Sunday, September 4th, 2016. Half Marathon at 5:00 p.m., 3K at 5:10 p.m.

A Maryland State RRCA Grand Prix Championship Series Race!

Through Greenbelt, MD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Center 

Take part in a tradition this Labor Day Weekend! Some hills for the strong, some straight-aways for the swift make these courses both fun and a challenge.  The T-shaped Half Marathon course runs through the USDA’s Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and offers sights and scents of the experiments being conducted there, plus seven refreshment stops to keep you hydrated.  The 3K Fun Run, a family-friendly event, travels the scenic path around Greenbelt Lake in Buddy Attick Park.  The Race & Run celebrate the 62nd Annual Greenbelt Labor Day Festival.  The Festival includes photo shows, art shows, The Miss Greenbelt Pageant, and the Midway Carnival, where you’ll find amusement rides, games, foods and snacks to help you cool off.

Time & Fees: Half Marathon at 5 p.m.  $30 on or before 8/23, $40 after 8/23 or on race day.  3K at 5:10 p.m., $15 on or before 8/23, $20 after 8/23 or on race day. No refunds, transfers or deferrals.

Time Limit: There is a 3-hour time limit for the Half Marathon, equating to a 13:44/mile pace. Runners who reach the Beaver Dam Road/Research Road intersection (for the third out-and-back) after 6:47 pm will be directed back to Greenbelt and will receive a time comparable to past years' 15K race times.

Artistic T-Shirt with no corporate logos, guaranteed to those who sign up on or before 8/23.

Awards: Half Marathon features gift certificate awards, $50 for first place, $35 for second place, $25 for third place and first Master (over 40), male & female.  Both races will have 10-year age group awards: 1st, 2nd & 3rd.  Young runner awards!  $10 cash or gift certificates for the first five runners, 13 years and younger, who finish the 3K Fun Run.

Post-race refreshments after the race at the finish line (weather permitting) or in the Greenbelt Youth Center.

Packet Pickup and Late Registration in the Greenbelt Youth Center 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. The Half Marathon starting line is on Northway opposite St. Hugh’s School Parking Lot (135 Crescent Road).  The 3K starting line is between the Youth Center and the tennis courts.

Special Notice: We hold this race as guests of the City of Greenbelt and USDA, which is conducting delicate experiments.  Many of the fields are treated with pesticides or other chemicals.  Any runner seen leaving the course and entering the fields or woods for an unauthorized “rest stop” will be disqualified.

Personal Audio (headphones, ear buds, etc.): The Half Marathon course is over public roads, which we share with vehicle traffic.  To ensure runners' situational awareness and safety, headphones, ear buds, etc., are not permitted and may be grounds for disqualification.  The 3K Fun Run course is on a trail closed to vehicles, so personal audio is discouraged but allowed.

Help us run the race without, you know, actually running! The Larry Noël races are not possible without the help of volunteers – your time and energy are greatly appreciated, and we need lots of volunteers for this race.  To volunteer, please register here; for additional information, please contact the race director.

Directions: Take Beltway Exit 23, Kenilworth Ave (Rt 201) North for 0.2 miles.  Turn right on Crescent Road at light.  Go east on Crescent Road for 0.6 miles to the St. Hugh's School parking lot.  Additional parking is available a half mile farther down Crescent Road at the Greenbelt Cooperative Store and Recreation Center.  Via Metro (new for 2016!): The Metrobus G12 and G14 lines now run on Sundays. Take Metrorail Green Line to the end-of-the-line at Greenbelt Station; or take the Orange Line to the end-of-the-line at New Carrolton.  You can board the G12 or G14 bus (schedule here) and take it to the Youth Center, near Southway and Crescent. You can also jog from the Greenbelt station to the Youth Center (see map here; it's a 2.35-mile route) or take a cab.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW!

For more information:

2015 15K course map. 2016 Half Marathon course repeats the out-and-back leg on Beaver Dam Road from Research Road to Soil Conservation Road before returning to Greenbelt.

3K course map.