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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 |
| 2/22 | 16 | Arlington Loop | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 3/1 | 16 | Battery Kemble Loops | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 3/8 | 14 | Stadium Loop | Cue Sheet & GPS | A New Route by Jerry M! |
| 3/15 | 14 | Mount Vernon Trail | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 3/22 | 18 | Rock Creek MBT | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 3/29 | 12 | Water Route | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/5 | 14 | Marymount Chain Bridge | Cue Sheet & GPS |
SLR: 21 Miles The Big Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
The sun is back and we've got our longest run of the cycle on deck for tomorrow! Get the last of your summer-ish training in before the cooldown next week and be sure to bring water for this one. 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 also happens to be one of my favorite routes in the area, but don't just take my word for it, Christie Wetzel , Coach Big Guy , and many others are also huge fans (at least that's what their Spotlight Runner articles say)! 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're running Chicago next weekend and haven't yet, in which case the Big Loop is completely meaningless and you're 100% ready to race)!
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! 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! After weeks of hope, I have now officially given up on the water fountain at the beginning of the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda. Do not depend on it, for it will only disappoint you. 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!!
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 snowball series race is our still-exactly-the-same-just-with-a-new-name Founder's Day Half Marathon (formerly the Gar Williams Half Marathon), which honors the club's founders with the cheapest half marathon in the country on December 1st. We're in need of volunteers as well to kick off the Snowball Series, get your credit kicked off early!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 18 Miles Anacostia Riverwalk
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
News flash: it's still summer out there somehow! Temperatures tomorrow will be steamy and please please please be safe out there! Bring water, use one of the (many!) ways to shorten this route, and take care of yourselves and those around you. Now let's get into it:
The Route: This week, we'll be venturing east of the river to what I always call the most underrated place to run in DC: The Anacostia Riverwalk Loop (strava, gps, pdf) -- this time with a bit of a twist. This route will take us down through the wharf, up the west side of the trail by the Congressional Cemetery, across the Bladensburg Bridge, and down the east side of the Anacostia River to the wonderful Frederick Douglass Bridge and back to Virginia! If you've been to this one in the past and hated bushwhacking through Heritage Island, fear not. The route this time DOES NOT go around the island, instead we're tweaking how we get to the wharf a bit to add that extra little bit of mileage, so don't worry about bringing your tick repellent and hiking boots for tomorrow morning.
Want Something Longer? The farther north you run on the west side of the Anacostia trail, the more magical it becomes! The Kenliworth Aquatic Gardens are especially wonderful in the summer if anyone's in need of 22 miles (2 out, 2 back).
Need a Shorter Route? A nice way to cut this route down to around 12 is to make a modified Southeast DC Loop (basically don't cross any bridges, just follow the route until the turn off for Pennsylvania Avenue). Otherwise taking a turn at RFK and following East Capitol Street back to the Mall will get you around 14.5 miles!
Thirsty? We don't have any volunteers currently for post run drinks (but YOU, yes you! could change that). We've also got mid run drinks courtesy of Dara Schulman near the Pirate Ship Playground at mile 11.5! Other than that, Anacostia is fairly bare for water, so please bring some as it will be hot tomorrow. There are also fountains along the Mall near Lincoln at mile 1.7 and 16.2 in a pinch!
Need a Bathroom? There are plenty of businesses along the wharf that are good in a pinch, including a couple of CVSes around the 5K point. There are also bathrooms at the pirate ship playground at mile 11 that have been lifesavers for me in the past.
The Bunion Derby wrapped up two weeks ago, but there's still one more race this summer: the National Capital 20 Miler and Janet Braunstein's 5 Miler! This is also your last chance to get volunteer credit for the Bunion Derby, and we still need some folks out there on Sunday!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR 16 Miles: Mock Marine Corps
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
It's Nate, your faithful ersatz SLR leader, writing to you today as Anna is racing tomorrow, so wish her luck! Here's the lowdown for this week:
The Route: This week we'll be doing a SLR once-a-year classic: Mock Marine Corps (strava, cue sheet, gps). This is the perfect opportunity to test out your fitness on 16/26ths of the Marine Corps Marathon course while getting a nice tour of DC. We'll head in through Georgetown, down Rock Creek to Hains Point and make a loop, back over to Lincoln via the Tidal Basin, then around the Mall and Washington Monument before returning over the 14th Street Bridge. For those following along at home that means we'll miss the dreaded Rosslyn hill, an out and back in Rock Creek Park, and some twists and turns in Crystal City from the true course.
DETOUR! Due to the long-term construction on Ohio Drive, there is a slight modification to this route. Instead of heading straight down Ohio Drive toward Hains after Lincoln, cut inward for a block on Independence, make a right turn on West Basin Drive, then turn on the sidewalk and run through the FDR Memorial -- always keeping the Tidal Basin on your left -- to rejoin the route. (Next time we run here, there will be a temporary road to serve as the detour that will be more obvious.) On the out-and-back, stay on the right (north) side of Independence to avoid the construction. Neither change will significantly affect the distance. If any of this doesn't make sense, Anna has updated the Strava link to show you where to go!
Want Something Shorter? Luckily, the MCM organizers have made a lot of great opportunities to cut serious mileage off this route...just don't try it on race day! Cutting off Hains Point will save you a little over 3 miles for around 12. Skipping the out and back to the Capitol will also give you around 2.5 less miles, and cutting off that (in my opinion, rather annoying) out and back to Lincoln will cut off a little less than 2! Luckily any twists and turns you're confused by today will be well marked come race day, so don't worry too much if you find yourself taking a slightly different path than the cue sheet says.
Need a Longer Route? Hains Point gives a lovely option for adding on mileage in multiples of 3! Running south along the Mount Vernon trail after crossing the 14th street bridge is another excellent way to get a few more miles and a bit of a taste of the latter stages of the marathon. For 26.2 miles tomorrow, see the course map above...but maybe avoid the part where you run on the 14th Street Bridge!
Thirsty? I would carry water today as the fountains on both the mall and Hains have been hit-or-miss recently. Feel free to complain to your friendly neighborhood park ranger, I know I will!
Need a Bathroom? There are a few decent options to choose from! Anna's personal favorites are outside the Jefferson Memorial around miles 4 and 13. There are also the "well...they're there" bathrooms at the Washington Monment when we pass it around miles 9.5 and 12. Hains Point, of course, has plenty, but which ones are unlocked depends on the current day, weather, zodiac sign, line on the Commanders game, and the FiveThirtyEight polling average (i.e., just try your luck)
Have a blast!
Nate
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Upcoming Events
| Fodderstack 10K Classic Sat, Apr 12th, 2025, @9:00am |
| Global Strides 5K Run & Walk Sun, Apr 13th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Lancer 5K Sat, Apr 26th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Hero Dogs 5K9 Sat, May 17th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Women's Distance Festival and Run After The Women Sun, Jun 8th, 2025, @8:00am |
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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. |