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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 | |
| 4/27 | 12 | Piney Branch | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/4 | 14 | MBT - Catholic | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/11 | 14 | Capital Crescent OaB | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/18 | 16 | Arlington Loop | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/25 | 14 | Battery Garesche | Cue Sheet & GPS |
SLR: 14 Miles Festivus Run
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Congrats to everyone who ran Rehoboth Beach, CIM, Valencia, Gar Williams, or any other races last weekend! As fall racing season ends and spring training begins, I look forward to seeing everyone back at SLR after some much needed downtime. Tomorrow’s weather looks fairly normal for the year, with temperatures in the high 30s and not much wind. Now let’s get into it:
The Route: This week we’ll be taking our yearly foray into strava art in the form of the Festivus route (strava, gps, pdf). For those who didn’t religiously watch Seinfeld: festivus is a nice alternative to Christmas with some zany traditions that I think we can all participate in tomorrow as we craft our festivus pole up 16th street:
The Airing of Grievances: News flash folks, running sucks sometimes. Did you train for 20 weeks for a marathon only to blow up at mile 8? Have some weird pain in your foot that just won’t go away no matter what you try? Thought you were a shoe-in for Boston but miss the cut off by 45 seconds? Take some time on tomorrow’s run to really let it all out before the next training cycle begins!
Feats of Strength: This one is probably self explanatory. Challenge your running partner to a strava segment dash tomorrow. Add on a little extra mileage. Or heck just get out the door and do something, as mentioned above, running is hard!
Festivus Miracles: Take a little time tomorrow to appreciate the small miracles of the world, like when you actually manage to get the festivus pole correct on your strava map or when you make that one light on 16th street you always have to wait at for a minute or when that little niggle you've been feeling for the last week kind of goes away around mile 7, even if only for a little bit. There is a lot of beauty in this world if you take a break to see it, give yourself that grace tomorrow.
Want Something Shorter? I don't think there's an actual ruling on the proportionality of festivus poles to their bases, so feel free to cut off a few miles and miss out on some lights on 16th street. Another option is to completely ignore the strava art and go for a little more scenery and run Piney Branch. You'll get 12 miles this way and also get to run through Rock Creek Park and only go one direction on 16th street.
Need a Longer Route? In order to maintain a perfect festivus pole, I recommend adding your mileage south of K Street. Consider a loop of the Mall, an out and back on the canal, or taking Memorial Bridge back for a little more feats of strength!
Thirsty? Though there are a few CVSs and Starbucks along this route, there aren't any water fountains, so please come prepared tomorrow or you'll have another thing to add to your list of grievances. Jack is also bringing post run drinks (and Ben's bringing some leftovers from last week), so give them a thank you!
Need a Bathroom? Those are also quite limited on this one. There are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops that should be open tomorrow morning in a pinch, but I'm not sure of any public restrooms along the route.
The next club race (and my personal favorite club race of the year) is the Bread Run on Sunday! Bake your favorite loaf of bread as you loaf around after SLR tomorrow and come out for a fun and rainy 10K on the canal or volunteer! The book club is next Sunday and there's still time to read 26 Marathons! Come for the fantastic discussions, stay for the delicious desserts!
Heads up: Next week's SLR is the Christmas Tree run and the laying of the wreaths at Arlington Cemetery. Parking will be limited in the Rosslyn area, so plan on taking the metro, parking a little further from the start, or showing up early to get your normal spot. Also plan on next week being an easy group run for the first six miles (we'll target 9-10 minute pace with lots of stopping for lights and trees). There will be plenty of miles afterwards to get your workouts in, but those first six miles are not the time and place.
Happy Running and Happy Festivus!
Anna
SLR: 12 Miles Bluemont L Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Good luck to everyone racing Valencia and CIM this weekend! I always think of this as the last weekend of fall marathons and want to congratulate everyone for a fantastic, inspiring, and all-around wonderful training cycle. December comes with lots of DCRR Holiday celebrations and SLR is no exception, so keep on the lookout for those in the coming weeks! We'll break our cold spell tomorrow with temperatures in the mid-40s and high humidity, so don't forget to bring water! Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be embarking on what might be the most popular loop (at least parts of it) in the Northern Virginia Area: the Bluemont L Loop (strava, gps, pdf). From unicylists to people going on their singular training run of the year before the turkey trot they forgot they signed up for to folks training for the Olympic Trials to that one guy who rucks in shorts and a t-shirt no matter the temperature, a million lives play out along the Custis-W&OD-Bluemont corridor every year. We'll head up Wilson Boulevard to the Bluemont Trail and take that down to the W&OD. From there we will make a right onto the Custis trail and enjoy the rolling downhills all the way to the Memorial Bridge before heading back up to the park.
