis). This will take you to Wilson Boulevard, which you can take into Court House and hop down to the park from there! Otherwise there are some options for more complex loops, but the least mentally taxing will definitely be an out and back. Turning around at the turn onto the Four Mile run will get you 11 miles and getting to the W&OD will run you 15.
Need a Longer Route? My personal favorite way to add onto the loop is to addan extra out and back along the W&OD before turning onto Custis, which allows you to get any number of extra miles. You can also add on along the Mount Vernon Trail both at the 6 mile mark and the 16 mile mark!
Thirsty? Thanks to Frank and Greg for mid-run drinks this week! They'll be at the start of the W&OD. Thank you also to Don for post run drinks! There are plenty of water fountains around the loop, including some under the metro near the airport at mile 5, at the start of the W&OD at 7.6, at the corner of Custis at 11.7, and just past W&L at 13.8.
Need a Bathroom? Like water fountains, there are some good options! There are plenty of portopotties at Gravelly Point at mile 3, though their cleanliness is always questionable. There are also some great ones at mile 10.6 near Bluemont park (both in the park and at the corner by the Caboose).
The next club race is the rescheduled Bastille Day 4-Miler now with less Bastille Day than ever! It'll be held on September 15th and 9 AM for a much cooler race than what was initially planned. We also need volunteers for this event, come get your Bunion Derby credit before it's too late! The Book Club also will be meeting next Sunday at 4 to discuss "Do Hard Things" by Steve Magness! Reach out to Eunja or Virginia for more information!
Happy Running!
Anna
Anna
SLR: **Metro Route** The Awakening
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
For those of you who only read the first sentence of this e-mail: This week's route is point to point and will require a metro card! I've got some spares with $2.50 loaded on them (the max weekend fare) so if you don't have a metro card, no need to run out and buy one tonight. I'll have them before the start and will drop a few off at mid-run drinks in case anyone decides to switch plans last minute. We're looking at some absolutely fabulous weather this weekend as part of our false fall! Though we have some drink stops on this route, please bring hydration! Now let's get into it:
The Route: Ever driven across that massive bridge between National Harbor and Alexandria and wished you could run over it instead because 495 traffic is so gosh darn slow? Miss when The Awakening used to be at the end of Hains Point so at least there was something interesting out there? Well this is the week for you with The Awakening (strava, gps, pdf) We'll travel down the Mount Vernon Trail to Alexandria and across the Wilson Bridge to National Harbor. After giving The Awakening the biggest high five, we'll head back across and to the Braddock Road Metro station to take the Blue Line back to the Rosslyn station.
Don't Have the Time for the Metro Tomorrow? An out and back on the Mount Vernon Trail is also a lovely way to start off your morning! Although you'll miss out on the adventure to Maryland, the Mount Vernon trail is the happiest place on earth on a cool summer morning. We've got at least one Marathon Training Program group doing an out and back and I expect more folks will as well.
Want a Longer Route? It's a perfect 24 mile out and back if you don't take the metro for anyone who needs some peak week marathon mileage! Otherwise, continuing along the Blue Line towards Rosslyn will allow you to get in some extra miles and cut down the commute. For about 18 miles, continue up Washington until it becomes Abington Street and take Slater's Lane to the Potomac Yard trail and metro stop (the newest in the DC area)! Crystal City is also a great option for anyone looking to go around 20 miles, just follow the Mount Vernon Trail up to the Crystal City connector and get off there to be plopped in front of the metro station.
Need Something Shorter? There isn't a great way to get less mileage on this route and still go into National Harbor, but turning around partially across the bridge or after getting into Maryland will allow you to cut off between 1-2 miles. Otherwise there are plenty of earlier metro stations to peel off at if you want to save your legs for the Club Picnic later that afternoon.
Thirsty? Thank you so much to all our drink volunteers this week! Thanks to Yared for having drinks available at the start and end of the run in North Meade Park. Ruby will also be under the Wilson Bridge with mid-run drinks this week! She's the co-lead for the club picnic and spending her entire day with DCRR! If you want to hit her again on the way back before the metro, this will add about a mile to the route (and can be cut a little shorter by getting on at King Street instead of Braddock Road). There's a few additional water fountains on the route, most notably along the Mount Vernon Trail near the airport, under the Wilson Bridge, and (possibly) just across the Wilson Bridge (though 50/50 that it's on). Make sure to thank all our volunteers and take advantage as the other options are limited!
Need a Bathroom? There are a few excellent options (and some that are, well, less excellent). Starting off with my favorite public bathrooms in the greater DC Area (and yes, this is saying a lot): there are some incredible restrooms located under the Wilson Bridge that have always been reliably clean and open. Gravelly Point also has some portopotties and there are usually additional ones across the Wilson Bridge (but seriously, use the ones under the bridge, or just go check them out and have a glimmer of hope for what public restrooms could look like).
The next club race is the Club Picnic and Cross Country Three Miler tomorrow evening! Take your new metro card from SLR and use it to ride out to Vienna and do a quick warmup jog to Nottoway Park for the festivities. This is one of the biggest club events of the year and we can't do it without a lot of volunteers (which according to the website we're currently good on, thanks to everyone helping out)!
Happy Running!
Anna
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Upcoming Events
| Kenmore PTSA 5K Sat, May 10th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Hero Dogs 5K9 Sat, May 17th, 2025, @8:00am |
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| DCRRC One Hour Track Run Wed, May 21st, 2025, @6:45pm |
| 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. |