- Herndon alumna Hiruni Wijayaratne will be the guest on this week’s Potomac River Running Instagram Live, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5.
- Two Rivers Treads owner Mark Cucuzzella was a guest on the Run Farther and Faster podcast.
Name: Paul Wester
Self-described age group: 50-55
Residence: Beltsville, Md.
Occupation: Director of the National Agricultural Library
How has your running changed in the last few months: Except for the mask and reducing mileage because of the heat, not much.
Why you run: Fitness and to clear my mind for the day.
Though she put away her jumping spikes a few years ago, Lake Braddock alumna Maddie Manhertz Swegle is still flying through the air, this time in a navy fighter jet. On Friday, she will become the first African American tactical air pilot.
Though she was primarily a long and triple jumper at Lake Braddock and later at the U.S. Naval Academy, Swegle was willing to pitch in on the track too, including running a leg of the 2012 AAA state champion outdoor 3200 meter relay team that finished with a six-second lead over West Springfield in 9:20.9.
“My guess is that she enjoyed jumping more than she enjoyed the 400 and 800, but if we needed her on a relay, she was always in,” said Bruins Coach Mike Mangan. “That tells you a lot about her, doing that for the state championship. She was super team oriented and her teammate adored her. People felt good just being around her.”
- The Virginia High School League voted July 27 to delay fall sports, including cross country, to Feb. 15 – May 1, between shortened winter and spring sports seasons.
- The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference will not sanction competitions before Jan. 1.
- The Blue Ridge Running Camp is broadcasting nightly panel discussions with athletes, nutritionists and therapists.
- The District Track Club and Sharing Shoes will be collecting lightly used athletic shoes at the Formula Running Center 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Aug. 8.
- The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments approved the plan for the National Capital Trail Network.
- Arlington’s Mike Wardian and Gu representative Ken Holmes will be the guests on Potomac River Running’s Instagram Live at 7:30 p.m. Wendesday, July 29.
- Keira D’Amato was a guest on the A to Z Running podcast.
- Masters runner Eric Melby was a guest on the Run Farther and Faster podcast.
Name: Maggie Edwards
Self-described age group: The Last of the Millennials
Residence: Navy Yard
Occupation: Policy and Advocacy Associate
How has your running changed in the last few months: I was training for the Pittsburgh Marathon (which did switch to virtual), so nothing has been super out of the ordinary for what my running looks like in a “normal” spring/summer
Why you run: I run because 1. I like the goal-oriented nature of running and being able to accomplish something new (whether that be a new distance or run a new course) and 2. it keeps me sane.
- Cross country in D.C. will be sandwiched by indoor and outdoor seasons under a plan announced by the DCSAA. . Winter sports, including indoor, will start practices in December, cross country will start in February and outdoor track will start at the end of March.
- Nike Cross Nationals and its associated regional meets have been canceled for 2020. Last year, Loudoun Valley’s boys and girls teams finished 10th.
- The Transportation Planning Board will be voting whether or not to adopt the National Capital Trail Network on July 22nd. Comments will be accepted until 9 a.m. July 22nd at [email protected].
- Gaithersburg alumnus Aaron Anderson was a guest on the Run Farther and Faster podcast.
- South Lakes sprinter and Michigan recruit Hannah Waller will be the guest on this week’s Potomac River Running Instagram Live, Wednesday, July 22 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Beach Drive in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park will remain closed to vehicles through the beginning of Phase 4 of the district’s reopening plan.
- Oakton and American University alumna Keira D’Amato is a finalist for USATF Athlete of the Week. You can vote until 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 22.
- Construction on the first phase of the W&OD Trail’s “dual trail project,” widening the trail to separate cyclists from pedestrians, will begin in Falls Church in August, with the second phase in Arlington being designed in the next few years.
The race tried to go on, to fight to the end. But with a little more than three months to go, the Marine Corps Marathon reached a point where the reality of the coronavirus pandemic was too much to face on Oct. 25. It followed other large marathons in canceling, including Chicago and New York. Marine Corps will offer a virtual racing option. A day later (July 21), the Army Ten-Miler announced that it too would not hold an in-person race. It had been scheduled for Oct. 11 but had delayed registration.
