The National Park Service is accepting public comment through Aug. 22 regarding the ongoing closure of Beach Drive to through traffic.
The 4.25-mile stretch of Beach Drive between Broad Branch Road and the Maryland border has been closed since April 2020 to allow more room for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with portions open for cars to reach picnic areas.
The agency offered possible scenerios, including extending the current closure indefinitely, reopening the road — which was rebuilt over the past several years, or exploring the possibility of a hybrid approach, including extending weekend closures to include Mondays and Fridays or opening the road during rush hour on weekdays.
Public comment will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Aug. 22. To provide comments online or get additional information on the project, visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/beachdrive. Mailed comments should be postmarked by Aug. 22, 2021, to receive consideration:
Superintendent
ATTN: Beach Drive
Rock Creek Park
3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Real estate developers may have their eye on Calvert County, Md. land, but at least 3,000 acres is safe.
What’s there?
The American Chestnut Land Trust protects hardwood forest, wetland and farmland. In the process, those lands offer 19 miles of trails that make it the ideal running spot in the county.
It’s off the beaten path, about an hour’s drive from D.C., but it’s not hidden. Signs on U.S. Route 4 point it out to anyone who passes, a turn onto Dares Beach Road, past Calvert High and Double Oak Road.
Robert Brandt was eyeing graduate school programs in real estate development because he likes being a part of building something.
He already has some experience doing it with the latest Georgetown track team, accounting for two of the men’s team’s four All-American finishes last week in Eugene, Ore. Brandt finished fourth in the 10,000 meters and fifth in the 5,000, while junior Jack Salisbury finished sixth in the 1,500 meters (3:40.06) and freshman Parker Stokes finished eighth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (8:33.44). Sophomore Sami Corman was an honorable mention for the women’s team, and among local natives, Diego Zarate (Virginia Tech) from Northwest High School, was seventh in the 1,500, Tuscaorara’s Derek Johnson (Virginia) was seventh in the steeplechase and Robinson’s Lauren Berman (Virginia Tech) was 11th in the 1500.
- This fall’s Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile will play host to the U.S. 10 mile championships, something the race had done previously in 2013 and 2014. The entry lottery is open through June 30.
- The National Park Service will improve 1.5 mile of muti-use trails this summer near the National Mall, including the Rock Creek Trail near the Kennedy Center and along Ohio Drive in West Potomac Park. Detours will be noted.
- Write to your elected officials and ask them to support the Capital Trails Network. For more information and a template, visit the WABA action alert.
University of Virginia Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Vin Lananna talks about his new-ish coaching gig, the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships and the 2021 Olympic Track Trials.
One hundred days of running didn’t seem ambitious enough.
So Erika Fields figured she’d run until her birthday, that would be about four months.
Then she kept negotiating with herself.
“I’ll go until the time change,” she said. “I’ll go until it’s too cold. I’ll go until there isn’t any daylight. I’ll go until work travel starts up again.”
Fields doesn’t know how long she’ll keep her streak going, but she’s about to celebrate a year on Wednesday, June 9.
Fitsum Seyoum didn’t last long during freshman tryouts for the Tuscarora track team.
“Most of track season is pretty warm, but tryouts were early in the year, so it was pretty cold and wet,” former Tuscarora coach Troy Harry said. “He didn’t stick with it.”
Fortunately, Seyoum came back the next year and went on to Virginia Tech, where his mastery of the 3,000 meter steeplechase has led him to two Atlantic Coast Conference titles and his second straight trip to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. What does he like about the event?
“Those water jumps shock your body each lap, that cold water really wakes you up,” he said.
This year, he’s going to be joined in the semifinals by former Husky teammate Derek Johnson, who was two years behind him in high school and now running for the University of Virginia. They led their heat during the NCAA quarterfinals. Seyoum has the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier and Johnson needs to cut four more seconds to make it to the Trials. Georgetown’s Parker Stokes and George Mason’s Annabelle Eastman have also moved onto the NCAA steeplechase semifinals. Post-collegiately, Chantilly alumnus Sean McGorty and Lake Braddock alumna Katy Kunc have the Olympic Trials qualifiers for the steeplechase and McGorty has the Olympic standard.
- The NCAA Championships start this week, first with regional rounds for Division I starting Wednesday. Most distance runners from local colleges or high schoools will compete in the east, with two runners in the west regional. We don’t usually cover Charles County, but we’ll toss La Plata’s Miles Smith in there so you know to look out for him in the West. Josh Fry, a Bethesda- Chevy Chase, was the only Division III distance runner to qualify.
- Marine Corps Marathon historian George Banker wrote for Runner’s Gazette about the late Marine Corps Marathon record holder Jeff Scuffins.
- D.C. resident Jarad Schofer, who ran every street in D.C. last year, was a guest on the Something for Nothing podcast during his run and walk across the United States to raise money for cancer research.
- Several local runners were named Gatorade Player of the Year for cross country:
- D.C. – Lili Grant, Georgetown Visitation junior
- D.C. – Damian Hackett, St. Albans senior
- Virginia – Bryce Lentz, Colgan senior
- Maryland – Juliette Whittaker, a Mount De Sales junior who lives in Prince George’s County
- General registration for the Oct. 31 Marine Corps Marathon races opens at noon eastern Wednesday, May 26 and proceed on a first-come-first-served basis.
- The lottery for the Sept. 12 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile will run fom June 1- June 30 at 11:59 p.m.
- The Army Ten-Miler has not annouecd plans for an in-person race, but the race is preparing for one, likely Oct. 10. Registration for the race’s virtual component will open June 14.
The Marine Corps Marathon announced it will hold a race in-person Oct. 31.
Runners who had registered for the 2021 virtual races or who deferred from the canceled 2020 race, rather than opt for the virtual 2020 race, will have the first opportunities to register. General registration will available, first-come-first-served, at noon eastern May 26.
Race fields for the marathon, 50k and 10k will be reduced and runners will be divided into waves beginning at 7 a.m., among other public health measures. to all Since 2013, the number of marathon finishers has ranged between 18,355-23,513, the 10k has seen 5,069-7,778 finishers and the inaugural 50k in 2019 drew 1,329 finishers.
“Throughout my many years heading the MCM Organization, we have faced various challenges and hurdled them all, often repeating the Marine Corps mantra to “adapt and overcome.” This year will be no different,” said race director Rick Nealis. “The MCM’s mission is to highlight the high standards and organizational excellence of the United States Marine Corps and we are excited to showcase that as we plan to safely gather and celebrate the 46th MCM in person.”
