Tag Archives: race

The Daily Feed
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Army 10-Miler on Sunday!

Photo courtesy of
‘Army Ten Miler Finisher Coin, 2009’
courtesy of ‘[F]oxymoron’

This Sunday is the Army 10-Miler, starting at 8 AM at the Pentagon. The race is the largest 10-mile run in the country, with over 30,000 registered participants.  The Metro is opening early on Sunday to get all those runners to the Pentagon, and there will be a whole lot of street closures on Sunday morning as well.

The race expo will be held at the DC Armory on Friday and Saturday this weekend.  This isn’t just your typical pre-race expo with displays and sales on athletic gear, this expo is actually doing some good.  Bring your new or slightly worn running shoes to the expo this weekend to help out Soles4Souls, a charity that distributes shoes to disadvantaged people worldwide.

Sunday should be beautiful weather for the race, so even if you’re not registered, plan on heading out to watch the mass of 30,000 people take over the streets around DC and Arlington.  See you out there!

The Daily Feed
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Register for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Now

Photo courtesy of
‘Cherry Blossom Festival 10 Mile Run’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

The Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run is, by far, the most fun road race I’ve ever run. The crowds of cheering spectators, the flat and scenic course, and the beauty of the cherry blossoms in bloom make the ten miles pass by in an instant (well, mostly).  Because it’s such a great race, it’s also immensely popular, and very difficult to register for.  Last year, the race sold out in less than three hours, and during most of that time the web site was down.

This year they’re changing things up, and registration is now through a lottery system.  Sign up anytime between now and December 10th, as a group or as an individual (they say you’ve got the same chance of getting in either way), and you’ll find out whether you made it in by December 15– plenty of time to start your training before the April 11 race!  And if you want a guaranteed spot in next year’s race (to give yourself plenty of time to go from couch potato to 10 mile runner), sign up to volunteer for this year.

Adventures
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On the Run: Sleuthing Through DC’s GO Urban Adventure Race

Yoda & the E Street Band solve the yoga clue.

Yoda & the E Street Band solve the yoga clue and found Lululemon Georgetown. Courtesy of GO Urban.

Where is Kilroy? Do you know?

We sure didn’t, my intrepid teammate and I, when we embarked on the GO Urban Adventure Race, a nationwide series that launched Saturday in DC. The way it works is that your two-person team receives a series of text messages with clues to 12 GO Points around town. Once you get to the GO Point, you have to text back the answer to the clue. Then you’ll receive another clue. You have to take a picture of your team at each GO Point, and often you have to find something there that’s specific and elusive — such as Kilroy.

Turns out his cartoon face peeps out from behind a golden service gate at the National World War II Memorial, near the Delaware pillar. He’s not prominent, to say the least. When repeated circling of the monument in the hot summer sun hadn’t disclosed his location, I headed to the information booth while Mark began working the Blackberry. Two attendants sat at the booth. When I asked for Kilroy, one all but stroked his chin while answering slowly, “Kilroy is near water, and gold….” The other caught the look I gave him and cut to the chase with actual directions. When I turned from the booth, Mark was already waving me to the right spot. Clue solved.

Thank goodness. At the starting area, I had felt a little intimidated while watching other teams. Several were wearing backpacks bulging with…what? Laptops? GPS devices? Special equipment to tap databases at the CIA? All we had were a two-year-old cell phone, a half-charged Blackberry and our, uh, wits. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC: Meet The Amazing Race

Photo courtesy of
‘uh, where are we?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

So you think you know DC? The city’s hidden gems, obscure facts, secret tunnels and back routes? Next Saturday, Aug. 1st, offers you a chance to put all that trivia valuable knowledge to good use.

It’s the first-ever GO Urban Adventure Race, a nationwide series of scavenger hunts that kicks off here at home. Next summer, DC will host all winning teams in the championship race.

Here’s the deal — teams of two will receive clues via text message and will travel by foot, Metro or bus to a GOpoint. They must complete a physical or mental challenge to get their next clue and move on. Clues are tailored to DC’s unique make-up and history. After finding 12 GOpoints, competitors race to the finish — and a party, of course!

All proceeds benefit The Vallon Institute, which raises money for environmentally and health-friendly programs. And the race is green, with organic t-shirts and perks for doing planet-friendly deeds. Sign me up!

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Can You Survive the Night?

Photo courtesy of
‘suspended in midair’ courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Up for something a little different this weekend? Fancy yourself a master of the District streets? What about at night? With people chasing you?

Then sign up for a new type of race: Journey to the End of the Night.

Journey to the End of the Night is a race through the streets of DC. You will try to make it to six checkpoints as fast as you can, while avoiding being caught by chasers. Those who survive will be praised and feted at the end. Those who fall will become chasers themselves, rising to pursue their former friends and allies.

The race begins on Saturday, May 2, at 7:30 PM at Dupont Circle. This is a footrace–only your own two feet and the metro are permitted. No bicycles, no skates, no cars, no taxis. This race is for you, your fellow players, and the city itself.

Register here. Can you survive to the end?