“We explored various approaches to safely execute a live event and held numerous meetings with Marine Corps leadership, local government and public health officials,” said Race Director Rick Nealis. “We understand this is disappointing news for many, but we could no longer envision a way to gather together in compliance with safety guidelines. While we are unable to celebrate in-person this October, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the 45th anniversary event to the homes of runners around the world through a rewarding and engaging virtual experience.”
The bottleneck for the race came in the start and finish areas near the Pentagon and United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington County. Virginia limits gatherings to 250 participants and the starting line can see crowds of more than 20,000 runners in close quarters. In an attempt to reduce the roughly 28,000 runners who show up ever year on the last weekend of October, the race tried to shed runners, canceling the in-person 10k (good for 5,000 – 8,000 finishers annually). An attempt to stagger starts would run up against the deadline to reopen the 14th Street Bridge, forcing the race to tighten pace restrictions to 12:00 per mile, which would have cut nearly 8,000 of 18,000 who didn’t maintain that pace in 2019 and nearly 7,300 of more than 20,000 finishers in 2018.
The drew criticism from runners who questioned the race’s self-appointed moniker as “the people’s marathon.”
“Health and safety are our top priorities during this challenging time,” said Libby Garvey, Arlington County Board Chair. “The Marine Corps Marathon is a treasured event and tradition in our community that Arlingtonians look forward to each year. As we celebrate the race’s 45th anniversary this year, we will be enthusiastically and virtually cheering on each runner. We can’t wait to welcome these dedicated athletes and fans back to Arlington in person in 2021.”
A little farther away, the Baltimore Marathon (Oct. 17) and Richmond Marathon (Nov. 14) remain on schedule as of their most recent updates.
Just seven years ago, Marine Corps came within a day of canceling supply orders, and the race, in the face of the federal government shutdown that would have prevented runners from using most of the course.
A former civilian employee of the Army Ten-Miler pled guilty in June to stealing vendor funds from the Army Ten-Miler expo.
Darryl Gale, 52, faces a possible sentence of 15-21 months and will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $124,758.21, and a forfeiture money judgment, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The government’s case alleged that between Jan. 1, 2017 and Nov. 30, 2018, Gale deposited money into his personal bank accounts from race vendors who purchased boths at the expo. He told vendors to make payments to him, explaining that his director was allowing him to personally sell a certain number of booths as a bonus. Gale worked for the race as a civilian between 2012 and 2018.
- Fleet Feet Gaithersburg will close permanently in the next week. It was voted best running specialty store in Maryland in 2015 by RunWashington readers.
- Dietician and Lane 9 Project cofounder Heather Caplan was a guest on the For the Long Run podcast.
- A few weeks ago, Loudoun Valley coaches Joan and Marc Hunter were guests on the Final Surge podcast. Feel free to stop listening before the Upper St. Clair coach talks.
- Keira D’Amato will be the guest on this week’s Potomac River Running Instagram live, Wednesday July 15, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Quince Orchard High School announced its 2020 Hall of Fame class, including five unners
- Susan Katz- Class of 1996, Track & Field
- Cara Harrison- Class of 2010, Cross Country and Track & Field
- Caitlyn Kennedy- Class of 2005, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Track & Field and Cross Country
- Kiki Manners- Class of 2006, Soccer, Indoor Track & Field and Lacrosse
- Neal Darmody- Class of 2008, Cross Country and Track & Field
Name: Nikki Pisha
Self-described age group: 30-34
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Art Curator
Volunteer roles in the running world: I’ve coached several friends and my husband to their first marathon starting lines. It is incredibly rewarding to watch them put in the work and hit their goals.
How has your running changed in the last few months: Honestly, not really. I’ve always enjoyed running solo, so I’ve been doing even more of that. Even though I love racing, I don’t run for the racing. I run to compete against myself and push myself. I usually go out around 5 a.m., so it’s been nice to keep that up and enjoy all the empty trails without having to dodge other runners too. I’m so thankful to have my running to lean on right now.
Why you run: I am an only child, and I need time for myself. Running gives me that. It allows me to push myself in ways that I never thought imaginable and work really hard which is extremely rewarding. It also gives me the best outlet to just be me and get lost in my thoughts. I’ve run in this area for over a decade now, and there is nothing better than running a route I know well and getting so lost in thought that I come back to reality several miles later and realize I’m almost home.
