Last month, a major outdoor magazine published a clickbait column pointing fingers at groups the author didn’t think did enough trail work.
This dispute made the trail runner internet community very angry, sending heart rates higher than a super sweaty mid-summer speed work session.
Not up for dispute? Trails take precision, experience, and hard work to build, then once built, require some quality maintenance to keep them fit for all kinds of use.
Name: Kelly Buroker
Self-described age group: F 35-39
Residence: Alexandria
Occupation: Attorney specializing in litigation of government contracts
Volunteer roles in the running world: I have been involved with Girls on the Run, and I spend a lot of time mentoring fellow runners and pacing them in races.
Why you run: In my high-stress life, running is the one part that is completely mine. I (half) joke that my runs are often the only time I get to myself all day long. Running started as, and remains, an outlet for me. I love that I can customize every run to what I need on any given day. If I’m super stressed and just need to find some peace, I can run easy. If something really got under my skin that day, I can throw on some angry music and push my limits with speed work or hill repeats. I always return from a run in a better state of mind than when I left, and I never get less out of it than I put in.
Carderock Running Festival Half Marathon
7:30 AM – Half Marathon Start
Run the scenic C&O Towpath!
- Race Course and Finish Line will be open for 3 1/2 hours.
- Medals to all half marathon finishers
Packet Pickup
Sunday, May 19th, 6:00 AM – 7:45 AM, on
There are nearly half a dozen free, timed parkruns every Saturday in the Washington area.
But there was something special about one recent parkrun — complete with cookies, cupcakes, a balloon with “100” on it and a poster that said “Go Stefania.”
Stefania Falconer, 12, recalled those things about her recent milestone-hitting 5K. The D.C. resident became the first United States parkrun participant under the age of 18 to complete 100 parkruns this April. For the occasion, she wore a parkrun milestone shirt with a “10” on the back for completing 10 parkruns with an extra “0” added to make “100.”
“It was a big deal,” said Stefania’s dad, Andres Falconer, event director for the Fletcher’s Cove parkrun, of her accomplishment.
Though she had kept a relatively low profile since winning the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon, Perry Shoemaker is back after qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials April 28 at the Eugene Marathon. Her 2:43:33 was a PR of more than eight minutes.
“I’m still shocked that I did it,” Perry said a little over a week after the race. “And of course I’m still very excited.”
For years, Perry, 48, has challenged the notion that results slow down with age. She says that qualifying for the Trials became a dream when she realized she could do it with the right conditions and without injuries. “Without injuries” turned out to be a key challenge.
Race to the Rescue 5k
Join PetConnect Rescue at 9:00am on Sunday May 19th for their second annual Race to the Rescue, 5k and children’s fun run.
Taking place at the beautiful Franklin Park in Purcellville VA, this is an event perfect for all. Run/jog/walk
Seeing a female runner in that country was rare, something Nina hoped to change.
These words come from Maggie Lloyd’s 2016 RunWashington remembrance of Nina Brekelmans, a runner, scholar and activist who was killed four years ago in an apartment fire near Dupont Circle.
As Lloyd noted in her article, Nina’s story “is still far from complete.” But thanks to family members, friends and supporters, Nina’s vision is indeed moving forward.
In Amman, Jordan, where she had studied, Nina envisioned empowering young women through running. That’s happening today, as last month, a fourth annual camp and race named in her honor culminated with record participation.
As the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation, Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and Jordanian partners gear for their 5th season, a fundraising event for the camp and race will be held in partnership with Pacers Running and RunWashington.
Experience a joyous evening featuring appetizers and drinks, raffles and silent auction items ranging from Nationals tickets to yoga classes and entries to the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. All proceeds will benefit the Nina Brekelmans Memorial Foundation and its programs supporting young female runners and refugees in Jordan.
Register: http://ninabrekelmansmemorial.org/dc19
Several distance runners with local connections will compete in the NCAA Track and Field Championships June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
1,500 meters – Ryan McGorty – William and Mary / Chantilly High School
Rachel Pocratsky – Virginia Tech/ Our Lady of Good Counsel
Alexandra Lucki – Maryland
3,000 meter steeplechase – Fitsum Seyoum – Virginia Tech / Tuscarora High School
5,000 meters – Caroline Alcorta – Villanova/ West Springfield High School
Weini Kelati – New Mexico/ Heritage High School
Josette Norris – Georgetown
10,000 meters – Caroline Alcorta – Villanova/ West Springfield High School
Weini Kelati – New Mexico/ Heritage High School
In high school state meet action, Washington Latin’s Luke Tewalt won the 800, 1600, 3200 and ran a leg of the winning 4×800 meter relay team at the DCSAA championships and Loudoun Valley’s boys swept the top seven places in the Virginia 4A 3200 meters.
George Washington Patriot Run
The George Washington Patriot Run is a 10-Miler and a 5K on Sunday, September 10.
The racecourse includes both lanes of a 5-mile stretch of the George Washington Parkway.
The Finish Festival will offer music, food and beverage concessions, and
Name: Daniel Ahern
Self – described age group: 50-54
Residence: Logan Circle
Occupation: Public Affairs
Why you run: To beat my little brother. Every summer we meet in Falmouth, Mass., with family and friends to race seven miles through the shady early hills, then the exposed beach segment towards the mile five Allen Avenue cheering station, while turning for home up to the hill with a fast finish on the downslope. The loser has to adorn the champion with a medal and recite “you are the better runner this year, and I only hope to be your equal.” I haven’t had to say those words in many years. I could probably slow my pace and make these races competitive, but I only know one speed. And before you start feeling sorry for him, he’s a Jets fan. He’s used to losing.
Everyone knew Wendy Martinez as a runner. It was a huge part of her identity. So much so that when she wanted to meet her friends at a trendy brunch spot in D.C., she would run to the restaurant “and show up all sweaty. She didn’t want to miss a run,” said her best friend Kristina Moore.
“I think through running she found power and strength and serenity — it showed her dedication and mental strength, and so it was an integral core of her life,” Moore said.
Running fulfilled Martinez; she also died while running. Last September, a stranger fatally stabbed the 35-year-old while she was out for a run in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood. It was a tragic act of violence that rocked her friends, family and the running community.
After her death, her friends and family founded the Wendy Martinez Legacy Project — an initiative that invests in the causes Wendy cared about most: empowering women in technology, supporting women’s entrepreneurship and connecting with others through running.
