Feature

For a shelter dog, the chance to run is nothing short of bliss. For eight years, volunteers have been helping Washington Humane Society dogs make it happen. In 2008, Spike, one of many pit bulls entering shelters that year, caught the fancy of two employees, who decided to bring him along for a run. That was the start of the People and Animal Cardio Klub (PACK), which pairs local runners with dogs from area shelters. And each week, they meet for an hour of fun. The benefits, according to one of the club’s volunteers, are twofold.

“After a long week, no matter what has happened, Saturday mornings with a dog who really gets a lot out of it gives me a chance to re-calibrate and start the weekend off right,” said volunteer leader Heather Kelly, of Arlington. “I call Saturday mornings with PACK my reset button.”

“If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen.” Runners and bicyclists frequently use this phrase, either jokingly or sincerely, to describe the fitness-tracker-turned-social-network.

Miles, splits, maps and sweaty selfies are all compiled into one social media experience. It may be your non-running friends’ nightmare, but it offers a unique opportunity to connect with both local and international athletes.

Jonny Pellish loathes running on the treadmill — even when temperatures drop below freezing in the D.C. area.

The VP of training for D.C. Road Runners said he would always rather run outside than on the treadmill, no matter the weather.

After sorting out the results of roughly 100 races, we’ve determined the top local road racers for 2017. Runners had to finish three races in the first six months of the year and three in the second six months. We average the first and second halves for the final scores.

Every race on a USTAF-certified course is graded on the per-mile pace based on historical results. That pace becomes the baseline on which point are awarded for that race. A runner who reaches that baseline pace earns 1000 points for the race, and point deviations results from pace differences by the second. For example, if the baseline pace for a race is 5:00, someone who runs 5:00 pace earns 1000, but a runner who averages 4:55 pace earns 1005 points, and a 5:05 average earns 995 points.

Lugging relay batons larger than their arms, three-year-olds careened around a set of cones in the high jump area at Chantilly High School’s track, their balance akimbo. Some hopped over baby hurdles, with one tiny girl dragging one along as she ran away, like a car that caught a branch underneath.

After “playing track” for a while at the Chantilly Youth Association track club, the expectation is that kids will learn the variety of events and develop some skills. But that’s as far as the expectations go.