I am reducing my review down one star because I hate people…read more Not the runners and spectators tho, I love you all, hugs and kisses! I mean the tourists. That's right, the tourists that take a grilled cheese and a banana from the runners. You know like when the runners are waiting in line for Cabot (the race sponsor) to get grilled cheeses and you walk up with your dog and grab the last two and then proceed to only eat half of each and throw them away in front of us. AT LEAST GIVE THEM TO YOUR DOG. That's fine, I just ran 9.46 miles (the race was shortened this year due to an accident), I don't need nourishment. I'll sit here and snack on my saliva. Never mind I have no saliva, I'm dehydrated. Oh wait, are you carrying bottled water that says "Cherry Blossom 10 miler" on it? Where did you get those? Why are there 3 extras in your pockets? Hey you want this t-shirt and medal too? I bet you are going to go home and telling your friends, "you must visit DC they give away free bananas, bottled water and grilled cheeses on the streets." Then more of your moron friends will visit next year and take bananas and grilled cheeses. I hope that eventually the race has a runners/spectators only where people can pick up their after race treats, but as usual, the race course was lovely this year, and the blooms were in full force. There was a last minute glitch this year (a pedestrian was hit and hurt before the race) and the race organizers routed us around it. It cut off more than a half mile, but it's amazing they were so effective and responsive with such short notice. This year was the only year that having a race at the same time as having thousands of tourists in town and I guess this really bothered me because everything became a 1,000x more inconvenient. It's the only time where the race coincided with peak blossom too. It even impacted traffic to the packet pick up as well. Whether you drove or metroed to the pick up at the National Building Museum there was still hella traffic. Next year, I plan on just training hard so I can finish faster and then guard all the post race snacks. I'll be like the race Robin Hood and give to the needy and not the greedy. Despite these gripes, I would still totally do the race again, but this time I would order a medal, so I can use it to knock someone upside the head with it so I can get my grilled cheese on. By the way, whoever said "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy" is a liar.

First time in the Cherry Blossom but it won't be my last…read more Parking: People that ran the 10 mile race had to find their own transportation. Thankfully the run happened on a Sunday, so it was free parking on the side streets. Park a little early, because it does fill up with people coming from MD and VA. What I found strange, was they had their own section for the medals. You had to walk through the crowd and find a tent for the medals. Overall, it was a great race. The cherry blossoms were bloomy and the tourist was hyping and cheering the racers pass the finish line. It was a great experience.

The Arundel Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) Rescue Run in Crofton was a ways - about a 40 minute…read moredrive. We were a bit concerned when we arrived at 0730 that the roads would be all sorts of blocked off but they weren't. In fact, we were able to park wherever we wanted, use the porta johns, eat some grapefruit and donuts and walk leisurely over to the start line. The set up for breakfast was wonderful! The 10k course loops around the neighborhood, some sidewalks but mostly little neighborhood roads with nice winding inclines. The scenery was greenery, and I believe there were two water setups along the route. I was on the lookout for people who could point me to a restroom but the volunteers were equally as perplexed by the question as they were about potential suggestions. I held my restroom needs for 5.5 miles. I'm telling ya, it did a number on my body - I literally went into chills half a mile from the finish. The post-race setup was great! We had chick-fil-a come out to support the run with free chicken biscuits, more donuts and more snacks. The results announcement was quick even though there were many race categories. You really get the sense that the runners here were from the same community. The email with the results was super cute. It listed ALL the information, including your place in your age group, overall, percentiles, and this line was the best: "For your records, the weather that day was 74degrees, 45% humidity. Very nice." Honestly, the communication and organization was just phenomenal. Lots of friendly emails. And morning-of race packet pick up. That is important. Overall a nice little run for a good cause with great neighborhood and sponsor support around a neat neighorhood.

Went to my first run in August and it was a great event. The raffle prizes are terrific and I…read morewalked away with The $500 prize of great runner gear to include new running shoes. I will definitely be at the next event in August. Great group of friendly runners of all abilities! Have to add, our Columbia RR staff are still tops!

