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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: **8 AM Start** **New Route** 22 Miles North Anacostia
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
SLR will be starting at 8 AM this week and every week from now until spring! Figured I'd get that news out of the way early. The weather looks very mild for this weekend, but we might see some showers on the run so be prepared for a little rain! Also I'd like to give a very loud good luck to everyone racing Chicago or Army 10 Miler this weekend. If you're looking for the perfect Army 10 Miler shakeout, this route will run us very close to Stadium Armory (where the expo and packet pickup are located) at right around 6 miles. Come for a pre-race jog, grab your packet, and take the Metro back to North Meade Street! Now let's get into it:
The Route: I'm not sure how I convinced the board to let me do a 22 mile long run, but man am I excited for it (and you should be too)! North Anacostia (strava, gps, pdf), as I'm calling it will take us to the northern part of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail all the way through Bladensburg, MD before we traverse our way back into DC and down the Metropolitan Branch Trail. This gives us an opportunity to see some parts of the city we don't normally get to see on our long runs and will be a bit of an adventure! Pay attention to the turns between the Riverwalk and Monroe Street, there aren't many of them and they aren't particularly confusing, but it is a new area which provides every opportunity to get turned around. When in doubt, follow signs for Catholic University and DC! If you're not already sold, the northern part of the riverwalk when we'll run through Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is one of my absolute favorite places in the DC area and I'm really excited for everyone to get a chance to see it!
Want Something Shorter? The best way to cut off distance is to take the metro back to the park (and we're even starting at 8, which means that you can also take the metro to SLR and just grab a train home if you're near a station)! For around 15.5 miles, take the train back from the Brookland-CUA station. After that there are stops roughly every half mile to mile along the MBT, in addition to Union Station at mile 18.5 and Smithsonian around mile 19.5. As I mentioned in the intro, if you want a lot less mileage and need to pick up your bib, cutting off from the group at Lincoln Park and making a beeline for Stadium Armory is an excellent move!
Need a Longer Route? If you insist. Coming back up along the Mount Vernon trail instead of by the cemetery will add an extra mile to make it 23, and traversing the 14th street bridge instead of Memorial can also add another extra mile to your run for 24.
Thirsty? We've got two mid-run drinks in store for this weekend because of the longer route (and lack of water along the Anacostia Riverwalk)! Deborah Magraff and Lisa Towell will be at Lincoln Park at mile 5 and will stick around if anyone is doing a shorter out and back version of the route (just let them know when you pass them the first time!). Jack Phillips will be along the Anacostia Riverwalk between miles 9-11 depending on the parking situation! He's also providing post run drinks which leads to me begging and pleading for folks to sign up for the next few weeks! The weather is getting cooler, but hydration is important year round! Other opportunities for water will come along the Mall (which fingers crossed will stay on for at least a few more weeks, but their time is dwindling), at the Bladensburg boathouse at mile 12, and along the MBT at Alethia Tanner Park around mile 17.
Need a bathroom? There are bathrooms along the Mall at the Washington Monument (which _should_ be open), some at the Bladensburg Boathouse around mile 12, and a few portopotties scattered along the MBT (the Dew Drop Inn has them blocked off, but they aren't locked and fences can move for a reason). Union Station has also finished their remodel and provides another good option around mile 18.5!
I am once again asking for SLR drinks support! As a reminder you can be reimbursed for any purchases made and it greatly benefits the club and your fellow runners! Any volunteering you do from now through the spring will also count towards Snowball Series volunteer credit! Get it out of the way early and focusing on crushing your age-group enemies throughout the winter!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR 16 Miles: Mock MCM
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Full disclosure: I've had a long week! Meant to switch SLR to 8 AM but missed the usual e-mail window mid-week and completely forgot. This week's run will be at 7 AM, however starting next week (10/7) we will meet at 8AM for the remainder of the winter. Luckily the weather tomorrow looks gorgeous and Nate Rathjen will be kicking it off while I'm up in New York racing Wineglass (send good vibes)! Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be doing a DCRR-once-a-year classic: Mock MCM (strava, cue sheet, gps). This is the perfect opportunity to test out your fitness on 16/26ths of the Marine Corps Marathon course while getting a nice tour of DC. We'll head in through Georgetown, down Rock Creek to Hains Point and make a loop, back over to Lincoln via the Tidal Basin, then around the Mall and Washington Monument before returning over the 14th Street Bridge. For those following along at home that means we'll miss the dreaded Rosslyn hill, an out and back in Rock Creek Park, and some twists and turns in Crystal City from the true course. There is a large festival on the Mall this weekend, but I don't think it will impact this route (which has us staying on Madison/Jefferson and not running on the Mall.
Want Something Shorter? Luckily, the MCM organizers have made a lot of great opportunities to cut serious mileage off this route (just don't try it on race day ;). Cutting off Hains Point will save you a little over 3 miles for around 12, Skipping the out and back to the Capitol will also give you around 2.5 less miles, and cutting off that (in my opinion, rather annoying) out and back to Lincoln will cut off a little less than 2! Luckily any twists and turns you're confused by today will be well marked come race day, so don't worry too much if you find yourself taking a slightly different path than the cue sheet says.
Need a Longer Route? Hains Point gives a lovely option for adding on mileage in multiples of 3! Running south along the Mount Vernon trail after crossing the 14th street bridge is another excellent way to get a few more miles and a bit of a taste of the latter stages of the marathon. For 26.2 miles tomorrow, see the course map above (but maybe avoid the part where you run on 395)!
Thirsty?As far as I'm aware the water fountains on the Mall haven't been turned off quite yet, but I'm assuming with the impending governent shutdown that their days are numbered (why they aren't considered essential is beyond me, but I digress). There are fountains on a fairly regular basis from mlies 3 to 13, just keep an eye out! Thanks once again to Ken Strazzeri for post run drinks as well!
Need a Bathroom? There are a few decent options to choose from! My personal favorites are outside the Jefferson Memorial around miles 4 and 13 (fun fact: I once talked to the guy who opens them who said "Yeah it's stupid we ever even lock them, so I open them whenever I get in instead of 8 AM when they want me to", a true hero). Additional bathrooms can be found at the Washington Monment when we pass it around miles 9.5 and 12, though these ones aren't nearly as nice. Hains Point also generally has some options, but which ones are unlocked depends on the day (though I generally have luck with the ones by the picnic area and playground at the end of the point).
We still need people for SLR drinks throughout October, starting next weekend. Please help out if you're able to! As a reminder the club will reimburse any purchases made towards drinks!
Happy Running!
Anna
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
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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 |
| DCRRC Bluemont 5K Wed, Jul 24th, 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. |