r/rundc

Hey all! I just completed the Frederick Half Marathon last weekend and have decided what better time to tackle my lifelong goal of running a full marathon than right now. I live in the DMV and it seems Baltimore and the Marine Corps are the most popular local options. I was hoping for some insight into both from those who have run them. Here are factors that are important to me:

-How chaotic are the start and finish? Specifically at the MCM. I know myself and the last thing I need is to stress about getting there on time, my wife and two young children navigating the course to cheer me on, and finding my way back after the race concludes. Running my first full will have me anxious enough 😆.

-I’m not super concerned about hills, but I’ve read very conflicting reports on Baltimore. Some say it’s extremely hilly and others say it’s mild.

-Crowd energy is awesome and I certainly feed off that, but sightseeing keeps me distracted when I’m wearing down. If both are scenic, awesome, but if one is WAY better, please enlighten me.

If there’s anything I’m missing, please let me know! Or if there’s another nearby full that I passed over and should consider, also let me know!

Looking at the weather for next week... and I only know it's gonna get hotter as summer settles in. Do yall just run inside over summer, or are there any hacks yall are willing to share

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) is putting a temporary detour in place as part of the Long Bridge Project, the 1.8-mile rail overhaul that will eventually relieve one of the worst freight and passenger bottlenecks on the East Coast. The detour goes into effect around May 22nd and stays in place until construction wraps in 2030.

haven't seen much discussion of this on here, but the proposed "renovation" of the DC golf course and the renderings look like it will remove the pedestrian areas from Hains point entirely. Aside from that impacting where a lot of runners and bikers train, I haven't seen much discussion about how it will require a significant number of DC races to alter their courses. I have to imagine removing hains point from the races will make them 1) potentially more difficult (more hills to run) if they have to go more through the "city" like Rock and Roll, and 2) harder to get street closures approved in more heavily trafficked areas.

DC races that go through Hains (off the top of my head): DC Half, Womens Half, Cherry Bossom, Marine Corp Marathon.

The National Women's Half was my first half marathon! While I don't regret this being my first half, I have a few thoughts in case anyone is thinking about running it next year.

1. The start and finish line is fairly far from any public transit compared to other DC races I've done. Walking a mile + after running 13.1 was rough 😭

2. The race isn't exclusively women. I thought it was which is why I signed up for this race and was surprised to see men running it too.

3. I wish there were separate half marathon and 8k medals. Other races (like the rock & roll series) do this, and I would've paid more for a distinct half marathon medal design.

4. The double loop near the Kennedy Center was SO confusing. At one point the 1:10 pace group passed me and I panicked because I thought somehow I made a wrong turn. Even reviewing the course map beforehand, it was still difficult to follow in the moment. The layout also makes course cutting easy especially with no bib tracking.

5. I do love that they offer free race photos. However, a lot of my photos didn’t automatically attach to my bib even though my bib number was visible, so if you’re missing photos, definitely try uploading a selfie for facial recognition.

6. This is a fairly small race which I appreciated for my first half marathon. You also get 4 hrs to finish which makes it feel approachable. The only con to this is there are less people to cheer you on and it's fairly quiet in some sections, especially if you're a slower runner like me.

Overall, I still think this race is worth doing. It’s affordable, beginner-friendly, and it was really special being surrounded by so many women accomplishing something incredible.

How common is it to have the race timing system for a race to fail?

I ran a 10k locally on Sunday where instead of a timing mat, they used a big orange box with a sensor to capture Starts and Finishes.

When all the runners were in, the RD announced that they had no results. And if you placed in your AG, they'd mail you your medallion.

Is this a common thing? Is my PR stuck in the cloud somewhere and will drop later this week?

Hi running fam: come on out to Anacostia Parkrun this Sat at 9. Its a fun and free 5k and I am bringing granola bars--who could say no to that??! Please register in advance for a barcode if you want an official time. See you there! Details: https://www.parkrun.us/anacostia/

The Mount Vernon Trail has been reopened near the power plant. A detour was in place for the last 6 weeks so I a contractor could fix shoreline erosion that was threatening a collapse of the trail. The shoreline is now reinforced with some very large rocks.

https://preview.redd.it/o4bqbwdgfcyg1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=7a60bc43616913de21bfeb236e667033ccc7027a

5k races in DMV suggestions?

Saw that finisher pics were available on the website but I KNOW I got pics throughout the course from various photographers - anyone know where to find these??

Are there any active run clubs in the Pentagon City or Crystal City area? I didn't see any on The Capital Runner or on other social media. I see a lot of people out running in the area so I think there could be interest in starting one if there isn't already one. Thanks!

Hey folks, I'm a DC runner and I'm registered for the SeaWheeze Half Marathon in Vancouver, 8/8/26, but can no longer make it. Anyone here interested in my bib? Transfer is via Race Roster, so no shady scamming is possible. Please let me know!

Looking for a place to buy orthopedic running inserts for my shrinking arch and pronating ankle. Ideally a place that will actually do some analysis and not put me in a stock insert.