One time. That's all it took. ONE Adventure Run and I'm hooked. (First Thursday of the month, April…read more- October. Run starts at 6:30) My fiancee, neighbor, and I went to the August '16 AR, each for our first time. We got there probably 20 minutes before the "run" part started and had to park a few businesses down since it was so busy. Also, the vendors use space in the parking lot. The vendors there were really relevant. Running groups, race representatives (like Ragnar), shoe specialists from New Balance, and more. Each vendor gave more tickets for the soon-to-come raffle as well. We all decided to get the AR shirts because they were only $8 each (price drops when there are only 3 runs left for the year). Even if it was the last run I would have bought it. That thing is comfortable! Anyway, time for the race to start. The MC drops a giant rolled up map on the side of the building, revealing where all the ticket stops are around the Rockville area. Everyone snaps shots with their cell phone (BRING YOU CELL PHONE - or a friend that has one) and takes of running. I had no idea what was going on. I also later found out that the initial sense of urgency wasn't needed. Overall it was about 3.5 miles of running and you have a full hour to do it. Some of the stops include a quick workout, like pushups or squats. Each stop gives you tickets for making it there and double if you're in the AR shirt. One of the locations (Silver Diner) didn't exactly understand the concept of the tickets and gave the first dozen people only half of the ticket, which makes no sense based on the way the raffle works later. Another runner later corrected him and it went smoothly from there on. While running, we just happened to notice another runner near us. We invited her to join our mini-group and made a new friend in the process. It was her first run too. Everyone there is super happy, friendly, and inviting. Great way to meet new people that are into running. By the end, we had hit all stops over the 3.5 miles and had about 20 minutes to spare. We tore off all our ticket stubs, dropped them in the large raffle bucket, and just chilled while eating watermelon. It was great. The raffle itself gave away around $3,000 worth of items, including a few pairs of new New Balance running shoes. Other items included a free entry with MDA running group to run one of 6 different major races, including the Marine Corps Marathon or NYC Marathon (and a technical tee for the team) - we actually won that one :) . There were a TON of giftcards too. We won a few bags of those, which included about $30 at silver diner, $30 at tutti fruti, and more. Seemed like there were lots of small groups at the end and I think at least one person from each group won something. Lots of giveaways. After the raffle, there was an after party at TGI Fridays. We all got 20% off our bill and they gave away another pair of shoes to people that went there. In hindsight, I could have skipped this part. Not because it wasn't organized well, but I'm just not a huge fan of Friday's and big groups are always tough on restaurants. Takes extra long to get food and drinks, but I don't put that fault on Road Runner Sports, so no points deducted. My only warnings: be careful when running! That area of Rockville has a lot of high-speed roads and people need to make sure they're careful when crossing streets. A giant group of 50+ people just taking off in the middle of rush hour traffic in Rockville has got to be infuriating for the drivers when the runners aren't respecting the road and traffic. Also, get there early if you wanna park closer. Wear shorts with pockets so you can easily carry your tickets too. We'll be going back for September!

