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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 |
| 4/5 | 14 | Marymount Chain Bridge | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/12 | 12 | Pentagon Army Navy | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/19 | 13 | Cathedral Clintons | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 4/26 | 18 | National Arboretum | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/3 | 12 | Potomac Overlook Loops | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/10 | 13 | Southeast DC | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/17 | 16 | Around the World in Fourteen Miles | Cue Sheet & GPS | 62 Embassies! New Route! |
| 5/24 | 14 | Ross Drive | Cue Sheet & GPS | |
| 5/31 | 15 | Long Bridge Park | Cue Sheet & GPS |
SLR - 18 Miles Anacostia Riverwalk Loop
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
News flash: it's still summer! Temperatures tomorrow will be steamy and as such Marathon Training Program 10+ mile groups will be starting at 6:15 tomorrow morning. I'm also travelling up to New York this weekend for a 10K, so everyone's favorite membership coordinator Nate Rathjen will be kicking you off tomorrow! Nate loves this route almost as much as I do (which is saying a lot!) so you're in good hands! 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 trail (strava, pdf, gps). This route will take us down through the wharf, up the west side of the trail by the Congressional Cemetery and around Heritage Island (which is like Teddy Roosevelt Island if they never did any upkeep on it), then across the Bladensburg Bridge and down the east side of the Anacostia River to the new and improved Frederick Douglass Bridge and back to Virginia! Luckily it's not quite wild turkey season yet,so this should be an absolutely gorgeous run. Fun fact: the name Anacostia evolved from the Nacotchtank, the area's Indigenous population.
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 getr you around 14.5 miles! For closer to 16, add on the loop of Heritage Island before turning at RFK.
Thirsty? Thanks to Elise Mullinniex for pre ant post run drinks this week! We've also got mid run drinks courtesy of Ruby Len near the Anacostia Skating Pavillion at mile 10! Other than that, Anacostia is fairly bare for water, though there is a fountain and running water in the bathrooms by the pirate ship playground at mile 11. 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 last week, 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, so sign up today! The next book club meeting will be September 10th and we're reading Choosing to Run by Des Linden, which is an absolute classic and something every runner should have on their list!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 15 Miles Iron Triangle
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
I've checked the weather for tomorrow about 50 times in the last three days expecting it to change, but *furiously knocks on wood* it hasn't and it looks like we're actually going to get a break from the heat and humidity! 62 and 68% humidity? Sign me up! Even though the weather may be a bit cooler, hydration and fueling are essential (especially on the hills), so be sure to bring water and snacks! Now let's get into it:
The Route: What's that? You want more hills?? Well you're in luck because this week we're running none other than the Iron Triangle (strava, gps, pdf)! This route is an all-time SLR legend for its 1200ish feet of elevation gain over the course of 15 miles that will take us up Military Road, down to Falls Church, and then back to Rosslyn along the W&OD and Custis Trails. When we turn onto Old Glebe Road, we'll also pass Fort Ethan Allen Park, a Civil War-era earthwork fort built by the Union Army to defend the Chain Bridge!
Want Something Shorter? For a few less hills and a few less miles, the Chain Bridge Loop 10 miler is one of my all-time favorite loops (seriously, I run it pretty much once a week and it's lovely). It'll allow you to be with the group for almost five miles before heading back in a much flatter way than how you came out. There are also excellent metro stops at mile 9 (East Falls Church) and 12 (Ballston-MU) where for a mere $2 you can be back to Rosslyn in a jiffy!
Need a Longer Route? The W&OD is a fabulous trail to add anywhere from 1 to 80 miles to your weekend long run! The recent construction in the Falls Church area of the trail was completed a few months ago and the expansion looks great! Running east on the W&OD can also lend itself to what I've dubbed the Iron Arlington Triangle if anyone needs 20 this weekend and wants a challenge!
Thirsty? We not only have post run drinks this week given by the excellent Jon Zeidler, but also mid-run drinks from "Bonnie's Boyfriend" himself John Peruski! He'll at mile 9 around 18th street and Tuckahoe where we get on the W&OD to make sure no one cuts the course and turns off early! Other water fountains can be found at mile 3.5 in Zachary Taylor Park just off Military, at Fort Ethan Allen Park around mile 5, the Custis and W&OD interchange at mile 10, and along Custis at mile 12.
