RunWashington - The Runner's Source for the D.C. Area

Don’t listen for Ricky Fetterolf to speak, watch her run

Published October 17, 2019 at 4:00PM | Updated October 17, 2019 at 5:58PM

Marc Hunter has been around runners long enough to know that even with the benefit of a meritocracy, seniority can often dominate in a team dynamic. That’s why he was surprised to hear then-freshman Ricky Fetterolf say something at a Loudoun Valley team meeting two years ago.

“It was gutsy, because we had a top-heavy team and it’s understandable for a freshman to just sit back and listen,” he said. “We had a top-heavy team, with a lot of seniors, but she voiced her opinion and I respected that about her. So did a lot of the girls.”

Event

SHRM Washington DC Impact 5K

November 7, 2026 8:00 am -9:15 am

Event location

Rock Creek Park / Beach Drive (Staging at the Rock Creek Tennis Center / Picnic Grove 24)

4850 Colorado Ave NW

Washington, District Of Columbia 20011

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Course: A scenic out-and-back fall 5K route along Beach Drive.

The Experience: Join us for a premier morning of racing featuring chipped timing, custom finisher medals, high-quality tech tees, and hassle-free packet pickup at Potomac River Running's Ballston store.

Event

National Capital 20 Miler & 5 Miler

October 3, 2026 7:00 am -12:00 pm

Event location

Carderock Recreation Area

C&O Canal Towpath

Potomac, Maryland 20854

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The National Capital 20 Miler is the DC area’s premier fall marathon tune-up race. Runners will have access to a flat and fast out-and-back course on the C&O Towpath with multiple water stations along the way. Runners also have the option to register for the Janet Braunstein 5 Miler, which also takes place on the Towpath. Register now to guarantee your race hoodie!

Both events start on the Towpath by the North Parking Lot at Carderock Recreation Area.

DCXC

Gavin McElhennon bets on a late-season surge

By Charlie Ban

Published October 16, 2019 at 4:00PM | Updated October 16, 2019 at 4:29PM

Gonzaga senior Gavin McElhennon. Photo: Ed Lull

Gavin McElhennon got good in a hurry his second year of cross country running. With any luck, he can do it again.

Unable to run for most of the spring thanks to a groin injury, McElhennon finally relented as the school year ended, knowing that rushing to get back on the track wouldn’t win him anything except frustration as the goalposts for his return moved away every time he started up.

Pace the Nation

The word I was looking for was “damning” – Pace the Nation – Tripp Southerland

By Pace the Nation

Published October 16, 2019 at 11:00AM | Updated October 16, 2019 at 2:16PM

Photo: Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run Photo.

Local New Balance rep and big-time track fan Tripp Southerland parses the news of coach Alberto Salazar’s four-year coaching ban following a doping and drug trafficking investigation.

News

Herndon alumna calls World Championships marathon “a war to survive”

By Ashley Davidson

Published October 15, 2019 at 11:00AM

When Hiruni Wijayaratne toed the start line of the women’s marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Doha, Qatar, it was just before midnight, but the heat and humidity were almost unbearable.

Had it been any other race it may have been a reason for a DNS. But Wijayaratne — a Herndon alumna now running for her native Sri Lanka — knew Doha was part of her path to the Olympics, a goal she had set her sights on back in 2016. She had to try.

Military Running

First-timers from WCAP program win Army Ten-Miler

By Charlie Ban

Published October 13, 2019 at 8:00PM | Updated October 15, 2019 at 1:03PM

Army Spec. Elvin Kibet did in her first try what her husband, Olympic 10k runner Shadrack Kipchirchir, couldn’t in three — win the Army Ten-Miler.

And thanks to cool weather that was a treat to runners who had suffered through the last two muggy editions, she broke Kerri Gallagher’s event record, running 54:05 to Gallagher’s 54:50 from 2014 on a course that was altered last year to avoid the deteriorating Arlington Memorial Bridge. She and men’s winner Lawi Lalang (48:38) are both members of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. They were also college teammates at the University of Arizona.

DCXC

Competitive races make for exciting Glory Days Invitational

By Charlie Ban

Published October 13, 2019 at 9:00AM | Updated October 13, 2019 at 7:44PM

Photo: Charlie Ban

Tight packs kept spectators guessing throughout the Glory Days Grill Invitational, as no runner took over the race until very late, with some top-five finishes in boys and girls races jumbling even in the last 200 meters.

Ultimately, Yorktown senior Albert Velikonja won his second invitational of the season and Centreville junior Camilla McKinstry won her first ever invitational.