My adventures in the 50 states marathon circuit has lead me here to a small residential area in…read moreBoiling Springs, Pennsylvania and a 12 hr ultra event called What the Duck 12 hour. I needed Pennsylvania again for my 2nd time around the 50 states and this one popped out at me. It was very easy for me due to logistics and it being on Memorial Day weekend 2023. I found this race on runningintheusa website. Well, that said, I came prepared and ended up catching an uber to the race venue that Saturday morning with a friend of mine. The task was to do as much miles that you can within a 12 hour period. The course loop was about just shy of 1.4 miles around the Spring Meadows Park in lovely Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. And so, What the Duck 12 hr ultra is a small but great event that started before Covid ruined the world but they're back! There was one main aid station at pavillion 4 where the packet pick up on race day was held from 6am to 7am and a lot of the aid was staged throughout the day's event. My friend and I opted to place our gear near the course, so we didn't have to venture far off course to get stuff if we needed. I didn't know that there was a local road that ran into the middle of the park and a small parking that helped support pavillion 4. It was a nice setting for a race that ended up being perfect weather conditions that day. No rain, but yet, it got warm in the middle to late in the day when the sun was on us relentlessly. The overall experience here at the What the Duck 12 hr ultra running event was good and encouraging, while participants and volunteers were inspirational and awesome throughout the event. The course was a box loop, circumnavigating the Spring Meadows Park here in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, which was about 45 min away from Harrisburg, PA. The course was nice and maintained by the local park authority, which was nice. It was great to see nice outdoor space and just everything opening back up like it was in 2019 where everyone seemed to not care about face masks and such things dealing with Covid-19. There was one timing station on the course, which we passed as each loop was completed. There was also a laptop on a table next to the timing station, which gave instantaneous results / feedback for us participants on how much laps we completed and how many more we can go before the 12 hours had expired. What the Duck 12 hr ultra running event is a low key event that gives you the satisfaction of doing long distance endurance while keeping it in a small local community park with minimum cost. Quite the event they have here and you may want to consider coming to this one, if you wanted to rock whatever distance you want to or try for a longer distance to test your limitations, physical, mental, or both, and or other. What the Duck 12 hour ultra marathon running event is staged at the Spring Meadows Park in Boiling Springs, PA. Registration for this annual event is usually online and prices are fairly good for a 12 hour event. Registration comes with a race bib with chip timing and a race t-shirt. However with this race, as mentioned before, the only race finisher medallion is for individuals or teams who finish cumulatively 35 miles. For those who don't, get nothing but the credit of miles logged in electronically. My main intention was the credit of the miles. I knew going in I just wanted the marathon or 50km distance. The medallion was secondary, although it would have been nice to carry home something extra to remember the race by. For the most part though, I ran and got the marathon distance here in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania in 2023. It is my 30th state marathon/ultra, 2nd round in a quest to do it again. Many people car pool here, but my friend ultimately decided to take Uber to and from the race venue. There's plenty of parking at the Spring Meadows park. Just arrive early enough to secure your parking. There's also places along the course to set up tents and for family and friends to cheer you on. They do provide ample aid for you as the miles wears on, but at the end of the day, the accomplishment of running a distance you can be proud of is immeasurable and simply sweet. If you are a 50 state marathoner or just someone who wants to dabble in long distances, consider coming to What the Duck 12 hr ultra event in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. While it is loops around a small park, it's a different vibe that doing a big city race like in Philadelphia or in Pittsburgh. Just different and laid back. No time pressures for a specific distance but you'd need to finish within 12 hours time, which provides a very generous amount for a marathon or 50km distance finish. It was nice to see familiar faces along the course and meet new friends that day. Definitely recommended if you are in the area or want to pick up Pennsylvania for your bag of States. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+

I've done this race over ten times but this will probably be my last one. The logistics are a…read morenightmare and they seem to be getting worse as the race field keeps getting larger. The Metro used to open at 5am for this race. Now it opens at 7am. The first train got there at 7:50am. So definitely find another way to get there if you are in waves 1-4. The start and finish used to be near bag check. This changed a long time ago but it still sucks and the shuttle lines are longer than ever. The start/finish areas are really confusing due to the sheer volume of people in the area. It's not completely clear where and how far everything is. The race, itself, is great. The course has changed but it's still nice and the atmosphere is awesome. There aren't as many people cheering as Cherry Blossom or Marine Corps Marathon but it's still fun. It's very crowded but that should be expected and other DC races are just as crowded. If you can park at the Pentagon, you're staying nearby, or can run/bike over you're probably fine. For anyone taking the Metro, plan on joining wave 6 or later. Maybe wave 4-5 if you go straight to the start without stopping.

