Chris Pellegrini has spent almost half of his life coaching at West Springfield High School.
After he graduated from the Fairfax County school, he returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant coach to the cross country program he cherished.
Now, 17 years later, Pellegrini leads three sports, coaches more than 200 high school students and maintains a nearly year-round sports schedule. On top of that, Pellegrini is leading a girls’ cross country team that could be in contention to win a state title. Perhaps the boys, too.
This year’s Marine Corps Marathon may be just like previous years’ races. And that’s just fine with Race Director Rick Nealis.
He’s seen a lot during the quarter century he has led the October race: cheating, celebrity runners (namely, Oprah), security concerns and even a scandal in which runners were urinating dangerously close to Arlington National Cemetery graves. Now in his 26th year leading “The People’s Marathon,” things “surprisingly … look like the status quo,” he said.
But he is always prepared for a debacle that could impact the marathon through D.C. and Arlington. It has happened many times on his watch, and chatting with the loquacious 64-year-old is a like revisiting some of the area’s most memorable moments over the past two-and-a-half decades.
Dorothy Beal didn’t know quite how important running would be to her.
Not only has the 36-year-old run 36 marathons in 15 years, but she has turned the hobby into a blog and social media campaign that inspires runners and promotes a positive body image — and turned the ventures into a business and brand that reaches thousands.
The Leesburg mother of three ranks on “must follow” social media lists for runners and reaches thousands through her blog as well as on Instagram and Twitter through her “Mile Posts” and “I Have A Runner’s Body” accounts. She recently reached 100K instances where “#ihavearunnersbody” was tagged on Instagram. Her Mile Posts account chronicles much of her life and running journey; I Have a Runner’s Body is more of a body positivity account showcasing runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities.
But running hadn’t always been a part of her life.
Some running groups in the D.C. area are competitive, challenging cohorts; that’s not the case with several of the running groups based out of D.C.’s H Street Northeast neighborhood.
Much like the street itself, many of H Street’s running groups are eclectic, vibrant and down for a good time.
Alisa Harvey started her running career as a sprinter.
The now 52-year-old wanted to run the 100-meter and 200-meter races in her middle school track races at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria. She did OK. But when she moved to the 800-meter races, something unexpected happened — she started winning.
“I always wanted to get back to sprints — I cried when they took me off the [4-by-100-meter],” Harvey said. “But I had the stinking stamina to do the 800 meter.”
It doesn’t take long in the D.C. area to see a flyer for a 5K, a social media post about a group run or a specialty running store. There are dozens of local outlets for runners, but the specialty running store industry is facing a changing landscape, as online competitors siphon business and customers adopt new shopping habits.
Potomac River Running is one of many stores that has felt the pinch. Owner Ray Pugsley said over the last five years, sales have been down 15 to 20 percent. He attributes some of that decline to a shift in consumer habits: more people are turning to online and big-box retailers for lower prices and convenience.
Josh Estep struggled to finish his first race.
Estep was in the Air Force and stationed in Florida in 2011 when he signed up for a 10k.
“The last couple of miles I was huffing and puffing and pouring sweat,” he said. “I thought anyone who runs more than 10k — you’re crazy. Anything more than that, you’re going to die.”
Jonny Pellish loathes running on the treadmill — even when temperatures drop below freezing in the D.C. area.
The VP of training for D.C. Road Runners said he would always rather run outside than on the treadmill, no matter the weather.
“For me, running is about getting outside,” Pellish said.
When asked how cold is too cold to run outside, Pellish retorts bluntly: “I don’t think it’s ever too cold.”
Want to run your best 5K in 2018? Looking to lose weight, run your first marathon or qualify for the Boston Marathon? Running-themed New Year’s resolutions can be ambitious, but there are some reliable ways to realize your goals.
Setting realistic goals is a major step toward success, said Jerry Alexander, who coaches at both Georgetown Running Club and Northern Virginia Running Club.
“It’s easy to set goals that sound good and sound inspirational, like qualifying for the Boston Marathon, but if you’re someone who is 20-25 minutes off of that time, it may be a bit too much to bite off,” said Alexander, who coaches more than 150 athletes between the two clubs.
Alexander said there’s a sweet spot when setting a running-themed New Year’s resolution.
Buying holiday gifts for a runner on your list can be tough. With a bevy of brands and technology changing as fast as twinkle lights, many buyers may be curious about the best things to put under runners’ trees.
Many D.C.-area specialty stores offer options at varying price ranges aimed at runners of all levels, and can help answer questions about what gear runners need, what’s new in tech and what’s hot this season.
