Boston, New York, Marine Corps, Chicago. Getting into one of these marathons is half the battle. Year after year, missed qualifying times and bad luck with lotteries are the source of much heartache for runners. To some, racing on behalf of a charity offers a back door to the starting line when all else fails.
But these charity runners will tell you it’s not about the race bib.
The Washington, D.C. area is spoiled with more than 200 organized runs each week. Some are organized by running specialty stores, others by running clubs, and almost all are open to new members. We’ve organized a calendar that compiles meeting times and details about each run, along with where you can find more information.
Some groups are pretty casual. Others are hardcore. Some ask that you RSVP and others require you to be a member. Some days have more than three dozen different runs.
We have our runner rankings updated through the Memorial Day weekend’s races. See how you stack up five months into 2018.
You need to be run three races in January-June and three July-December to be ranked at the end of the year. See what races are ranked.
Walter Johnson senior Abbey Green won three titles at the Maryland state track championships, headlining local winners and two 1-2 local sweeps.
Name: Jess Micciolo
Ryan Hogan, elite athlete coordinator for P3R, talks about recruiting and caring for elite athletes who race the Pittsburgh Marathon, Liberty Mile and EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler. The Pittsburgh Marathon just played host to the first of two consecutive U.S. Half Marathon Championships.
It doesn’t take long in the D.C. area to see a flyer for a 5K, a social media post about a group run or a specialty running store. There are dozens of local outlets for runners, but the specialty running store industry is facing a changing landscape, as online competitors siphon business and customers adopt new shopping habits.
Potomac River Running is one of many stores that has felt the pinch. Owner Ray Pugsley said over the last five years, sales have been down 15 to 20 percent. He attributes some of that decline to a shift in consumer habits: more people are turning to online and big-box retailers for lower prices and convenience.
Tim Hughes
Self-described age group: Thirties
In 2007, Greg Mariano ran the worst race of his life when he attempted, and did not finish, the New York City Marathon. He considered giving up running for good after that. But less than 11 years later, Mariano is turning heads as one of DC’s fastest improving sub-elite runners.
Originally from Colonie, N.Y., Mariano can still remember the first time he discovered his knack for running. During his high school freshman gym class, he was asked to run as far as he could for 12 minutes. Mariano ended up running 8.5 laps. “I don’t know what possessed me to try so hard,” he jokes.