The weight of the ink on her cross country uniform was almost imperceptible, but it dragged Julia Clark down when she raced.
For three years, since the first time she walked into her high school as a freshman, the building taunted her. J.E.B. Stuart High School, named for a Confederate general.
But as a senior, wearing the simple J of the renamed Justice High School Wolves, she felt something she hadn’t for her entire track and cross country career up to that point – unmitigated pride.
- D.C. running mainstay Wilson Komen will be the guest on Wednesday’s Potomac River Running Instagram Live, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. Punch it!
- Julie Culley resigned as Georgetown’s director of track and field and cross country to take a job at Brooks Sports as a sports marketing manager.
- Herndon alumna Hiruni Wijayaratne was a guest on the Running Through It podcast and DyeStat Discussions (where it will be available for free until Aug. 28)
- Loudoun Valley alumnus Drew Hunter was featured in Track and Field News.
- Arlington County will widen the sidewalk on the Four Mile Run Bridge on Columbia Pike, add lighting and improve guardrails this fall.
- W&OD Trail users near Ashburn will see some equestrian trail closures over the next three weeks.
- W&OD Trail users will be detoured for two weeks to accomodate Lee Highway trail bridge construction.
- The District Department of Transportation recently upgraded lighting on the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
- Emily Halnon, a former D.C. resident who won “Best Blog” in the 2013 Best of Washington Running voting, ran the fastest known time for the Pacific Crest Trail and was a guest on the Ali on the Run Show podcast.
Twenty-one years of distance didn’t make the recent explosion at the Beirut seaport any easier for Zé Dagher.
Though he has been away from his native Lebanon for roughly half of his life without plans to return, the explosion, which killed more than 180 people, injured 6,000 others and caused more than $15 billion in property damage prompted the Falls Church resident to do something.
At this same time, his friend, Patrick Vaughn, had been making nearly-annual trips to the country over the last two decades, mostly with his Lebanese ex-wife and their children. Their commisseration led to inspiration.
“It was a pretty rough moment, we decided we had to do something together,” Dagher said.
- The Custis Trail will be closed at Bon Air Park between the I-66 underpass and W&OD Trail between Aug 24 – Sept 6. Detours are posted.
- The Rails to Trails Conservancy featured the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail as August’s Trail of the Month.
- District Track Club runners Edose Ibadin, Vincent Crisp and Quamel Prince were guests on the 2 Black Runners podcast.
- Herndon alumna Hiruni Wijerathne ran a Sri Lanken 5,000 meter record Saturday at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, 16:17.51.
- The NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships have been canceled for 2020.
Chantilly Coach Matt Gilchrist offers his thoughts on the nascent club cross country movement. This is a good reminder that RunWashington welcomes input on issues related to Washington, D.C.-area running on all levels, and if you have thoughts to share, contact Charlie Ban at charlie(at) runwashington (dot) com.
The sun rises over Burke Lake and it’s 7 a.m. on an August morning. We’re the first ones there, the first Monday of a new cross country season, with all the promise and potential that lies ahead. We are brimming with enthusiasm and filled with confidence and energy that is gained by a full summer of group conditioning, motivated for another successful fall season. This has been the same ritual that we’ve practiced year in and year out, but this year when August came, we stayed home. For the first time in my 25 years of coaching, there have been no practices at Burke Lake. Instead of heading to Lost River, W.Wa. for our annual team camp, we all stayed home. The motivation hasn’t changed and the hunger to run and to compete is still there, but in the world dealing with COVID-19, these annual rites of passages are chief on a list of things that we are missing out on.
There is no denying that our student-athletes miss sports. There is no questioning the benefit to them participating, just as we have debated over the best ways to re-open schools this fall. Running cross country (or participating in any sport) is beneficial to our emotional and mental health, our physical development, and being amongst teammates is a vital link to some level of socialization that many of us have missed over the last six months.
Name: Joe Snowaert
Self-described age group: 25-29
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Program Specialist FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services
How has your running changed in the last few months: I’ve started running more and diving into some higher mileage weeks. I’ve also been doing a lot more trail running to get out of D.C. and some virtual races. Always thought virtual races were kind of silly, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Why you run: It has changed a lot, but right now I run because I love my running community and friends, my brain works so much better after a good run, and I am really curious what my body can do.
Kelly Deegan lives close enough to a park that almost every day, she sees organized sports practices and games happening. She also got a phone call from the Westfield High School administration, asking if three teenagers — who a local resident saw running together — were on her cross country team. She hasn’t seen her runners since March… they weren’t her runners.
That drove home her frustration about the fate of high school cross country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You want them to do it, but you also don’t want to be responsible for bad decision making,” Deegan said. “We’re in this limbo where we can’t do what we’re driven to do, which is help kids run.”
- DuVal High School alumnus and District Track Club athlete Edose Ibadin was a guest on the Citius podcast.
- George Washington University cut its men’s indoor track program, citing budget pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Masters runner Alisa Harvey was a guest on the Be More podcast.
- Loudoun County High School’s meme czar Ethan Stansbury will be the guest on this week’s Potomac River Running Instagram Live, Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Name: Alayna Bigalbal
Self-described age group: 25
Residence: Reston
Occupation: Civil Engineer
How has your running changed in the last few months: My running has definitely become more solitary due to the current pandemic and race cancellations. However, I am using this time to build up a strong running base, incorporate more strength training and drills.
Why you run: I run to challenge myself and give myself something to strive for. I love the sense of accomplishment after reaching a goal and then the determination/anticipation of hitting the next one. It is also a way for me to cope with stress and anxiety.
When did you get started running: I started running my sophomore year of high school.
A month almost full of 90+ degree days kept top speeds a little slower, but there was still some movement throughout the standings, with four overall segment lead changes and three women’s lead changes. We added two new loops: Smelling Big Stinky (on the Catholic University campus) and Colorado (on Colorado Avenue NW). And, people tried out a few new loops, putting some numbers on the board.
You can switch among the months using the tabs at the bottom of the screen. The segments are generally organized to fit compactly.
