News - RunWashington

Competitor Groups bids farewell to elites at Rock ‘n Roll races

Published September 3, 2013 at 12:05PM

Chris Mills and Tumicha Horsa led this year's Rock and Roll USA Half Marathon, but how many other runners noticed? Photo: Charlie Ban

“Competitor Group is at it’s [sic] core a health and wellness company dedicated to promoting and enhancing an active lifestyle. Lifestyle is the key word, not Sport. Rock n Roll marathons have always been about the journey, the commitment, the personal dedication required to train and finish a half or full marathon. We’re not about how fast you complete the race, we’re about the fact that you showed up on the start line and the commitment one has made to complete the journey.”

The above quote comes from Competitor Group CEO Scott Dickey, explaining the company’s decision to disassemble its elite athlete program in a response to an earlier piece by Toni Reavis. Competitor puts on the Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon and marathon series.

Timing is everything for the Paul Thurston 4.5 Miler

By Charlie Ban

Published August 26, 2013 at 11:28AM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:18PM

Runners hoping to make it to the Paul Thurston 4.5 Miler Tuesday night found themselves stuck between the clock and a hot race.

The race served as the final leg of the DC Road Runners Bunion Derby series for the summer, but holding it at Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station was balancing act. If the club held it on a weekend, runners would have to pay $8 to enter the park. If it was on a weekday, evenings would be limited by the park’s closing time at sundown, roughly 8:00 p.m. With a 6:45 starting time, it was up to the runners as to how they would manage the end of their workday and fight rush hour traffic to get to the race.

Marine Corps Marathon eliminates large hill (not THAT one)

By Dickson Mercer

Published August 20, 2013 at 5:44PM | Updated August 10, 2015 at 12:31PM

Changes to the Marine Corps Marathon course are exciting local runners and likely going to mean faster times this October.

Runners will not have to endure a big hill around the Georgetown Reservoir between miles seven and eight. Instead, from miles six through nine, runners will run up Rock Creek Parkway to the bottom of Calvert Street and back, a stretch used in the Navy and Nike Women’s half marathons, as the MCM course returns to a pre-2007 design.

Persistence pays off for Leesburg 20k runners

By Charlie Ban

Published August 19, 2013 at 1:03PM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:19PM

Stacey Miller (r) leads Jeanne Friberg and Sandra Starke to the finish of the Leesburg 20k while 5k runner Susan Shurtleff tags along. Photo: Charlie Ban

Any runner who understands the basics of delayed gratification — a principal so central to this sport — could appreciate the Leesburg 20k’s new course, now in its second year. The rolling hills on Dry Mill Road are gone, replaced by a long, grinding grade on the W&OD Trail, one that snuck up on South Riding’s Tatiana Sheptock.

“My eyes wouldn’t see it, but my legs felt it,” she said. “It definitely felt a lot better on the way back.”

To run or not to run?

By Jacqueline Feldscher

Published August 12, 2013 at 2:09PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:52PM

While she was worried about increased weekly mileage, fitting into a new team, and balancing running with schoolwork her first time away from home, Maddie Wittich‘s decision to run in college was ultimately easy.

“I can tell from the way I feel during my runs that I have so much left in me and I feel like I need to keep going,” said Wittich, who is entering her freshman year at the University of Richmond. “I still want to improve so much and get new PRs and I know that college will offer that to me.”

Changes abound come championship season

By Dustin Renwick

Published August 12, 2013 at 11:07AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:52PM

D.C. public schools cross country runners can look forward to a bigger state meet. These runners are members of the Tenleytown Running Club summer program. Photo: Jimmy Daly

By Dustin Renwick

Around the region, high school athletes log sweaty summer miles in preparation for the 2013 cross country season.

Where the harriers are furrier

By Charlie Ban

Published August 12, 2013 at 12:00AM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:19PM

Water stops are largely a luxury at most 5k races. For the canine competitors at the Lost Dog 5k Friday night, they were a necessity.

When the evening weather Friday was markedly warmer than a week before, runners — with two legs or four legs — knew they’d have to adjust their expectations and race strategies. The second of the four-race series in August benefiting the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation saw 115 repeat runners from the first week. The out-and-back course on the Four Mile Run and W&OD trails included strips of natural surface along the paved trail, perfect for paws. This week, 60 dogs raced.

Tips for running with dogs in summer weather

By Charlie Ban

Published August 10, 2013 at 5:56PM | Updated August 19, 2013 at 4:59PM

Photo: Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run Photography

Barb Hutcherson from the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation offers some advice for keeping your four-legged training partner healthy.

Hot and muggy summer weather can be uncomfortable for humans and canines alike. While running with your pets can be a great form of exercise, there are a few things to take into account before heading out the door.

Great weather greets Crime Solvers 5k racers

By Charlie Ban

Published August 6, 2013 at 12:00PM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:19PM

Grace Cleland chases down Chris Rini at the end of the Crime Solvers 5k. Photo: Cheryl Young

Sunday morning, the only crime was that more people weren’t out racing on one of the most pleasant days of the summer. With temperatures in the 60s on an August weekend that is accustomed to heat and humidity, the nearly 200 runners who showed up to the inaugural Fairfax County Crime Solvers 5k at Fairfax Corner.

The race supported Fairfax County Crime Solvers, an independent nonprofit that pays for rewards leading to the arrest of criminals in Fairfax County. Board member Jody Donaldson knew Cheryl Young of the Capital Area Runners team, which was interested in conducting a race. The team had 38 runners race and more than 15 volunteer.

Rain waits for the gun at Crystal City Twilighter 5k

By Charlie Ban

Published July 29, 2013 at 11:48PM | Updated June 25, 2015 at 5:20PM

Runners traverse the rain soaked streets during the Crystal City Twilighter 5k. Photo: Lee Diehr.

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The clouds were apparently waiting for the gun to go off at the Crystal City Twilighter 5k Saturday night, because as soon as the runners started, so did the rain.