Want Something Shorter? One of my personal favorite aspects of this loop is the fact that you can make it so many different distances! For 10 miles, take a right on North Lynn Street when you reach Rosslyn and avoid the dreaded cemetery hill. For 7 miles, continue straight at the corner of Fairfax and onto the Ballston Connector trail, then take a right on Custis and follow that down to North Lynn Street.
Need a Longer Route? The easiest way to add mileage is an out and back on the W&OD, either going South or North (or both if you want to really spice up your morning)! Otherwise crossing the Key Bridge into DC and taking Memorial back will give you a little more scenic views for a little over a mile extra. You can also add a loop of Roosevelt Island for around a mile and a half extra!
Thirsty? The freeze proof fountains have done their jobs this week and we've got a few great options for water along the route. There is a great fountain at mile 5 at the corner of the W&OD and Custis trails, another good option just after that if you miss it along the Custis connector, and another at mile 7 along Custis. Last I checked the Roosevelt Island fountain was still functioning at mile 9.8, but no guarantees on that one. Thanks to Jack for post run drinks, and good luck to him in his third marathon (or ultra) in the past six weeks on Sunday!
Need a Bathroom? I checked this morning and although the ones at Bluemont Park are locked, the ones at mile 4.5 near the tennis courts are open! There are also portopotties at Roosevelt Island at 9.8, but those are generally unmaintained and get pretty gross.
The next club race is the Gar Williams Half Marathon on Sunday December 3rd! We've got enough volunteers, but still need plenty for the Bread Run next weekend on December 10th. The Bread Run is my favorite race of the year and what I have many times referred to as the perfect club race. Don't forget to grab your recipe ingredients when you grocery shop this week! The book club will also be meeting on December 17th and this quarter we're reading 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi, who once autographed a piece of notebook paper for me before the USATF Half Marathon Championships, among his other achievements like winning both New York and Boston. Memberships also expired yesterday! Renew yours today!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 14 Miles Marymount Chain Bridge
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful Turkey Trot! Thank you to everyone who volunteered or raced at the Alexandria Turkey Trot. It was our largest event ever and a huge success for the club! It looks like tomorrow may be our first SLR of the season below freezing, so bundle up and get ready for some hills! Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be going o'er hill and dale (emphasis on the hill) along Marymount Chain Bridge (strava, pdf, gpx). We'll start by heading up the Rosslyn Hill then up Military Road before making a left into Zachary Taylor Park (named for the president who may have died of cherry overdose). After this we'll continue the long climb to Marymount University, where we'll be treated to a fabulous downhill all the way to the canal. To hit 14, continue through Georgetown and return via the Memorial Bridge back to the park.
Want Something Shorter? For 12 miles, return over the Key Bridge instead of the Memorial Bridge. If you want even less mileage, continue straight on Military Road instead of going into Zachary Taylor Park continue up Military and make a right onto Old Glebe Road to head straight to the canal and follow the Chain Bridge Loop Route. This will get you 10 miles instead of 14 and a little less elevation gain!
Need a Longer Route? Continuing down to the 14th street bridge will get you an extra two miles for 16 if you come up via the cemetery. Continuing up through Rosslyn will get you an additional extra mile to make it 17. For more mileage than that, add an out and back going north on the canal for any number of miles.Â
Thirsty? There's a water fountain at the entrance of Zachary Taylor Park at mile 3.6 and another at the top of the hill at mile 4.6. Fort Ethan Allen Park (mile 6.6) also has a water fountain, though it's sometimes turned off and a bit off the beaten path. Last time I ran by, the Fletcher's Cove fountain was turned off, so don't bet on that one tomorrow morning. The Mall water fountains around Lincoln, however, were still functional, but no guarantees!
Need a Bathroom? There are almost always portopotties along Glebe Road in random yards, but in the winter those are less dependable. The bathrooms at Fletcher's Cove have been very dependable lately, however, so those are a good bet for tomorrow morning!
The next club race is the Gar William Half Marathon on December 3rd! Sign up here for the lowest-price half marathon in America and please consider volunteering if you're available! The Book Club will have its next meeting on December 17th and we're reading 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi, which is one of my absolute favorites!
Happy Running!
Anna
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Upcoming Events
| 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 Age Handicapped 4-Miler Thu, Jul 4th, 2024, @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. |