Pacers Running Stores is proud to announce the 27th running of the George Washington Parkway Classic and 13th running of the accompany 5K on Sunday, April 10, 2011. The George Washington Parkway Classic, presented by Pacers Running Stores, boasts a USATF certified course along the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway. The 10-mile event starts at Mount Vernon Estates and the 5K starting at Belle Haven Park. The two events will end along Union Street at Oronoco Bay Park in historic Old Town, Alexandria. The event beneficiary is the Alexandria Boys and Girls Club, and Back on My Feet DC.

The race is rich in history and the period 1985-2001 the event was a 15K and since 2002 the event has been one of the area’s top 10-milers. The course affords each runner to challenge their fitness level over the point-to-point course with a couple of gently rolling hill with the last three-quarters of a mile flat straight away along Union Street. The majority of the tree lined course follows along the banks of the Potomac River. This is the event for every racing calendar.


After nine miles of a back-and-forth battle with Allan Kiprono at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, Lelisa Desisa (left) appeared headed for a second straight photo finish. Last year’s race came down to the wire and ended unhappily for Desisa when he was literally pushed aside by the winner, Stephen Tum, in a pell-mell sprint. Desisa finished second.

So this year the Ethiopian made his move with 800 meters to go, decisively dropping Kiprono and cruising alone to the tape as the undisputed champion in a event record 45 minutes 36 seconds – Ismael Kirui set the record of 45:38 in 1995.


Performances by Jennifer Quarles, Ann Manciagli, Ann Hirn, and Ken Mitchell highlighted the action at the 16th annual Housing Partnerships Run for Shelter 5K. The race was held for the second year on a very flat and fast loop course through the First Colony neighborhood. It is the second Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix race of 2011.

In a mild upset, Williamsburg’s Quarles beat Karen Terry of Newport News by 11 seconds, just two weeks after Terry had won the Jamestown Swamp Run 5K over Quarles, 19:36 to 19:40. Last year Terry won easily over Quarles at the Crapolfest 5K, 19:01 to 19:42, and Terry then improved to a CRR best of 18:56 at Governor’s Land in November


Long lines of racers get underway.

Under clear skies, chilly race temperatures in the 30s, and the backdrop of the RFK Stadium, more than 13,000 runners finished this year’s SunTrust National Marathon, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon, and United Way National Team Relay in the Nation’s Capital, setting an all-time record number of participants.


Below Gurmessa Megerssa breaks the tape.

In typical Washington Metro the weather juked us better than scoring guard in a NCAA March Madness tournament. Colder than normal most of the winter we were torched by nearly eighty on Friday. Saturday racers were greeted with wonderful spring weather in the mid sixties. Then as the real spring dawned at Freedom Plaza the temperatures dipped below freezing.


Elite racers get ready to rumble in Jon Hickman photo.

On the cusp of spring more than five hundred runners turned out for a glorious day. Scores of children enjoyed the one mile fun run. This race is famous for its scores of prizes for the young ones as well as the large amounts of money designated for Children’s National Medical Center. This year the check was for $65,000. In today’s race one young lady who you might have thought was more suited for the mile earned the “youngest, fastest award.” Ivy Richerson, just five-year-old ran the full five miles in 52:49.


By Brenda Barrera with contribution from Dickson Mercer

It is an Irish blessing familiar to many, “May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face . . .”


“The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.” Here in hilly northwest the clouds parted for the third annual race.

Though we were warned that all week that it may be time to build an ark, the early morning showers gave way to a delightful cool morning. Though the streets were still wet, the Gods had stopped perspiring on us when the race got underway at 8:30 a.m.


Washington Running Report, a bi-monthly publication covering running, fitness, and multi-sport was recently revamped to a glossy magazine and is distributed throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, namely Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. A new digital edition has been added as well as new columns to reflect the diverse running communities: Military Running Scene, A Woman’s Perspective, and The Senior Runner.

“The running and fitness industry is recession resistant and with more people choosing to lead healthy lifestyles and road race participation growing, we’re providing the best local resource to motivate and educate our readers,” said Kathy Freedman, Publisher and owner of Capital Running Company, a race management company. “Our contributors are local runners and experts who share a passion for their sport and our advertisers know we are the source to reach this market.”


By Jim Carbary

Last year Dave Berdan won the Annual 10 Mile Challenge in an amazingly fast time of 51:43. At this year’s race, Ryan McGrath, captain of the Falls Road Running team offered a bonus of $100 to his teammate Alexander Battaglino if he could better that time. Having every intention of collecting, Battaglino bolted from the start and immediately assumed a commanding lead.


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