Grab the tortillas but hold the sour cream — Washington, D.C. is getting its first taco mile.
Organized by November Project DC, and in partnership with the D.C. Parks and Recreation Department, the Aug. 26 taco mile challenges runners to eat tacos before running a quarter mile. And then again. And then again… And then again. It’s an all-ages alternative to a beer mile, one that can be sanctioned on public property but still tests runners’ digestive discipline.
Little Bennett Regional Park in Clarksburg is the largest park in Montgomery County, encompassing over 3,700 acres of Maryland wilderness. The good news for runners is that this green space also boasts approximately 25 miles of trails, all of which have natural surfaces. Countless loops and out-and-backs make Little Bennett the perfect place to get lost on a weekend when trail running is on your schedule.
In addition, you won’t have to compete with mountain bikers, because they’re not permitted on any of these trails. Horseback riders, however, do frequent some parts of the park, so it’s best to use caution when approaching.
Right when the meaty part of Fall marathon training starts, D.C.’s primary long run route continues to be a challenge. “The Big Loop,” the popular 20-mile route carrying runner around the Capital Crescent and Georgetown Branch trails to Rock Creek Park’s Beach Drive is still compromised, though in new ways.
The Georgetown Branch Trail remains closed during construction of the Purple Line. The Beach Drive rebuilding project has moved north, closing most of the 2.7 miles between the Maryland state line and Joyce Road. And now the Zoo loop, the roughly half-mile trail circumnavigating the Beach Drive tunnel, is apparently in danger of falling into the creek following heavy rains and erosion, so pedestrians and cyclists are forced to share a five-foot-wide sidewalk, feet from automobile traffic.
Name: Allison Guindon
Self-described age group: 20-29
There was no medal, no bib and no race director. But for Silver Spring’s Adrian Spencer, none of those things mattered as he attempted a run to Washington, D.C from Gettysburg.
Spencer had not always been a runner. He started running six years ago while on a beach trip with his family. Back then, he was 50 pounds heavier and could not even run a mile. Quickly approaching his 30th birthday, Spencer decided to give running a shot, hoping it would get him in better shape.
Pace the Nation contemplates its future with the departure of one host and the added life responsibilities of two others.
Name: Nene Reed
Self-described age group: 35-39 (I’ll officially be a Master in January though)
The College Park 5k didn’t feel like any race I had run before. Sure there were cones, a course, other runners and a starting line, but right behind that starting line, my son Miles was sitting in our running stroller.
It wasn’t that long ago that Saturday mornings meant an early wake up for long runs with my club, followed by brunch, a nap, then hitting the bars at night. Now, I ‘m up just as early but it is to turn on Elmo and Sesame Street for Miles, while my wife and I get a little more sleep. Then we hit the road for a run, me pushing him.
“Zoo loop” in Rock Creek Park closed indefinitely, a mile of the Custis Trail closed for a month, groundbreaking for Metropolitan Branch Trail expansion, bib transfers open and a new coaching job for Centro.
Sandwich Todd, one of the podcast’s first guests, returns to talk about how running has helped him manage anxiety.