When road races resume someday, they will go off without one of the keystones of the local racing scene in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
George Tarrico, of Rockville, known as “the race director’s race director,” died June 5 after battling spinal cancer. He was 84.
Tarrico’s mustache and expressive eyebrows helped him resemble Frank Pentangelli, the mafia turncoat in the Godfather Part II. What he lacked in his fictional counterpart’s cold ruthlessness, Tarrico made up for with warm effectiveness as he served in logistical roles for dozens of Montgomery County Road Runners Club races every year and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile. Read More
- John Champe alumna Bethany Graham will be this week’s guest on the Potomac River Running Instagram Live, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 8.
- Track Tuesdays Coach Keshia Robinson was a guest on the Perfect Timing Multisport podcast.
- Ultrarunner, writer and Gonzaga alumnus Devin Kelly was a guest on the Morning Shakeout podcast.
- This week in Oakton/American alumae podcast appearances: Keira D’Amato on C Tolle Run.
- Periodic RunWashington contributor Kelyn Soong tried out a District Track Club workout for the Washington City Paper, albeit without the context of actually training for mid-distance running
On July 12, Silver Spring’s Shlomo Fishman will be running 40 miles around Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Washington D.C. to raise money for the Kids In Action programs at the HSC Pediatric Center, providing inclusive recreation services for kids with developmental and physical disability. Find out more and donate here.
Name: Shlomo Fishman
Self-described age group: Competitive Open Male Division
Residence: Silver Spring
Occupation: Wellness Fitness Specialist
Volunteer roles in the running world: My volunteering ranges from being course marshal, to assisting with the City of Rockville youth track meets, and any other roles as needed within the Montgomery County and D.C. area.
Why you run: Running allows me to be the best person I can be. When I push myself during a workout or a run, it allows me to apply it to any challenges or stressors I may face in day-to-day living.
The DMV Distance Derby will add two new segments starting July 1:
- Smelling Big Stinky – 1.2 miles: Starting at Michigan Ave NE, head up John McCormack Road NE, pass the Fort Totten transfer station and finish a few steps short of the gate.
- Colorado 1.5 miles: Starting at 16th Street NW, run on the south lane of Colorado Ave NW, follow the outside of the cul de sac clockwise and take the north lane back to 16th Street NW.
D.C.’s Kerry Allen was a guest on the Run Farther and Faster podcast.
Oakton High School and American University alumna Samia Akbar was a guest on the Ali on the Run podcast.
The Guestbook Podcast recounted the Juneteenth Marathon held in Washington, D.C. June 13.
Herndon alumna Hiruni Wijayaratne was a guest on the Rambling Runner podcast.
Name: Ryan Bos
Self-described age group: 45-50
Residence: Washington, D.C.
Occupation: Executive Director, Capital Pride Alliance
Volunteer roles in the running world: Organized a challenging 8K trail and road race off of Lake Michigan, called the Tower Run.
Why you run: To stay fit, mentally healthy, and be able to indulge my sweet tooth for dark chocolate.
When did you get started running: Playing night time team tag growing up in my neighborhood, as early as third and fourth grade.
Have you taken a break from running: Yes. I had some knee issues after high school, come to find out I needed a heel lift in my right shoe because my leg was shorter. More recently I took about 2.5 months off because of COVID-19 and a follow-up condition that had me in the hospital for about 10 days.
- Capitol Hill’s Courtney Carter was a guest on the Ali on the Run podcast last week,discussing her new role as Oiselle’s advisor for diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Roman Gurule, who RunWashington featured last summer, shared his experience with Covid-19 in recent weeks on the Run Farther and Faster podcast.
- Prince George’s County tracks are now open
Name: Jackie Ogden
Self-described age group: whatever 30 falls into
Residence: Logan Circle
Occupation: Capital markets strategist
How has your running changed in the last few weeks: Learning to manage breathing with a mask is adding some solid lung capacity. Definitely avoiding some of the more crowded paths along the Potomac, where possible! It has been fun to explore some alternative, less crowded running routes through the city!
Why you run: I do it for mental wellness, for friendship and community (shoutout to my beautiful running crew, Knife Hands, @goknifehands) and because I need balance for all of the sweets I eat.
- Oakton and American alumna Keira D’Amato ran 15:04 in a 5k time trial in Richmond, a time which, in a race, would have put her seventh among women over 35 and met the Olympic qualfiier.
- Montgomery Parks will be removing hazardous trees along the Capital Crescent Trail 8 am-4 p.m. until Friday, June 19. The trail will remain open.
- Beach Drive in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park will remain closed to through traffic north of Broad Branch Road thorugh July 24, though portions north of Joyce Road are open to allow access to picnic areas.
- The expanded road closures on Sligo Creeek Parkway and Beach Drive in Montgomery County Friday-Sunday will last until at least Labor Day.
- All NOVA Parks bathrooms are now open.
- All water fountains along the W&OD Trail, aside from the ones near the Broad Street bridge in Falls Church and Sunset Hills in Reston, are now operating.
- Montgomery County Public School track reopened June 15, but will not issue permits until at least Sept. 15.
- The Montgomery County Road Runners Club has canceled all of its races through Sept. 13.
For almost nine months, a giant paper map of D.C.’s streets took up a good bit of Jarad Schofer’s floor like an oversized jigsaw puzzle. Now, to his wife’s delight, he can pick it up for good. After almost 2,500 miles of running, Schofer put in the last piece of the puzzle June 13 — filling in a 2 kilometer route near Logan Circle — and met his goal of running every public street and alley in Washington, D.C.
But he didn’t achieve his unwritten dream.
“I really wanted someone to see me running and invite me to their barbecue, to offer me a beer,” he said.
As the weather and grills heated up, Schofer instead found himself running through streets of a city dealing with a deadly pandemic, one that kept people from approaching him the way they did before and while it made it easier to navigate the streets, he couldn’t be as friendly and open with people he met along his way. He also worried public health restrictions could approach some in Europe, where people couldn’t stray too far from home.
