The DC Road Runners Club is something of a misnomer. Though some of its members live in the District, the majority resides in northern Virginia with a strong contingency living in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. When I first started running some fifteen years ago, DCRRC had been in operation for nearly thirty years. I believe it is the oldest running club in the area. National class runner Bob Scharf won the first race held by the club, a five miler in June of 1961. DCRRC has always had a huge influence on the running scene.

Many of the club's races are named after their leaders from the past. Every Labor Day for the last forty-two years, the club has had a 15K. [Well, in 1997 runners turned back early so in 1998 the volunteers led them out further to make it ten miles.] Former club president Larry Noel was the race director of the 15K for many years, which is often the state championship 15K. I remember how hot it was at the start of the race one year in the late 90s. Then-retired Larry invited runners into his house, which stood right next to the starting line, for water.

The club's founder, Hugh Jascourt, has a four-mile race named after him that is run at Fort McNair in the evening. He started the idea of a Bunion Derby, a series of eight races held in the evening during the summer. Fittingly, it is also the club's birthday. The race is followed by the club's annual picnic with lots of food. These are shorter races from 5K to five miles. For the cooler months, he envisioned a Snowball series with eight races from 10K to 20 miles. One of those was the Gar Williams 20K, named after the club's second president. Williams was one of the founders of the Cherry Blossom, which was just run for the 30th time this year.

Robert Thurston is a name to remember precisely. He is one of two [the other being MCRRC's John Sissala] who is responsible for measuring nearly every course run in the Washington Metro area. Together with his dad Paul, they held a national father-son marathon team record. The Paul Thurston 4.5 miler is run at Burke Lake Park in August as part of the Bunion Derby Series. For years, January 1 at noon was the Ed Barron Hangover Classic 8K, a delightful romp around the Reflecting Pool. Ed was the innovator who pushed for the beloved age groups for races. In 1967, he founded the Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club.

Phil Stewart, another past president, was an Olympic-class marathoner with a 2:19:58 marathon. His voice is often heard at big races such as the Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K and as race director of the famous Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. In 1977, he co-founded Running Times, still one of the most popular running magazines. Jeff Darman, another club president, moved even higher to become the RRCA president.

With all the big names, it should not be forgotten that the club is made for every runner. The club sponsors more than fifty races a year in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Most club races are one dollar for members and five dollars for non-members. The races are not fancy, no T-shirts or cash awards. What you get is a measured course marshaled with volunteers culled from the over 1200 club members. There are no race bibs or computers, just an index card on which to write your time. Still, your time and place usually show up on the club web site [http://www.dcroadrunners.org ] within a few days. If you are persistent, you are bound to win a glass mug with the club insignia. Often the races are small and top runners as well as age group winners usually get a mug. With snacks and juice, you are not doing badly for your running dollar.

The year starts with a 5K in Rosslyn. It gets even better. Every third Wednesday at noon, the race is free. For nearly thirty years, runners have met at the Jefferson Memorial to race 3000 meters around the Tidal Basin. More times than not, Jay Wind is there to start the race, announce the finishers' times, and hand out impromptu awards. It can be cold out there in the winter. No problem, there is a series of indoor track meets in Arlington. All through the winter, there are long distance races in the Snowball Series.

By the middle of February, you have the miles in and are ready for the George Washington Birthday Marathon tradition that started in 1962. For that you must cross back over the Potomac and venture to Greenbelt in Prince George's County. The course has changed over the years since Hall of Famer Lou Castignola set the course record [1967] with 2:22:45 in his second of three wins. The course is scenic and rolling at times, which translates as 'hilly while you are running.' Lou traveled to Boston that same year and finished fourth overall in 2:17:48. Not to worry, the course is a three looper. That means you can participate as one of the hundreds of runners running the marathon as a relay team.

The following week, DC Road Runners carpool north to Columbia for the Maryland RRCA 10 Mile Challenge. I did tell you DCRRC represents runners from all over the Metro area.

Are you looking for variety in your running? Try the Triple Crown races in June. Styled after the horse races, there are three races [Kentucky Derby 1.25 miles, the Preakness 1.1875 miles and the Belmont 1.5 miles]. Your combined places in all three races decides whether you win a box of sugar cubes or a pound of carrots. In July, the four-mile race at Carderock is age graded. This means that the older you are the sooner you get to start. In this one, age has its privilege. Just do not let those young whippersnappers overhaul you.

Do you still need an edge? August brings the famous Women's Distance Festival 5K where no man has even a chance to win. Of course, they are still there as volunteers. By the way guys, if you have to run, there is a Run After the Women 5K race just for you. By the end of the September, many runners are gearing up for the fall marathons and the National Capital 20-miler is the perfect test. If you run this jaunt to Mount Vernon and back with gusto, you will have a good marathon, guaranteed.

With the really large races DCRRC partners up with sponsors, the fees are greater and there are T-shirts, abundant food, and nice awards. March's Run vs. Row 10K is one example. Runners team up to compete against rowers along the Potomac. In November, the Turkey Trot, the largest 5-mile race in the area, brings out fast runners from miles around. If you snatch an award from among these thousands, you are truly a fast runner. With all this running, by December you must be hungry. Everybody brings an offering of bread to the Bread Run 10K and, even with a killer hill in the last mile, everyone is hurrying to the finish in Glen Echo to get some hot cider or hot chocolate and a choice of dozens of breads.

Throughout the year, a race at every distance race is also designated as a Championship race. In addition, there are club challenge races against other local clubs such as the Capital Crescent 5K against Montgomery County in June. Saturday long runs begin at the Iwo Jima Memorial at 8:00 am. Run at your own pace and save some energy for brunch at Whitey's afterward. Wednesday nights in Ballston at the Washington & Lee High School, track workouts begin at 7:00 pm. There is, for a small fee of $75, a fall marathon-training program that runs from June through October, running Saturday mornings at 8:00 am. They also partner with the Arlington YMCA for a 10K training program, and at $25, that is the best training bargain in town. The bi-monthly newsletter is the Review & Schedule with stories, results, and race information, and a definitive list of the many volunteers that keep this running club chugging along.

If you want to get to know more about or, better still, join this fine club, you can write to DC Road Runners at PO Box 1352, Arlington, VA, 22210-0652. You can call their hotline at (703) 241-0395. You can reach them online at www.dcroadrunners.org. If you are lucky, you can find them as I did first some fifteen years ago by showing up at the park to run and, there they were, running a race.