News - RunWashington

Chilly weather doesn’t deter Reston 10 Miler runners

Published March 3, 2013 at 11:52PM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:26PM

Jeff Martin, of Vienna, runs into an illuminating, but not warming, sun during the Reston 10 Miler. Photo by Cheryl Young

March definitely had “in like a lion” down pat.

One look at the sell-out crowd at the Reston 10 Miler demonstrated that. Among the 1,040 finishers, there was barely any exposed skin outside of a few nutcases, like PR Racing teammates Andrew Ciarfalia, Andrew Whitacre and Noah Zaring, who decided to [button-red url=”http://prracing.racebx.com/files/results/4d9205ce-7a0c-46c1-8929-4f56c0a86522/4f6b2f94-68cc-4f16-bc36-62fac0a86522/2013%20Reston%2010%20Mile%20Overall.htm” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]forgo long pants, and the former two long sleeves, on their way to top-five overall finishes.

Bonus miles at the Seneca Creek Trail races

By Jamie Corey

Published March 3, 2013 at 11:30PM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:26PM

Scott Vinads of Philadelpha cruises through the Seneca Greenway Trail 50k. Photo by Ken Trombatore

Runners of all ages turned out for the Seneca Greenway Trail Race, which took runners through a rolling course consisting of a mostly smooth dirt path in the Damascus Regional Park. The two scenic courses turned out to be 29.71 miles for the “marathon” distance and 32.6 miles for the “50k” distance. With a cool temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and snow flurries, competitors started out in the Lower Magruder Branch Side Trail out of Damascus. This connected them to the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail and followed the Potomac River at “Riley’s Lock.”

[button-red url=”http://results.active.com/events/seneca-greenway-trail-race/trail-marathon/expanded” target=”_self” position=”left”] Marathon Results [/button-red]“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Alex Roederer, 15 of Bethesda, Md., as he tried to refuel his body with fluids just moments after the race.

Drizzle and cold don’t slow times in Bluemont Park

By Charlie Ban

Published February 24, 2013 at 11:58PM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:26PM

The Georgetown Running Club pack leads the Have a Heart for Boston-Hoffman Elementary School 5k. Photo by Cheryl Young

Friendly competition among teammates helped make the Have a Heart for Boston-Hoffman Elementary School 5k a fast race, despite chilly temperatures and a light drizzle.

[button-red url=”http://www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/20130223.html” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]The Georgetown Running Club came out en force for the second straight year, sweeping the top five men’s spots and five of the six top women’s spots, including the top three. They showed up to support teammate and race director Samantha “Kirby” Cole, a teacher at the school. Cole credited Suzanne Paul with bringing the race together.

Runners earn negative splits thanks to wind

By Charlie Ban

Published February 24, 2013 at 12:10AM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:26PM

At risk of romanticizing the past, but in George Washington’s day, he likely had too much to worry about — building a nation — to be concerned with politics. He surely wasn’t worried which way the wind was blowing. [button-red url=”http://results.bazumedia.com/event/results/event/event-2556″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]The runners who gathered in Alexandria for the George Washington Birthday 10k classic, on the other hand, had no choice but to worry. The first 5k led straight into some wild gusts, including up a hill before the turnaround. That gave runners an extra boost and led to a lot of negative splits. Arlington resident Jillian Pollack guessed she ran about 45 seconds faster on the way back.

“It was definitely a lot easier on the way back, but I guess we were earning it on the way out,” she said, noting her legs were numb five minutes after finishing the race.

Falls Road edges Howard County Striders at RRCA Club Challenge coed team race

By Jamie Corey

Published February 24, 2013 at 12:04AM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:26PM

Men representing a variety of teams lead the charge at the RRCA Club Challenge. Photo by Chris Farmer

In 1980, Dave Tripp, then Howard County Striders’ president, was out for a Sunday morning run near the Howard Community College when he spotted dozens of runners. Shocked to see a race he didn’t know about on Howard County Strider turf, Tripp went to investigate. It turned out that the Baltimore Road Runners Club and DC Road Runners Club were competing in a challenge race [button-red url=”http://www.striders.net/races/rrca/2013″ target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]located halfway between Baltimore and Washington.

“I went up to the president and said, ‘look, if you’re going to come out here and run, you have to let us run,’” Tripp said.

Preparing for the season ahead, runners conquer Greenbelt

By Jamie Corey

Published February 19, 2013 at 12:14AM | Updated August 10, 2015 at 12:33PM

Winds up to 30 miles per hour, snow flurries in 30 degrees, rolling hills and plenty of warm chili — it’s all in preparation for springtime races and a long-time tradition for the DC Road Runners Club. At the 52nd annual Washington’s Birthday Marathon and Relay, the club brought in more than 500 runners to race on some of Greenbelt’s most challenging roads in an effort to get the athletes primed for the season ahead.

“You don’t get the intensity if you train on your own that you do in a race,” said overall marathon winner Miles Aitken, 29, of Washington D.C.

Passionate Runners Turn Out for Virginia is for Lovers 14K

By Briana Taylor

Published February 16, 2013 at 12:42PM | Updated December 14, 2013 at 12:45PM

By Brenda Barrera

The thrilling rollercoaster on Army-Navy Drive

By Charlie Ban

Published February 11, 2013 at 12:17AM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:26PM

Melani Hom and Myles Matteson kick into the finish at the Love the Run You're With 5k. Photo by Brian Knight, Swim, Bike, Run Photography

The bibs tried, but they couldn’t tell the complete story.

They were color coded, trying to signal people’s relationship status- available(green), in flux (yellow) or taken (red) at the Love the Run You’re With 5k Sunday morning in Arlington.

Far from West Virginia, MCRRC runners enjoy country roads

By Jamie Corey

Published February 10, 2013 at 12:22AM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:27PM

Carlton Conant of Kensington grins while climbing a hill during the Country Roads Run Five Mile. Photo by Ken Trombatore

Getting up on a chilly, Sunday morning in February is no challenge for Cindy Conant, 51 of Kensington.

Really Long Distance Runners

By Briana Taylor

Published January 22, 2013 at 8:38PM | Updated April 11, 2018 at 3:38PM

Northern Virginia is littered with high schools, and most are gigantic. George Mason High School is not. With fewer than 650 students in four grades, it is dwarfed by nearby George Marshall, McLean, Falls Church and Yorktown high schools.

But like a sapling under a forest canopy, the Mustang cross country teams have thrived, stretching their roots far away to find the competition that matches their size. Even if that means racking up miles on the bus.