Ignorance was bliss for Piper Dean in her first cross country race.
She took the line at the DCXC Invitational wearing trainers. On an extremely muddy course, that played a part in helping her finish second in the sophomore race, when other competitors’ spikes were working too well to dig into the much.
“I didn’t even know people wore spikes,” she said.
She figured that out over the course of a season that culminated with a fourth place finish in the Virginia 6A state meet, in what she called a bad race. Sure enough, it was the only time in five tries she didn’t finish in top two.
She was new to the Yorktown cross country team, moonlighting in the sport after years playing soccer. She still considers herself a soccer player, spending four days at week practicing for the Yorktown and Braddock Road teams, plus playing both Saturdays and Sundays. She made it to about one cross country practice per week.
“I’ll give her soccer coaches a lot of credit, she came to us in great shape,” said Tom Brumlik. “She surprised us in every meet.”
St. John’s College High School track coach Desmond Dunham chats about the DCXC Cross Country Invitational Sept. 28 and Joanna returns to talk about the one friend she made in Syracuse over the last year.
Race like the pros. That’s what high school runners have been able to do whenever they spike up at the Agricultural Farm Park in Derwood, Md. The Montgomery County-managed facility played host to the 2009 USATF Cross Country Championships, and it also led the composite scores of MoCo Running’s inaugural course ranking.
A collaboration between MoCo Running and RunWashington, this was vastly Kevin Milsted’s brainchild. We surveyed coaches from around the D.C. area and members of the All-RunWashington preseason teams. This gave us a solid and well-informed sample, many of whom were able to evaluate at least one of the nine courses that made the final.
You can read Kevin’s analysis in robust detail here. He also examines the survey’s limitations and potential for improvement here.
It’s all worth the time for anyone interested in the courses that make up some of the most popular races around the D.C. area.
Name: Erika Fields
Self-described age group: 40-45
Residence: NE D.C.
Occupation: Operations Manager for Circa Lighting
Why you run: Fresh air and exercise cures most woes.
When did you get started running: I remember joining my dad for Turkey Trot 5K when was around 10 years old.
Have you taken a break from running: I take breaks all the time. I’m currently trying to get back into a running routine after a break.
Training shoe: Running in Brooks Ghosts right now. I don’t have loyalty to a specific brand or style. Every time I need a new shoe, I get a fresh assessment at a local running store and try something new.
When Aileen Barry was a lacrosse player for Watkins Mills High School in Gaithersburg, she knew she was quick on her feet.
If she got the ball, “no one could catch me,” Barry remembered.
It was the first sign that the Montgomery Village native, now 37, had a hidden talent for running. But it wasn’t something she paid much attention to back then, instead concentrating on ballet and field hockey in addition to lacrosse.
Fast forward to 2018, when Barry punched her ticket to the 2020 Olympic Trials at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. She finished in 2:44:49, 11 seconds under the 2:45 standard for women (her gun time was 2:44:51, which is what U.S.A. Track and Field accepts for its qualifying standards.)
“It was close,” said Barry, who now lives in Manhasset, N.Y. on Long Island. “Grandma’s was an amazing experience. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. At mile 24, would I totally blow up?”
Instead, she passed two other women in the last mile.
Barry’s OTQ came as little surprise to her coach, Devon Martin, who has been working with Barry since she joined the Central Park Track Club in 2006.
“Six weeks before the marathon, I knew she was ready,” Martin said.
Twenty-nine-time US champion Molly Huddle talks about her most recent title, her transition to the marathon, her future in competitive running and more.
Putting on a race is no small task.
Race directing usually involves hours (and hours) of prep work to scout course routes, secure permits, find and order materials on time, and coordinate an army of volunteers. Not to mention scrambling to make last-minute adjustments for terrible weather or missing volunteers.
Even with all the logistical gymnastics and giant drains on free time, most race directors certainly aren‘t in the game to make money.
We talked with four local trail RDs about how they got started with their events, why they keep at it, and how every single one believes race directing is a team sport.
Name: Gregory Boutin
Self-described age group: 65-69
Residence: Burke, Va.
Occupation: Retired
Why you run: Started running for general health reasons. This quickly morphed into: enjoyment of the quiet time running provides, the ability to push my limits in either a competitive or non-competitive way, and the feeling of accomplishment I get after finishing a hard workout or race.
When did you get started running: I started walking 4 – 4.5 miles a day when I was 50 years old and 35 pounds overweight. After five or six months I transitioned to walking/jogging, and finally to just running.
Have you taken a break from running: Yes, for about 4 years in my later-50’s. At that point in my work career I had changed jobs and found that working much longer hours left little time for running. Trying to make up for that by running on the weekends was not a good idea.
Covering 18 miles at once may not sound difficult to many runners, but it becomes far more difficult when those 18 miles are split up over the course of the three separate runs without proper recovery time in between, lack of sleep or square meals. Plus at least one of those legs takes place in the middle of the night.
Road relays like Ragnar or American Odyssey have become popular staples in the running world. These 24-hour, 12-person races involve runners taking turns running three legs of various lengths across 100+ mile distances across either road or trails. Some teams run short-handed for an extra challenge.
The idle runners follow their active runner in a van, and wait at an exchange zone until it is time to hand off the running responsibility. Trail races, on the other hand, follow loop courses, with participants staying in a camp or village until it is time for their leg.
RunWashington, along with Pacers Running and New Balance, will be celebrating the start of the 2019 cross country season Aug. 25 by recognizing 62 of the most promising young cross country runners in the D.C. area.
A preseason pep rally, held at the Pacers Running pop-up at 600 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002, will open at 5:30 p.m. and start up at 6 p.m.
It’s a chance to mix with the people you’ll be running into on race courses throughout the fall while you’re not trying to grind each other into the grass, hear from a Foot Locker Cross Country champion and get excited for the upcoming season. Wear your team’s t-shirt to show off [insert mascot’s name here] pride, intimidate your rivals by telling them how much you ran during your vacation at altitude, show off your watch tan lines … it’s going to be great!
