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Latest reviews by John
John recommends this race
(2014)
"A truly world class race!"
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This is a world class event offering every perk you can think of, except for world class runners!
From the moment you get selected in the lottery, until you leave the athlete's village, you are treated like a superstar. The pre-race emails were very helpful and informative and it really seems like Nike listened to complaints and suggestions from last year and made improvement in almost every area.
Packet pickup -- If you're from the DC area you could take part in the city wide packet pickup. With several locations to choose from, there was no excuse to wait in a line if you didn't want to. Or, you could have taken Uber Taxi to the Expo and skip right past any lines at packet pickup. They were a sponsor of the race and you went straight to the front if you used their service to get to Georgetown. But if you were like the majority of people, you just went and waited. But there were never any bad lines. They had 30 kiosks for checking in, and the entire process took about 30 seconds! So the lines flew!
The Expo -- As you walked in, you were presented with a huge video wall, welcoming you by name to the race. They also had a lot of free samples and lots of Nike gear for sale. It wasn't the biggest expo, in fact, it was pretty small, but everything about it was done really nicely!
The start area -- can you say porta-potties? I've done Boston and Disney, and neither race had as many porta-potties as they did here. There were NO LINES. None! I've never seen that before. And getting to the start was really easy since it was only about 3 blocks from the Metro Center subway station.
The race itself -- the race started exactly on time! In fact, they had clocks over the start line and did a countdown. Friends were able to track runners along an interactive map on the WeRunDC website -- very cool! So were the on-course DJ's and motivational wall. The on course entertainment was fun as well, especially the drummers as you approached the finish area.
The finish area -- this was really the only drawback to the race. And it was because it was so good that it caused problems. Nobody wanted to leave! Even hours after the last runner crossed the finish, there were crowds of people still hanging around, and lines to do anything.
But this should really be a bucket list race for most runners, and for all women!
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John recommends this race
(2014)
"A wet, sloppy mudfest!"
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I've run this race before, but never like this. It was a muddy mess, but in the best possible way.
The race is a double loop, which is difficult here, since you know that all the mud you went through the first time will be even worse the second.
By the time the course was single track (about 1/4 mile in) I was in 8th place. I stayed there until just before just before the end of the first loop. At that point I moved up into 6th. That's where I stayed the remainder of the race. Finishing 6th overall, and 1st in my age group.
This is a very low-key race, but very well organized. And a nice size for the trails.
Can't wait until next year!
John recommends this race
(2014)
"Every Friday night!"
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Every Friday night in April, Pacers Running Stores put on a 5k race through the middle of Crystal City. These are very low-key races, but can be super competitive! The races are easy to get to using mass-transit, but I wouldn't recommend trying to drive there.
The course is a double out an back, which I like because I get to see all the other runners a couple times along the course. And the course in pancake flat!!! It's really possible to run very fast there.
Each race is only $20, but you get a discount and a free t-shirt if you sign up for the series.
John recommends this race
(2014)
"Gorgeous race on an perfect day!"
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One of the nicest races you'll ever do!!!
The George Washington Parkway Classic is an amazing race in Alexandria, Virginia. Starting outside George Washington's Mount Vernon, and running along the Potomac River to Orononco Park in Downtown Old Alexandria. The course has just enough gentle rolling hills to keep you from getting stale and bored. But there aren't any "real" hills the entire way. And the views -- spectacular. You run on a tree lined road (so you can find shade!) with great views of the Potomac River. This race is also a great opportunity to look at some really nice houses that you'd normally be driving too fast to notice.
Getting to the start of the race is really easy, thanks to the buses the race provides. The lines for the buses got a little backed up, but nobody missed the start because of it. And the bag-drop system worked out really nicely too.
There were plenty (at least 4 or 5!) of well stocked aid stations with lots of very enthusiastic volunteers, and porta-potties!
Another thing I love about this race is the Expo -- or should I say "lack of Expo". There isn't one. Instead, you can pick up your bib at any of the Pacers Running Stores during the two weeks prior to the race. I'm not forced to drive to some crowded convention center to wait in lines and look at the exact same booths as every other race. I really wish more races would do this. And something else that neat is that they assign your bib number when you come in. That means that you can pick up your bibs as a group and know that you'll get sequential numbers. Pretty cool!!!
The race finishes at a big party in Oronoco Park! You get a Fitful box (a neat way to distribute post-race goodies), and water. They have great music playing along the water, a few vendors giving out samples, and lots of happy runners!!!
Everybody should run this race if possible!!!
John recommends this race
(2014)
"One of the most competitive races in Albany!"
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Easily one of the most competitive races in the Albany area. This year, the top three finishers were within 7 seconds of each other, and all under 5 minutes/mile! On the women's side, the course record was shattered with a time of 26:42.
But this race isn't just about the super fast runners. The 600+ runners wound their way through the scenic neighborhoods of Delmar. This is a super flat course with lots of nice houses to look at along the way. The waterstops are more than sufficient for a 5 mile race.
Before and after the race there are plenty of refreshments, and almost no lines for massages thanks to the Center for Natural Wellness.
This race is always a staple on the Albany racing calendar, and shouldn't be missed if you're in town.