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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: Capital Crescent 14 Miles
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
If you've been stalking the website and memorizing the route weeks in advance (hi Nate!) then this one may come as a surprise. I went on a recon run for Long Bridge Park (the original route for this week) on Wednesday and the good news is that the part on Boundary Channel Drive where you run under 395 will now have a massive sidewalk and great pedestrian access, the bad news is said sidewalk is currently a bunch of rocks with giant vehicles around it and not very runnable. So instead we'll get a wonderful taste of fall this weekend along the Capital Crescent Trail (and an out-and-back for those who are fans)! The weather tomorrow looks as good as it can get in early September and I look forward to seeing everyone at 7! Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week we'll be doing a classic out and back on the Capital Cresent trail (strava, gps, pdf), which if you read the cue sheets closely you'll notice has been part of our repertoire since back when the Capital Crescent wasn't even fully paved! This is one of the best places to run in DC in the fall and my personal favorite part is the Dalecarlia Railroad Tunnel we'll hit around mile 5.3! The 14 mile route will turn around at River Road around the 4.5 MM on the trail, or whenever your watch beeps at 7 miles, whichever comes first ;).
Want Something Shorter? Out and backs are perfect for that! The half mile marks on the trail roughly correspond to mile marks, so for 12 miles turn at 5.5MM, 10 turn at 6.5 MM, and so on.
Need a Longer Route? Take these old train tracks up to Bethesda for any number of extra miles. Like shortening the route, for longer just go a mile marker further for every two miles you'd like to add (so 3.5MM for 16 and so on).
Thirsty? Thank you to Bonnie for post run drinks! We'll also see Bill Wheeler and Julie Powell out on the CCT just before mile 5 with mid-run drinks (they'll be at the turn we normally take to get to Battery Kemble Park). Also be sure to wish Bill good luck as he takes on the Erie marathon next weekend!! There is also a water fountain at Fletcher's Boathouse at mile 3.5 and another couple along the CCT depending on how far you go out.
Need a Bathroom? Fletcher's is your best bet for bathrooms around mile 3.5. Otherwise there are some gas stations just off the CCT that may work out, but not a lot of other public options.
The next club race is the National Capital 20 Miler and Janet Braunstein 5 Milers on September 24th! This is a great way to get a good tuneup in for your fall marathon while getting real practice with water stops and course amenities. We also need plenty of volunteers to make this race go smoothly and it's your last chance to get Bunion Derby credit! The book club will meet next weekend on the 10th to discuss Des Linden's book Choosing To Run! It's a great read and there is sure to be some fabulous discussion!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR - 18 Miles Anacostia Riverwalk Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
News flash: it's still summer! Temperatures tomorrow will be steamy and as such Marathon Training Program 10+ mile groups will be starting at 6:15 tomorrow morning. I'm also travelling up to New York this weekend for a 10K, so everyone's favorite membership coordinator Nate Rathjen will be kicking you off tomorrow! Nate loves this route almost as much as I do (which is saying a lot!) so you're in good hands! Now let's get into it:
The Route:This week, we'll be venturing east of the river to what I always call the most underrated place to run in DC: The Anacostia Riverwalk trail (strava, pdf, gps). This route will take us down through the wharf, up the west side of the trail by the Congressional Cemetery and around Heritage Island (which is like Teddy Roosevelt Island if they never did any upkeep on it), then across the Bladensburg Bridge and down the east side of the Anacostia River to the new and improved Frederick Douglass Bridge and back to Virginia! Luckily it's not quite wild turkey season yet,so this should be an absolutely gorgeous run. Fun fact: the name Anacostia evolved from the Nacotchtank, the area's Indigenous population.
Want Something Longer? The farther north you run on the west side of the Anacostia trail, the more magical it becomes! The Kenliworth Aquatic Gardens are especially wonderful in the summer if anyone's in need of 22 miles (2 out, 2 back).
Need a Shorter Route? A nice way to cut this route down to around 12 is to make a modified Southeast DC Loop(basically don't cross any bridges, just follow the route until the turn off for Pennsylvania Avenue). Otherwise taking a turn at RFK and following East Capitol Street back to the Mall will getr you around 14.5 miles! For closer to 16, add on the loop of Heritage Island before turning at RFK.
