As the years and the miles add up, when you’ve seen the same trail hundreds of times, it can be hard to remember your first impression of running in D.C. But untold numbers of new runners move here each month, and their perceptions of the area, compared to where they lived before, are still fresh. Meet five of DC’s newest runners and their perspectives on running in the area.
Ted Poulos was living the lifestyle of a typical post-college student. Employed for the first time since graduation, the 22-year-old indulged himself in happy hours during the week, followed by parties on the weekends. There was no better way to unwind after working long hours as an electrical engineer for IBM.
But the constant flow of beer and ample supply of fried food left little room for physical activity, and after about a month of the happy hour scene, Poulos decided it was time for a change – even if it meant giving up the simple, comfortable routine he had fallen into.
Patriot senior Rachel McArthur won the 800 meter finals at the New Balance Indoor Championships, running 2:06.08. The Bullis School won the girls’ 4×400 meter relay in a meet record […]
For a year and a half, Sam Doud didn’t race.
After he walked away from collegiate running at American University, he just logged his miles, enjoyed the sport and bided his time until he was ready to race truly long distances.
Kelyn Soong has covered local and national stories for the Washington Post and Washington City Paper, where he is now sports editor, and running for RunWashington since 2017. He recently wrote about his coach and friend’s big marathon breakthrough. Read more of his writing here.
Name: Kelyn Soong
Noah Lyles, a 2017 T.C. Williams graduate, broke the 300 meter indoor record at the USA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque March 3, running 31.87, 0.01 seconds faster than Wallace Spearman‘s […]
Runners in the District can expect more miles of trails in the city in the next few years, as the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) prepares for the next phase of construction on the Metropolitan Branch Trail in northeast D.C. DDOT is seeking contractors to build the next off-road portion of the trail, from John McCormack Drive, near Catholic University in Brookland, to the Fort Totten Metro station in Upper Northeast D.C. Once that contractor is identified and work begins, they estimate the construction will be complete in 18 months. If the process goes smoothly, DDOT hopes to award the contract by Summer 2017.
Until this point, the route through this section of the trail has been largely on uneven, narrow sidewalks, past the pungent Fort Totten waste transfer station and up a steep incline. While runners may enjoy the hill training, bicyclists have long cited safety concerns on this stretch, as the sidewalks are not suited for riding and the grade of the hill makes it difficult to maintain a safe speed in the road.
Division I:
George Mason University Men 3.18
Running seven marathons in seven days on seven continents may sound like an impossible task to your average runner. But there’s nothing average about BethAnn Telford.
In fact, Telford’s challenge wasn’t over even after she crossed the seventh and final finish line at the World Marathon Challenge in Australia on Jan. 29. Of the 33 people competing in the World Marathon Challenge, Telford was the only one with cancer cells in her body.
The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run bib transfer period is open through 11:59 Feb. 28. American University track athletes and Oakton alumnae Samia Akbar and Keira Carlstrom D’Amato were inducted into […]