Photo: The view along Lighthouse Road at Mile 10 on the marathon course.

Boston has Heartbreak Hill, but the Lower Potomac River Marathon, debuting on March 6, 2005 with an 8:00 a.m. start time, features Batman's Head, a gradual incline from around Mile 17 to the turnaround just before Mile 19, so nicknamed for its representation on a compressed elevation profile.

The gentle rollers add just enough challenge to an otherwise flat and picturesque certified course (USATF Cert. # MD04016JS) that runs along riverfront roads and a two-lane highway in rural St. Mary's County, Maryland. The route also offers glimpses of the event's beneficiaries, the Piney Pt. Lighthouse Museum and Chesapeake Bay Field Lab.

The inaugural Lower Potomac River Marathon, presented by Chesapeake Bay Running Club in cooperation with St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks, is hosted by the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point. The race starts and finishes at their scenic waterfront campus, which offers a well-appointed hotel facility for pre- and post-race activities. The hosts will also provide the post-race refreshments, which will include hot food.

The event has already drawn runners from outside the southern Maryland and DC metro area, including the Northeast, Tidewater Virginia, Midwest, and even England.

For those who don't want to go the full distance, there is also a two-person relay. The first leg is flatter, more scenic, and at 14.5 miles, a bit longer than the second, which is the "business end" of the course that includes Batman's Head.

For details on the Lower Potomac River Marathon and Two-Person Relay, please visit the Chesapeake Bay Running Club Web site.