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Welcome! This is the home of the world-famous (well, maybe locally well-known) SLR.
Our start time is at 8:00 AM until next summer! Every Saturday we meet at North Meade Street Park, a small park northwest of the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima Memorial) in Rosslyn. The closest address for mapping purposes is 1300 Arlington Blvd, and street parking is available in the neighborhoods adjacent to N. Meade Street. Be mindful of parking signs, since Arlington County enforces them enthusiastically, and please do not park on Marine Memorial Circle (inside Iwo Jima), because this parking area is for memorial use only. At least one porta-john is available year-round near the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the memorial's water fountain is usually on during the summer.
We run rain or shine! In cases of extreme weather (snow, ice, thunderstorms, heat waves) we do occasionally either change our meeting time or cancel the run for safety, but the run will be held as planned unless otherwise posted via email/twitter/facebook and here on the SLR web page.
All are welcome! We're an informal group, and there are no requirements for speed, racing experience, or what distance means "long" for you, other than the suggested route that most of our group will be running each week. If you don't want to run the same distance or course as the main group, you can go out for half of your own target distance and re-trace your steps back to Iwo Jima. More specific route info and mileage options will be given in the email/post preceding each Saturday's run. SLR always features a run from our extensive Route Catalog, which gives us a wide range of options to keep things fresh for you each week. We have routes that are flat, hilly, looped, out & back, roads, sidewalks, trails, and more, reaching all around the local area of DC, VA, and MD!
For more details about Saturday Long Runs please read our Frequently Asked Questions to get a sense for what it's like to run with us, or send an email to Anna if you have any other questions that are not covered.
To receive weekly SLR updates via email, please log in and check your email subscriptions.
Schedule:
| Date | Miles | Route Map | Navigation Downloads | Post/Mid-Run Beverages |
| 10/4 | 18 | Arlington Loop | GPS & PDF |
Mid and Post: Brian and Rae |
| 10/11 | 16 | Long Bridge Park | GPS & PDF | Post: Peter Castelino |
| 10/18 | 14 | Capital Crescent Trail OaB | GPS & PDF |
Mid and Post: Brian and Rae |
| 10/25 | 13 | Southeast DC | GPS & PDF | Post: Eunja Rau |
| 11/1 | 12 | Piney Branch | GPS & PDF | |
| 11/8 | 17 | Mount Vernon Trail OaB | GPS & PDF | |
| 11/15 | 15 | Iron Triangle | GPS & PDF | |
| 11/22 | 12 | New Route: College Tour | GPS & PDF | |
| 11/29 | 12 | RFK | GPS & PDF |
SLR: 17 Miles Arlington Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Unfortunately our run to the Arboretum that was originally scheduled for this week has been CANCELLED! due to the government shutdown. Fear not, we'll be circumnavigating arlington instead on a classic route that is a staple of marathon training in the DC area. Now let's get into it:
The Route: Over the [Custis] hill and through the Wood, that's right Honey, we're heading around the Arlington Loop (strava, gps, pdf) this week! It's Actually Romantic how we'll manage 17 miles with almost no stoplights or roads. Once we're out of Rosslyn we'll head down the Mount Vernon Trail, across Four Mile Run and the W&OD, and up Custis back to our starting point.
Want Something Longer? For more miles, just “Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.” - Elizabeth Taylor and add on an extra out and back at the turn from the W&OD to the Custis trail (my preference) or the Mount Vernon Trail and Four Mile Run (another option).
Need a Shorter Route?Ruin the Friendship of these four trails is an out and back on the Mount Vernon Trail, though you can also make some loops out of a turn onto Walter Reed Drive or by heading back at the Crystal City exit.
Thirsty? Thanks to our resident Eldest Daughter Rae and Father Figure Brian for taking care of us this week! They'll be out at Barcroft Park and providing post run drinks as well. In order to not succumb to the Fate of Ophelia, it's also best to bring your own water, though the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail have started to check off their Wi$h Li$t for more water fountains! There's one over by the airport, a plethora along the W&OD, and two on Custis that have never failed me.
Need a Bathroom? The best way to avoid the Opalite Porto-Potties is to use the ones along the W&OD at Bluemont Park, though there are also bathrooms at Gravelly Point and a few temporary bathrooms setup along Custis for construction.
The National Capital 20 Miler on Sunday could still use some volunteers! Knock out your long run at SLR and help out on Sunday, that's The Life of a Showgirl.
And, baby, that's showbusiness for you!
Anna
P.S. If you're confused by the capitalization and interjections, the unofficial artist of DCRR SLR, Taylor Swift, just released her twelfth album The Life of a Showgirl today.