The Army Ten Miler takes my breath away…read more Cue song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4a6ampIGao). Literally. Yesterday was my second attempt at running the Army Ten Miler. My first attempt was in 2010, I had an asthma attack and found metro at mile 3 to go to urgent care. This year, I was determined to finish, although I had tight lungs and difficulties early on. I don't know what it is about this race or the time of year, it's weird cause I only have issues with asthma only twice in the last decade, so maybe I'm allergic to men in uniforms (in that case I'm jumping off a bridge now cause that makes me sad), or maybe unbeknownst to my knowledge the race course is filled with dust and cat dander (only two triggers I can think of). Overall, I'm glad I at least finished and would have to say it's well run and well organized race. But let's break this down into the official rules, the good and the bad: Rules: -Mobile phones, mp3 players, ipods, and headphones are prohibited. No joke.There are security checks and you are subject to so they may find these items and make you check them in. I saw people stopped for headphones on the course too. I suggest you bring your own pedometer, because although they say they have mile markers for every mile, no one in my wave saw signs for the first three miles, I had to ask someone with a pedometer where I was. I felt so lost without my run keeper app on my iphone. -Bag check in requires that you use the clear plastic bags they provide. You will need to dump out the contents of any purse or bag into the plastic bag. -The race is organized by waves by pace, you can move down a wave to a slower pace but not move up. The Good: It's just awe inspiring to run one of the world's largest ten mile races along side wounded warriors, ROTC, and Santa Claus. The course is as flat as can be. The Army volunteers are amazing. Little do people know that many of them have been there since 1:30 am setting up, and by the time our wave rolled around they were getting a little loopy and hilarious on their megaphones. They joked about getting the water from the Potomac, warned against peeing off course etc. etc. This race is loaded with spectators, with clever signs. The runners were actually thanking them for coming out, and then they were thanking us, it was just a race of shiny, happy people all around. The bands along the way are even good (they never played Journey! YES!) Tons of people who saw me running in a Red Sox cap shouted predictions about them winning the world series. I love you all. My friend found me at the finish line, and didn't cheer for the wrong person this year!!! The Bad: -The last two miles are a let down and utterly boring. I would have killed for some music or entertainment at this point other than a witnessing a road rage incident on the 14th street bridge. There are no spectators, and it's along side a highway. The finish line will not come into sight until you are few feet away. -It's a healthy twenty minute walk from the finish line to the start line, and there are no signs to tell how to get back to where you started. There are shuttles available though. -Because this event is so popular, expect lines for everything, getting on the metro, getting off the metro, getting through security to go into the corrals, bag check, shuttles and food/water at the end.I would recommend adding time to travel to accommodate. -Although the packet picket at the Stadium Armory is pretty efficient and they offer free parking, I would recommend never driving there. The traffic is awful, the lots are often full and the DC parking enforcement is out in full force ticketing (just walking up to the stadium I saw an entire row of cars with pink tickets although the signs indicated it was ok to park at those hours). Metro is the right way to go. I would say this is one of the must do DC races, I might need a lung transplant to do it again but Hooah!!

Over all a good race with lots of hills and varied terrain. However, the course planners really…read moreneed to look at some parts of the race as unsafe footing. There were several parts I walked including the finish line to insure I didn't fall. Risky large gravel, pot holes, stairs and such were more than I bargained for. Also the traffic was scary. I had several drivers honk at myself and others approaching Bolivar and we had no where to go. Cars raced past us with little care for our safety. Nice shirts but the donation or money from the string bag really should have gone into the medal. How many chintzy string bags does one need? The Landry soap though was a nice surprise. I will do this one again in hopes that a few parts of the course are changed and more traffic monitors up the HF hill into Bolivar.

I've done 20 or so HMs in the greater DC area and Harpers Ferry is my favorite. Nice mix of…read moreterrain. Good atmosphere - small and casual. But it's not for everyone - it's extremely hilly (and, as Metina's review mentions, the course is open to cars). But if you like history, scenery, and killer hills - all at a modest price, it's a wonderful race. My only complaint - no gatorade at the aid stations. There's only water and gels along the course.

Hey, guess what? I…read morejust sneezed a rainbow! That's right, I tasted the rainbow and my body spit it out! If you run the color run, be prepared to have colored chalk in places you didn't think of. Ears, nasal passages, coating the cilia in your lungs (like asbestos fibers do and then develop into mesothelioma). After the Hot Chocolate 15k, I was hesitant to run another race at the National Harbor, but this race went off without a hitch. Parking was free and plentiful with police guiding us to the correct garages. The race started early, the course was fun, and the volunteers were great. Also they had unicorns. Please note this race is just frivolous fun. It's not timed, very few people are legitimately running, no elite runners flew in from Kenya, so just get your friends together, wear your nastiest and oldest set of sneakers, get the kids and make a fun Sunday morning out of it. Stick around for the after party too, it feels like a rave. Be sure to register early too!

I don't know how they did it but Color Run had me paying $35 bones to run: a free activity that I…read moreusually avoid like the plague. But I took their promise of it being "the happiest run on Earth" seriously and was pleasantly surprised for being fully satisfied with my experience. A few things to note: - Sign up early! This event sold out within forty five minutes. - Pick up your packet up before the event to avoid a major headache. - Arrive early -- traffic getting into the National Harbor is horrendous! - This event is not timed so if you are more of a walk with swagger kind of gal like myself you won't feel uncomfortable. They also release participants in waves so you won't get trampled by crazed speed demons on the way out. - Stay for the color party on the way out, spectators can join in as well! I had so much fun running in and out of the color sprays at every kilometer and then throwing the color packets at the dance party at the end. What's better is that the color fun lasts for a few full days! Imagine my surprise when my sister coughed and purple dust came flying out of her mouth or when I cleaned my ears out and found an orange and green Q-tip surprise! This is the closest thing I've gotten to becoming an actual rainbow breathing unicorn in my entire life.