Need A Bathroom? Ethan Allen Park also has bathrooms around mile 5 and there are some others if you keep going down the W&OD after Custis for an extra mile and some indoor plumbing. Otherwise there is always a house or two along this route that has some contruction going on and a portopotty in the yard, so keep your eyes peeled!
The final club race of the Bunion Derby series is the Cross Country 3 Miler tomorrow afternoon at 5:40! SLR should be an excellent warmup for the race, but if you just want to go for the post race District Taco that's also an option on the registration page! The club picnic is a wonderful way to kiss summer goodbye before fall racing ramps up, and I hope to see everyone there! The next book club meeting is September 10th at 4 PM and we're reading one of my all time favorites: Choosing To Run by Des Linden. No spoilers, but I hear she did pretty well at Boston in 2018 and we can all learn something from the grit and tenacity she displayed there!
Happy Running!
Anna
SLR: 12 Miles Piney Branch
Hello Saturday Long Runners!
The weather tomorrow looks like the same soup we've been swimming in the rest of the summer, so as always make sure to hydrate and carry water with you during your run! The temperatures are going to get warm a little faster than normal, and as such Marathon Training Program's 10+ Minute Pace Groups will be starting at 6:15. If you normally run with them and want company, meet at 6:15, otherwise I'll be seeing everyone at 7! Tomorrow's route also includes a good amount of running on city streets. Although these all have good sidewalks and clear signals, please please please be careful at intersections and especially around Washington and Dupont Circles! Remember stopping for an extra 30 seconds won't ruin your trianing cycle, but getting hit by a car on 16th Street will. Now let's get into it:
The Route: Back from the dead with construction over, we'll finally be getting a taste of the newly renovated Piney Branch route (strava, pdf, gps). I like to think of Piney Branch as the cool little sister of Ross Ridge: she goes out in Dupont Circle, runs through the gorgeous Meridian Hill Park, and then comes down Rock Creek just like her big sister. Fun fact: Meridian Hill Park gets its name because it is on the exact longitude of the original DC milestone marker in Jones Point Park (which we'll run by in a few weeks during The Awakening route!).
Want Something Shorter? Aside from the usual out and back option, another way to shorten this route to around 8 miles is to take a left onto Connecticut Ave at Dupont Circle and follow it to Calvert Street. Take a left on Calvert and an immediate left on Shorham Drive to go into Rock Creek Park and continue along the RCP Trail as the original route states.
Need a Longer Route? My personal favorite way to add onto this that isn't "out and back on the canal" is to take a right instead of a left when you get into Rock Creek Park and add on a Ross-Ridge loop to make this route 17 miles. Otherwise, just adding on to Pierce Mill is another option for a few more miles!
Thirsty? Unfortunately on my course recon run on Tuesday I discovered the only option for water on this route is the fountain at the Lincoln Memorial around mile 1.7. This route does not go all the way to Pierce Mill and unless you want to add on some miles there is no water in Rock Creek Park. The fountains at Meridian Hill Park are also not turned on (and neither is the cascading fountain for that matter). This is all to say: please bring water tomorrow! Or at minimum, bring some cash and plan on popping into the Dupont Circle CVS for a drink.
Need a Bathroom? Those are also a bit few and far between tomorrow. There are some portopotties that may be available at the Lincoln Memorial depending on the construction. The Dupont Circle CVS is also a good bet in a pinch at mile 3.5. Otherwise there are plenty of businesses on 16th street that may be available, but your mileage may very.
The next club race is the Paul Thurston 4.5 Miler at Burke Lake on August 15th! The Bunion Derby series is rapidly coming to a close, so if you need another race or volunteer credit don't forget to sign up!
Happy Running!
Anna
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Upcoming Events
| Lancer 5K Sat, Apr 26th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Kenmore PTSA 5K Sat, May 10th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Hero Dogs 5K9 Sat, May 17th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Jamestown 5K Sat, May 17th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Women's Distance Festival and Run After The Women Sun, Jun 8th, 2025, @8:00am |
| Rock Creek 5K Sun, Jun 22nd, 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. |