- With the Arlington Memorial Bridge out of commission, the Army Ten-Miler course will take the Key Bridge and Whitehurst Parkway to Rock Creek Parkway, in lieu of Constitution and Virginia avenues.
- Police patrols have increased and overgrown trees have been trimmed around the Metropolitan Branch Trail following two August evening attacks on the trail by groups of assailants.
The Washington Post reports a runner was punched in the face Aug. 15 and surrounded by five suspects, who took the runner’s phone. On Aug. 11, four robbers, one with a knife, surrounded the victim, taking a phone and $30.
Both incidents occurred at the north end of the trail before it reaches Edgewood Street NE, near the Dew Drop Inn, and both happened around 8:45 p.m.
- WTOP reports that a man attempted to abduct a woman running on a trail near 8351 Stonewall Road in Manassas Aug. 18 at 9:38 a.m.
- The “zoo loop” trail circumnavigating the Beach Drive Tunnel near Shoreham Drive in Rock Creek Park has closed because erosion of the creekbed is threatening the safety of the paved path. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association reports the closure may last as long as one year, given the trail improvement timeline
- A one-mile section of the Custis Trail in Arlington will close for trail improvements between July 30 – Aug. 24.
- The District Department of Transportation broke ground July 28 on an extension of the Metropolitan Branch Trail that will lead to the Fort Totten Metro station from John McCormack Ave NE in Brookland.
- The Army Ten-Miler online transfer program is open until Aug. 28.
- The Marine Corps Marathon transfer program is open and the deferment program will begin Aug. 15.
- Former American University track and cross country coach Matt Centrowitz was named director of cross country and track and field at Manhattan College.
- Due to excessive rain over the past few days, Montgomery County Parks is closing all natural surface trails for the rest of the week. This is intended to protect both the trails and their users.
- Generally look out near trees, because the heavy rains have exposed roots and loosened the ground
- A car drove onto the W&OD Trail Monday evening, July 23 between Leesburg and the Loudoun County Fairgrounds. The car, which a witness described as likely a gold Lexus, was heading east and traveling about as fast as a car would on a road and fast enough that the witness couldn’t take a picture or make out the license plate. Several people reported nearly being hit.
- Further east on the W&OD Trail, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved final design plans for a bridge over Wiehle Avenue that is due to be completed by October 2022. Reston Now has more.
- The D.C. Road Runners club held its track championships in Saturday’s deluge, featuring men’s and women’s elite miles and 800 meter races. Click (more) to see videos.
- A man dressed dark clothes with a dark backpack tried to attack a woman running on the Paint Branch Trail near Lake Artemesia in College Park July 10 around 7:30 p.m.
- Georgetown freshman Rey Rivera advanced to the semi-finals of the 800 meters at the IAAF U20 track championships in Finland.
- Woodrow Wilson senior Isaac Frumkin was named Gatorade Athlete of the Year for the outdoor track season. The 800 meter runner was the only local distance runner to win the award this year, representing Washington, D.C. Georgetown Day School sophomore Ziyah Holman, a sprinter, was girls athlete of the year for D.C. and Bullis senior Masai Russell, a hurdler, was Maryland athlete of the year for girls.
- American University assistant coach and 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Chris Kwiatkowski will be coaching at the University of Washington starting this cross country season. Recent Arlington resident Matthew Centrowitz will join him as a volunteer assistant coach.
- RunBlogRun interviewed Chantilly alumnus Sean McGorty
- The portion of Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park between Broad Branch Road and Joyce Road reopened, but the stretch between Joyce and Wise Road. along with parts of several trails bordering that area, has closed for a year for resurfacing. Ross Drive and Ridge Road, which had been closed to traffic, have reopened.
- Three local high school track coaches were named coach of the year for their states by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Northwest High School’s Robert Youngblood was named top boys’ coach for Maryland. D.C.’s coaches of the year were Desmond Dunham of St. John’s College High School (for girls) and Tia Clemmons of Woodrow Wilson High School for boys.
- A one-mile stretch of the W&OD Trail in Falls Church will see a dual-use section added in the next year to separate cyclists from pedestrians. The Sun Gazette reports that a total of $3.7 million will go toward the study and construction of an 8-foot wide path for pedestrians, separated by a 2-foot-wide median.
- Greater Greater Washington is circulating a petition opposing security checkpoints at the entrances to the National Zoo.
Rockville resident Lokesh Meena ran an Indian and Asian record for the indoor marathon at the Grant-Pierce Indoor Marathon June 24. He won the race at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in 3:13:19.
The Atlantic 10 Conference has nominated Sherwood alumna Grace McDonald for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. McDonald ran track and cross country at the University of Dayton and was active in several extracurricular activities before graduating this Spring.
Herndon alumna Hiruni Wijayarante set the Sri Lankan record in the 10,000 meters, running 33:55.06 at the Portland Track Classic in June.
- Three women with local connections qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. D.C. resident Caitlyn Tateishi ran 2:43:35, West Potomac alumna (and 2013 Marine Corps Marathon and 2016 Army Ten-Miler winner) Kelly Calway ran 2:42:26 and Oakton and American University alumna Keira (Carlstrom) D’Amato ran 2:44:03.
- Patriot alumna Rachel McArthur, a freshman at Villanova University, won the U.S. junior 1,500 meter title, running 4:25.70. Georgetown University freshman Rey Rivera finished second in the 800 meters, running 1:50.47. They will compete at the world junior championships in Finland July 10-15.
- Fairfax’s Beth Ann Telford was a guest on the Diz Runs podcast, talking about her 2017 World Marathon Challenge.
- Potomac River Running is opening a store at the One Loudoun shopping mall in Ashburn in the next few weeks.
Chantilly alumnus Sean McGorty, finishing his fifth year at Stanford, won the NCAA 5,000 meters, running 13:54.81 to edge Syracuse’s Justyn Knight by 0.22 seconds. Look out for him next week on the Pace the Nation podcast. Heritage alumna Weini Kelati, running for the University of New Mexico, finished the 5,000 meters in 15:46.57 for ninth place.
- Runners hoping for the Glover Archbold Trail entrance at Canal Road to be reopened are due for more uncertainty. The D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board denied WMATA’s petition to demolish the deteriorating streetcar trestle that spans the trail entrance. The threat of falling pieces has forced the closure of the trail entrance and a detour that really isn’t much fun at all.
- A new bike and pedestrian path will be added to Piney Branch Parkway over the next year, between Beach Drive and Arkansas Ave NW.
- The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced several honors for local coaches and runners for the 2018 outdoor track season.
- Georgetown’s Brandon Bonsey was named Mid-Atlantic Region assistant coach of the year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
- Williams College junior Tristan Colaizzi, a Georgetown Day alumnus, was a Division III All-American in the 1,500 meters.
- Northern Virginia girls swept the top six places in the 6A 1600 meters and Loudoun Valley swept the top four 1600 meters spots in 4A at the Virginia state track championships. Here are the local winners and sweeps in various distance races. The Vikings also took seven of the top 10 places in the 3200 meters:
