Come be a part of one of Washington, DC's largest races! Join us for the festivities on Sunday, March 9, 2008, as we officially begin a new racing season with the 20th Annual St. Patrick's Day 8K. There's also a 1K fun run for the kids, so bring the whole family and celebrate the beginning of spring with us!

Start time is 9:00 am.

Location: The start and finish lines are located on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, between 12th and 13th Streets, near Freedom Plaza, the Ronald Reagan Building, and in front of the Old Post Office Pavilion.

On-site Registration: Register in person or pick up your packet Friday, March 7 and Saturday March 8 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Old Post Office Pavilion, (12th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue).

Race day registration and packet pick-up will open at 7:00 am. It will be located in a tent on Pennsylvania Avenue near Freedom Plaza.

Metro to the start line: Take the Blue or Orange Line to Federal Triangle. Federal Triangle is directly across the street from the start/finish line; from Metro Center (Red, Blue or Orange lines) it is a short walk down 12th or 13th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Parking: Available on surrounding streets. Do not park on Pennsylvania Avenue between 12th and 14th Streets.

Post-Race Refreshments and Entertainment: Bagpiper Mike Scott will perform on Pennsylvania Avenue to get participants into the spirit of Ireland.
Fruit, bagels, cookies, and bottled water will be provided at the finish line. Young members of the O'Neill-James School of Irish Dancing will entertain you with a performance at Freedom Plaza following the race.

T-shirts: All runners and volunteers will receive the St. Patrick's Day 8K T-shirt, featuring a colorful new design.

Leprechauns Leap: There will also be a 1K noncompetitive fun run just for wee people! The fun run will start at the 8K start/finish line immediately after the 8K start. No registration is necessary. Just show up and run. Medals to all finishers!

ChampionChip: The ChampionChip timing system will be used to score the 8K race. The system uses a computer "Chip" which must be tied to runners' shoe laces, and records the exact time a runner crosses the starting line as well as the finish line, resulting in a net, or "Chip" time for each runner. Overall awards will be based on the "clock time," and age group awards will be based on "Chip time." The $2 chip rental fee is included in your entry fee. Collection buckets for rental chips will be provided in the finish area immediately following the race. ChampionChip owners may deduct $2 from the entry fee for this and other Capital Running Company ChampionChip races by providing their 7-character personal Chip number on the registration form. You may also purchase your own ChampionChip for $35.

Bag Check: We will offer a bag check service at Freedom Plaza for those runners who wish to leave a bag of dry clothing near the finish. However, with more than 5,000 runners expected, a bag check operation will quickly become overwhelmed if everyone tries to take advantage of this service. So, please, if you have a car in the area and can get back to it easily, or if you are accompanied by a friend or spouse, leave your bag there and help make the task of the volunteers at Bag Check a reasonable one!

Water Stations: Water provided by DrinkMore Water. In addition to water at the start/finish, water will be available on the course just past the half-way point.

Please note: Strollers, baby-joggers, skates, pets, and headphones are prohibited on the 8K course. Please see Race Etiquette. No refunds. No confirmations will be sent unless you register on-line; to confirm your entry, please check the list of registered runners a week or so before race day. Please pick up your t-shirt on or before race day, as we cannot mail it to you.

Additional information: For additional information, call the Race Hotline at (301) 871-0400.

Leapin' leprechauns take to the streets of DC on St. Patrick's Day!
Photo by Bob Mallet