WRC taking in the beauty of the Potomac Heritage Trail.

On Sunday, June 7, a group of WRC runners ventured onto the Potomac Heritage Trail for a 10-ish mile run. It was a first for everyone – truly unmarked territory, another trail to check off the list of must-do runs in DC.

Except this isn’t like many of the other runs in the area.

The Potomac Heritage Trail, which starts just under the ramp to Roosevelt Island, is less than a mile from WRC HQ at 33rd and M Street in Georgetown. Within a few minutes, you feel like you’re a world away. You’re running at literally river-level, crossing bridges, jumping over rocks to cross streams, and slowing your run down to a climb to conquer boulder-laden trails complete with almost vertical climbs.

WRC took the Roosevelt Island to Chain Bridge challenge, which is commonly known as the first segment of the trail. The majority of the trail was runnable with the occasional steam crossing. However, it quickly turned to a full body workout, complete with rock scrambles and even vertical climbs. Rumor has it that the trail becomes more runnable, and even more beautiful, after the Chain Bridge, but since many folks are ramping up their fall marathon training, we crossed the Chain Bridge onto the C&O Canal and headed back to Georgetown. It’s fair say that after the challenging terrain leading up to the Chain Bridge, the flat, non-technical Canal was a welcome sight.

All in all, the Potomac Heritage Trail proved to be a fun adventure and a welcome change for WRC. The terrain allowed for a slower, conversational pace, allowing us to chat and get to know visiting runners Simon and Carel from the UK. However, it will probably be saved for down-time from our regular training cycles since a consistent pace just isn’t possible. We may even look into additional routes to avoid the rock scramble leading up to the Chain Bridge.

Can you spot the difference from the first photo?

The bottom line? Take the Potomac Heritage Trail challenge when you need a break from your normal running routes, pounding the pavement, or city life (or all of the above). It promises peace and quiet, beautiful views, and a unique experience just steps outside of the bustling city life. Save it for the days when you just want to run without the stress of pace or distance, the days when you want to remember why you started running in the first place.

Nineteen runners joined the Washington Running Club this morning for their Sunday Distance Runs. Many stuck to our regular routes, while a contingent ventured onto the Potomac Heritage Trail for a slightly-technical technical trail run – more on that later! Either way, we had some solid runs to kick off the month of June!

It’s a fine Sunday morning with WRC!

Ben Stutts (left) with Kirk Masterson after winning pies at a race last year!

Ben Stutts and I have been talking about running on the Potomac Heritage Trail since WRC’s annual party back in January. We said we’d wait until the snow melted. Well, we’re keeping our promise to run the trail – and just in time, as Ben is leaving DC to get his Ph.D. at Southern Methodist University!

If you’re up for it, join us for a run on the Potomac Heritage Trail. We’ll start at 7:00 a.m. from our normal place (in front of CB2 in Georgetown) and head across the Key Bridge and onto the trail. From there, we’ll run the trail to the Chain Bridge, maybe a pinch further, before turning back. Mileage should be between 10-12, but the run is technical so it will take longer than usual.

Check out a great description of the trail on Rock Creek Runner.

But what if I don’t like trail running?
That’s fine! We’ll still have a group running on our normal routes at varying paces/distances, and will also start at 7:00 a.m. in front of CB2 in Georgetown.

Dean & Deluca will follow!

The Washington Running Club’s “Singlet Around the World” photo contest has been going on for some time now and we’ve had some AWESOME entries!

London? Yes, we’ve been there.
Chicago? Check.
Big Sur? In the bag.

The contest is wrapping up, so if you have a photo of your singlet in a unique place, you have from now through Wednesday, June 3, to submit your photo to information@washrun.org. After that, the voting period will begin.

Remember, the stakes are high: the winner gets a $100 gift certificate to Pacers Running Stores!

Happy Saturday, friends! We’re looking forward to our Sunday Distance Run tomorrow, May 30, at 7:00 a.m. We’ll be meeting at our normal spot – in front of the CB2 store on M Street NW in Georgetown – and will have a variety of distances and paces. All are welcome!

See you out there!

FRONT ROW: Lauren, Kirk, Julia, Jerry, Walter    BACK ROW: Charlie, Ben, John, Pat, Julia, Meghan

On Wednesday, May 27, WRC members gathered for a happy hour at Circa in Foggy Bottom. The weather was hot but the beers were cold – just what we needed to celebrate a great spring racing season. We were even joined by Walter, a fellow runner hailing from Florida, who is running the Marine Corps Marathon this fall!

Stay tuned for our next happy hour!

Julia, John, Pat, and Ben enjoy a fun evening out with a bunch of runners!

John, Meghan, Charlie, and Julia know the importance of keeping hydrated!

A final group photo to end a great evening!

The Washington Running Club may be known for running, but many of our members want to give back to the community and make a difference. Memorial Day Weekend was the perfect mix of both running and giving back – and having fun while doing it!

Post-long run carbs n’ coffee at Dog Tag Bakery
Dog Tag Bakery, located just off Wisconsin Ave NW in Georgetown, is a non-profit that sells baked goods with all proceeds going to work-study programs for disabled vets and caregivers. WRC met at Dog Take Bakery following our long runs to support this excellent cause. If you haven’t been, it’s a cute cafe with delicious baked goods and friendly service.

WRC runners refuel from their long runs at Dog Tag Bakery in Georgetown

Dumbarton Oaks Trail Clean Up

Mission complete: the fence around invasive species in Dumbarton Oaks Park.

As if running wasn’t strenuous enough, several WRC-ers spent Sunday afternoon building a fence around invasive species that have taken over fields near the Dumbarton Oaks running trails. Led by the Dumbarton Oaks Conservancy, the fence will allow for the safe removal of invasive species that threaten other trees, plants, and flowers in the area, and will be replaced with native species – the way the original planners of Dumbarton Oaks Park intended.

Many thanks to our volunteer coordinator, Pat, for organizing this great event, and to John, Bonnie, Kirk, and Lauren for giving their time to improve one of our favorite running trails!

Check out more photos of the event below:

Background information on the project.

Kirk (right) hard at work installing the fence!

Lauren learning the ropes of fence installation.

Pat, our fearless leader, showing the rebar who is boss!

Bonnie is all smiles after a job well done.

Thanks Pat, John, Kirk, Bonnie, and Lauren, for your help!