Thirsty? Thanks to Elise Mullinniex for pre ant post run drinks this week! We've also got mid run drinks courtesy of Ruby Len near the Anacostia Skating Pavillion at mile 10! Other than that, Anacostia is fairly bare for water, though there is a fountain and running water in the bathrooms by the pirate ship playground at mile 11. There are also fountains along the Mall near Lincoln at mile 1.7 and 16.2 in a pinch!
Need a Bathroom? There are plenty of businesses along the wharf that are good in a pinch, including a couple of CVSes around the 5K point. There are also bathrooms at the pirate ship playground at mile 11 that have been lifesavers for me in the past.
The Bunion Derby wrapped up last week, but there's still one more race this summer: the National Capital 20 Miler and Janet Braunstein's 5 Miler! This is also your last chance to get volunteer credit for the Bunion Derby, so sign up today! The next book club meeting will be September 10th and we're reading Choosing to Run by Des Linden, which is an absolute classic and something every runner should have on their list!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 15 Miles Iron Triangle
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
I've checked the weather for tomorrow about 50 times in the last three days expecting it to change, but *furiously knocks on wood* it hasn't and it looks like we're actually going to get a break from the heat and humidity! 62 and 68% humidity? Sign me up! Even though the weather may be a bit cooler, hydration and fueling are essential (especially on the hills), so be sure to bring water and snacks! Now let's get into it:
The Route: What's that? You want more hills?? Well you're in luck because this week we're running none other than the Iron Triangle (strava, gps, pdf)! This route is an all-time SLR legend for its 1200ish feet of elevation gain over the course of 15 miles that will take us up Military Road, down to Falls Church, and then back to Rosslyn along the W&OD and Custis Trails. When we turn onto Old Glebe Road, we'll also pass Fort Ethan Allen Park, a Civil War-era earthwork fort built by the Union Army to defend the Chain Bridge!
Want Something Shorter? For a few less hills and a few less miles, the Chain Bridge Loop 10 miler is one of my all-time favorite loops (seriously, I run it pretty much once a week and it's lovely). It'll allow you to be with the group for almost five miles before heading back in a much flatter way than how you came out. There are also excellent metro stops at mile 9 (East Falls Church) and 12 (Ballston-MU) where for a mere $2 you can be back to Rosslyn in a jiffy!
Need a Longer Route? The W&OD is a fabulous trail to add anywhere from 1 to 80 miles to your weekend long run! The recent construction in the Falls Church area of the trail was completed a few months ago and the expansion looks great! Running east on the W&OD can also lend itself to what I've dubbed the Iron Arlington Triangle if anyone needs 20 this weekend and wants a challenge!
Thirsty? We not only have post run drinks this week given by the excellent Jon Zeidler, but also mid-run drinks from "Bonnie's Boyfriend" himself John Peruski! He'll at mile 9 around 18th street and Tuckahoe where we get on the W&OD to make sure no one cuts the course and turns off early! Other water fountains can be found at mile 3.5 in Zachary Taylor Park just off Military, at Fort Ethan Allen Park around mile 5, the Custis and W&OD interchange at mile 10, and along Custis at mile 12.
Need A Bathroom? Ethan Allen Park also has bathrooms around mile 5 and there are some others if you keep going down the W&OD after Custis for an extra mile and some indoor plumbing. Otherwise there is always a house or two along this route that has some contruction going on and a portopotty in the yard, so keep your eyes peeled!
The final club race of the Bunion Derby series is the Cross Country 3 Miler tomorrow afternoon at 5:40! SLR should be an excellent warmup for the race, but if you just want to go for the post race District Taco that's also an option on the registration page! The club picnic is a wonderful way to kiss summer goodbye before fall racing ramps up, and I hope to see everyone there! The next book club meeting is September 10th at 4 PM and we're reading one of my all time favorites: Choosing To Run by Des Linden. No spoilers, but I hear she did pretty well at Boston in 2018 and we can all learn something from the grit and tenacity she displayed there!
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. |