SLR: 21 Miles The Big Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
We're looking at another hot and humid one tomorrow morning, even though I swear summer ended a couple of weeks ago! Bring water, take advantage of all of our drink options, and take it easy out there. Now let's get into it:
The Route: In terms of DC Running, The Big Loop (strava, gps, pdf) might be the most famous long run route in the area. It has the naming convention of "The" Ohio State, the scenery of Rock Creek Park, and the downhills of the CCT all rolled into one, well, Big Loop. We'll embark on a journey up Rock Creek Park, cross Maryland via Leland St (including the dreaded hills, and a few turns as mentioned on the cue sheet, when in doubt follow signs for Leland!!), and finish all the way down the Capital Crescent Trail. Running this loop is a big accomplishment (pun intended) and no marathon training cycle is complete without it (unless of course you just ran Berlin, in which case the Big Loop is completely meaningless and you're absolutely crushed it last weekend)!
Want Something Shorter? The Bethesda Metro Station around mile 13 is a great midway point to ensure you get all of the fun hills in this route for a few less miles on the back end! Keep in mind that the Blue/Orange/Silver lines are closed between DC and VA this weekend, plan ahead. If you're looking for something other than a metro route or an out and back in Rock Creek Park, the wonderful Ross Ridge Loop is a great way to get 14 miles in, take in the sights of Rock Creek, and still have company for a good chunk of the route.
Need a Longer Route? For a couple extra miles, continuing down through Georgetown and across the Memorial Bridge instead of the Key Bridge will add a couple miles to an already long day! Honestly, though, 21 is generally long enough for what you're training for!
Thirsty? There are some great water options every 5-8 miles along this route, so bring a bottle but expect some nice filling points! My favorites are at mile 5.5 just before you get on Beach Drive (with a new bottle filling station up near the bathrooms), along the Capital Crescent around mile 15 before the little bridge near the water treatment center, and at Fletcher's Boathouse around mile 17.7 as a good last fill before finishing out strong! As these runs get longer, fueling becomes more and more important! Don't forget to bring a few gels tomorrow so you're still feeling strong on that long downhill!! We've also got double mid-run drinks tomorrow morning courtesy of Jerry (Peirce Mill) and Jana & The Berlin Crew (Bethesda, also a great band name). Thanks again to Nick for post run drinks as well!Â
Need a Bathroom? Those also come roughly the same frequency as the water fountains! Mile 5.5 just before getting on Beach Drive has two different sets of bathrooms (pro tip: going up the hill by the community garden and Mill gets you private bathrooms instead of the multi-stall ones). There are additional bathrooms along Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park every 1-2 miles, keep your eyes out for them along the side of the road near the various picnic areas! There aren't a ton of great options along the Capital Crescent trail aside from Fletcher's Boathouse at mile 17.7, but there are a few gas stations along the way that make a good stop in a pinch!
The Book Club meets on Sunday at FourFive Coffee in Rosslyn to discuss Running to the Edge by Matthew Futterman. Reach out to Eunja or Virginia to RSVP!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 20 Miles Ross Drive Extended Edition
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
Get ready, we're making our way into second summer tomorrow morning and it's going to be a warmer one out there for SLR. Bring plenty of fluids, take it easy, and don't forget your gels! Now let's get into it:
The Route: A Ross Drive so nice, who wouldn't want to do it twice? We’ve got you covered in Ross Drive (Extended Edition) (strava, gps, pdf)! We’ll head over the Key Bridge and up Rock Creek to do a nice Ross Drive loop, then repeat that same loop for more Ross Drive than ever. After this we'll head back down the trail to the Key Bridge for a double-lollipop route. As a reminder, for Ross Drive make a left immediately following the police station in Rock Creek Park onto Joyce Road, cross the little bridge, and take the next left onto Ross Drive up the hill!
Want Something Shorter? A classic Ross Drive route will get you 15 miles (without the trail, and less if you take the trail) and almost as much Rock Creek Park action. For even less mileage, an out and back is your best bet! If you want somewhere between 15 and 20, doing a single loop of Ross Drive and then returning over Memorial Bridge instead of Key Bridge will get you around 18 miles.
Need a Longer Route? A Big Loop is always a good choice for extra mileage, though fair warning it is on the schedule for next week. Just keep heading up Rock Creek Park to Leland and follow the Capital Crescent Trail back down to the city.
Thirsty? The Peirce Mill water fountain has seen better days, but the new one (with a bottle filling station!!) next to the bathrooms makes up for it and more! Thanks to Nick for post run drinks this week as well!
Need a Bathroom? Peirce Mill also has you covered with two options (there are some at the actual Mill as well). We’ll pass those ones twice, which are by far your best bet to avoid the Rock-Creek-woods squat of shame.
The Bunion Derby concluded last weekend, but fear not, we've got Book Club next weekend at FourFive Coffee in Rosslyn discussing Running to the Edge by Matthew Futterman.
Happy Running!
Anna
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Upcoming Events
| 2025 National Capital 10-Miler and 5-Miler Sun, Nov 16th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Alexandria Turkey Trot Thu, Nov 27th, 2025, @7:30am |
| DCRR Bread Run 10K and Ginger Bread 2-Miler Sun, Dec 7th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Book Club Sun, Dec 7th, 2025, @4:00pm |
| DCRR Founders Half Marathon Sun, Dec 14th, 2025, @9:00am |
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The DC Road Runners Club is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and is also affiliated with USA Track & Field. We provide a year-round schedule of running events that offer everyone a chance to participate regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. |