Expand on the "ego problem" you encountered so often. From how your post reads it doesn't sound like clubs denied you because they didn't want to be affiliated with slower people, but because you didn't meet the club's entry standards. I'm pretty familiar with nearly every running club in the DC area with "fast people" on the club and aside from the ones with explicit performance standards for entry I can't think of one that would deny someone because they're slower than the average member.
At least the people who have moved to DC. Southeast DC is a welfare-dependent war zone.
Pfft. SE is safer than dozens of parts of Baltimore. And if that is the worst DC has, SE, then its pretty safe place for a city. Its dangerous in SE, sure, but no more so than any hood in any city.
Which publication did the rankings? Potomac River still puts out it's regional runner rankings.
Run Washington used to do a nice runner rankings system years ago. I liked the fact that they attempted to handicap courses so people who ran hilly slow courses weren’t at a disadvantage to those who ran flat and fast races.
Maybe the key word is "ego." The culture of one upping everyone. What a waste of time. Every successful team/club, it's a matter of people working together. Committing to a shared goal. "win the league meet", "win the state meet" -- lifts all boats.
- Running routes: really solid for a city, hard to find somewhere better
- Running groups: haven’t observed the issues you have. There should be solid group options for whatever ability you are. I’m also curious who you decided to join
- Local Races: not a lot of options. The best ones are Cherry Blossom (overall awesome event) and Alexandria Turkey Trot. Pacers taking away a lot of their races really hurt the road racing scene and track races are basically non-existent
Hugh Jascourt got the DC area running program started in 1961.
I founded the first club (Empire Harriers).
There was a race every weekend and every holiday except for Christmas.
There was a summer series of mid-week road races called the Bunion Derby and a winter series called Operation Snowman (I think that was the name.
We ran a 10 mile track race in the summer as part of the National Postal competition.
The road race schedule ran races of 4 miles - marathon for senior runners and 2-4 miles for juniors.
Additional track races were 10 mile relays of alternate 440s and alternate 880s and also one mile, as well a one and two hour runs.
The DC Rec Dept ran a series of summer track races.
There were no coaches or organized training sessions.
I trained with Dick Haines and we wore out Lee Hwy between Cherrydale and Falls Church. We had 3 turnaround points that we referred to as 5, 7 and 9 miles for the out and back. I recently geomapped our course and found our 5 miles was actually 6.3, our 7 was 8.6 and our 9 was 11 miles even. So, what were those 85-110 mile weeks we ran? As much as 125, perhaps more. :)
It makes me sad that so much of the racing scene has faded away, but I still envy the trails and paths in the DC area.
On another note, I read a Bisnow article this morning that crime has increased 300% in the Gallery Place/Chinatown neighborhood, all the retailers are closing shop, and that Capital One Arena might move to Alexandria. What is going on?
Any chance this is impacting the running scene? Are longtimers moving out to the burbs to avoid crime and therefore not supporting local races? Property values would suggest otherwise, but sometimes things like that can be deceiving. When I left DC in the early aughts, things were on the upswing! Get it together, Bowser!
Chinatown has alot of drug addicts and bums hanging by the metro, some naked below the waist, all looking to scam. I live in Virginia, never living in DC again after my first year here. I would run the C&O canal and see a 5 million dollar home with homeless doing hard drugs and chopping wood on the trail next to the house, just bored and high. Georgetown, 16th street heights, NW, SE, all have tons of homeless. In Virginia the bums can stand around 12-14 hours a day but come nightfall, they get chased off.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
Hugh Jascourt got the DC area running program started in 1961.
I founded the first club (Empire Harriers).
There was a race every weekend and every holiday except for Christmas.
There was a summer series of mid-week road races called the Bunion Derby and a winter series called Operation Snowman (I think that was the name.
We ran a 10 mile track race in the summer as part of the National Postal competition.
The road race schedule ran races of 4 miles - marathon for senior runners and 2-4 miles for juniors.
Additional track races were 10 mile relays of alternate 440s and alternate 880s and also one mile, as well a one and two hour runs.
The DC Rec Dept ran a series of summer track races.
There were no coaches or organized training sessions.
I trained with Dick Haines and we wore out Lee Hwy between Cherrydale and Falls Church. We had 3 turnaround points that we referred to as 5, 7 and 9 miles for the out and back. I recently geomapped our course and found our 5 miles was actually 6.3, our 7 was 8.6 and our 9 was 11 miles even. So, what were those 85-110 mile weeks we ran? As much as 125, perhaps more. :)
What happened to all this?
The DC Road Runners Club seems still hosts the Bunion Derby series of races in the summer (one 4 mile race is named after Hugh Jascourt) and what it now calls the Snowball Series of races in the winter.
Still lots of great races in the area and new ones being added often - like the DC Half, which started in 2022 after the Air Force Half failed to survive the pandemic.
When Charlie Ban knows your name, you’ll know you’ve made it. He runs things in that community.
I once got Charlie Ban to sign my man boobies with permanent marker. Not only didn’t I wash it off—I got it tattooed. It’s my proudest achievement in life. Oh, Charlie!
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.