DC Area Running... in Mid-February
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DC Area Running... in Mid-February
This is geared more towards the people who live in/around DC (looking at you, Chris... and I believe Kevin?) or those who frequently run there. My girlfriend attends Gallaudet University off Florida Ave - just northeast of the capitol/mall. I'll be staying with her for a week, and I've got runs planned ranging from 30-60 minutes. Is there anything that's worth taking the metro to for a run in that time range? Or should I just plan on running around her campus and avoiding the ghetto? Any input appreciated.
Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Gallaudet is on the other side of the tracks from where I do some of my track workouts. Just run a few blocks NW up Florida, take a right on Eckington Place for a few blocks and continue straight into the McKinley Technical High School campus with an Olympic Track & Field facility that is open and under-used. If you're not running longer than an hour, I would stick to that track and the National Mall -- it's roughly 4 miles round trip from the Capitol grounds to the Lincoln Memorial and back with plenty of water fountains. If you want a sweet 5K and will be in town on Feb 12, you should consider the Love the Run You're With 5K. There are also many other races -- it's a fine running town. Check out Washington Running Report [http://www.runwashington.com/] for upcoming races.
Last edited by KBFitz on Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
KBFitz- Explaining To Spouse
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Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Thanks Kevin. I will check out that high school. I really wanted to run a 5k with Aileen while I was there, but I'm not getting there until the 16. Leaving the 21.
Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Here's my advice...
Pull up this map which is the Marine Corps Marathon course. Turn on the mile markers flag so you can follow it:
http://www.marinemarathon.com/MCM_Runner_Info/Course_Maps_908.htm
Take the Metro to Smithsonian which will put you out right at the Mile 17 marker. Start your run just East of the Washington Monument and run WEST (away from Capitol and quickly past the Washington Monument and on towards the Lincoln Memorial)
At Lincoln Memorial run down the stairs to the left - to the sidewalk along the river - and now you are going to start following the course itself. You are at about Mile 11 and run all the way out along the Potomac River and back to the Tidal Basin and Mile 15. Just keep the river on your right and follow the whole path as it loops out East and then back again West. You've now gone somewhere around 5 miles since you started. As you come back to the Mall and the Washington Monument, run North a bit (straight at the White House) and then hang a right to run along the Mall and straight EAST towards the Capitol. Run all the way to the front of the Capitol and back along the other side of the Mall to Smithsonian Metro (before the turn off the Mall to Mile 20 on the MCM course) and you are roughly in the range of an 8 mile run.
If you did it right, you sort of did a figure 8 with the Smithsonian Metro being the starting point of the run and the center of the two loops of the '8'. But even if you don't stick by it specifically and just wander, you simply won't get lost doing this as everything is pretty wide open along the river and then you have two "can't miss" landmarks to orient by in the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Very flat run unless you want to run a loop up behind the Capitol and find out why it is called Capitol Hill. Doing that would tack on another 2 miles roughly to make a 10 mile run. Finish back where you started and back on the Metro to head up to Gallaudet.
Pull up this map which is the Marine Corps Marathon course. Turn on the mile markers flag so you can follow it:
http://www.marinemarathon.com/MCM_Runner_Info/Course_Maps_908.htm
Take the Metro to Smithsonian which will put you out right at the Mile 17 marker. Start your run just East of the Washington Monument and run WEST (away from Capitol and quickly past the Washington Monument and on towards the Lincoln Memorial)
At Lincoln Memorial run down the stairs to the left - to the sidewalk along the river - and now you are going to start following the course itself. You are at about Mile 11 and run all the way out along the Potomac River and back to the Tidal Basin and Mile 15. Just keep the river on your right and follow the whole path as it loops out East and then back again West. You've now gone somewhere around 5 miles since you started. As you come back to the Mall and the Washington Monument, run North a bit (straight at the White House) and then hang a right to run along the Mall and straight EAST towards the Capitol. Run all the way to the front of the Capitol and back along the other side of the Mall to Smithsonian Metro (before the turn off the Mall to Mile 20 on the MCM course) and you are roughly in the range of an 8 mile run.
If you did it right, you sort of did a figure 8 with the Smithsonian Metro being the starting point of the run and the center of the two loops of the '8'. But even if you don't stick by it specifically and just wander, you simply won't get lost doing this as everything is pretty wide open along the river and then you have two "can't miss" landmarks to orient by in the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Very flat run unless you want to run a loop up behind the Capitol and find out why it is called Capitol Hill. Doing that would tack on another 2 miles roughly to make a 10 mile run. Finish back where you started and back on the Metro to head up to Gallaudet.
Chris M- Explaining To Spouse
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Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Chris - Just mapped the run out on MMR. How's the traffic going between the mall/basin and basin/mall? Is the path pretty straightforward and separated?
Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Mike MacLellan wrote:Chris - Just mapped the run out on MMR. How's the traffic going between the mall/basin and basin/mall? Is the path pretty straightforward and separated?
There are major cross walks each place you'll need to cross an actual road. Believe me, you'll know where to go by the dozens of other runners and bikers you see using the wide crushed gravel paths of the Mall or the paved roads of East Potomac Park/Hains Point. Make it more simple for yourelf to navigate with these pictoral clues:
Metro to Smithsonian -Starting/end point of run is Washington Monument - you won't ever lose site of this the whole time you are running:
.
Start run (west) towards Lincoln Memorial:
As you get to it go left (south) towards Potomac River and then turn left again as you are going to run for miles and miles right next to the Potomac River through East Potomac Park. The river will always be there on your right:
Get back to the Washington Monument and head right (East) towards the Capitol:
Both running towards the Capitol and then back to where you started at the Washington monument, you will be on the crushed gravel paths of the Mall. Can't miss them:
If you want to gain extra tourist points and add some additional miles, you could easily add the Vietnam Memorial (don't run right by the wall - walk only if you want to visit it) , the White House, House and Senate offices, the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court to your run. In addition to what is mentioned above, you will hit all the Smithsonian musuems, the Jefferson, the WWII memorial and the new MLK one on your run as is.
Chris M- Explaining To Spouse
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Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Mike - I've run from the National Zoo area down to the Mall and back, and it was pretty easy to follow the "running" paths" (those created by many feet) as well as the sidewalks/trails round the Mall and various monuments. It was a beautiful, fun, and informative run as I stopped to check out some of the monuments that I had not seen close up.
Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Kevin - Hoping you get this before Thursday. Is that high school track open during school hours? I'm thinking of heading up there Thursday ~2-3pm.
Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Mike MacLellan wrote:Kevin - Hoping you get this before Thursday. Is that high school track open during school hours? I'm thinking of heading up there Thursday ~2-3pm.
Yes. I did my track workout there Tuesday afternoon. Note also that
Gallaudet University has a track on campus that may be even more convenient for you.
KBFitz- Explaining To Spouse
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Re: DC Area Running... in Mid-February
Great, thanks! I knew about the track on Gallaudet - it's right outside my girlfriend's window - but figured 40min on a track with no breaks might become tedious. So needy of me, I know
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