It tracks that the nation’s fittest city and it’s surrounding areas would host a bevy of cardio-crushing running races. Carb-load, hydrate, stretch and take to the streets to feel the wind in your bib at these upcoming runners’ events.
DLS 5K for Lewy Body Dementia
Diplomatic Language Services hosts this event to raise money for the Lewy Body Dementia Association. (Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of the progressive brain disorder after Alzheimer’s.) Start and finish at at Bon Air Park & Rose Garden on Aug. 22, 9 a.m. In between, stick to a mostly flat section of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. Participants looking for a shorter course can sign up for the 1-mile fun run. Registration costs $35 for the 5K and $25 for the fun run. 850 N. Lexington St., Arlington
NOVA 5K
The NOVA Running Club will host its annual 5K race at Bluemonth Park on Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m. Calling itself a “low-key weeknight race,” it’s a great way to get in the mindset for more fall runs. The course is out and back on the W&OD trail, with a slight uphill on the out and a slight downhill on the back. Registration is $30. 329 N. Manchester St., Arlington
Arlington Police, Fire, Sheriff and ECC 9/11 Memorial 5K
The 24th annual race honoring first responders has attracted more than 40,000 runners and raised more than $1 million for charities related to the 2001 terrorist attacks. This year’s run is Sept. 5, 6 p.m. Starting and ending at the DoubleTree Hotel in Arlington, the race course winds around the Pentagon, traversing parts of Columbia Pike and Route 110. Stick around afterward to enjoy beats from a family-friendly DJ and an awards ceremony. Registration fees are $45 through Aug. 29 and $50 after that. For ages 12 and younger it’s $30. 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington (National Landing)
George Washington Patriot Run
Enjoy a run along the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway on Sept. 13. The 11th annual event includes a a 10-miler, which takes off at 7:15 a.m., and a 5K, which starts at 7:30 a.m. Celebrate your accomplishment at a Finish Festival featuring music, food and drink, including free beer for each runner who’s of age. The 5K costs $62; the 10-miler is $82. Active-duty public safety personnel and members of the military, plus veterans, get $5 off. Just want to watch? Spectator tickets are $8 for ages 6-11 and $15 everyone 12 and older. 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon
DC Half
The third annual race, which bills itself as a “hometown celebration of the District’s running community,” will take place Sept. 19-20. The 5K option will be on the 19th at 8 a.m.; the half-marathon is the next day at 7 a.m. Want to run both? Sign up for the District Challenge. Registration fees are $50-$155, with prices increasing at 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 24. West Potomac Park, 2912 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C.
Falls Church Run for the Schools
The 22nd annual event will kick off at Cherry Hill Park on Sept. 20, 8 a.m. The USA Track and Field-certified 5K course will wind through the streets of the Little City with a mix of inclined and flat stretches. Participants looking for a shorter lap can do the 1-Mile Fun Run instead. Strollers are welcome on the course, but bikes, skateboards, rollerblades and dogs are not. Registration is $40 for ages 19 and up, or $20 for runners 18 and younger. Proceeds benefit the foundation and all Falls Church City Public Schools. 300 Park Ave., Falls Church
Super H 5K Run, Walk and Wheel
Sponsored by MedStar Health, this race gives you the option of riding the course on a recumbent bike or handcycle, or using a wheelchair. Leaving from and returning to OneLife Fitness on Sept. 20, 8 a.m., the in-person event costs $40-$45 for adults or $30-$35 for kids 13 and younger. There’s also an untimed mile-long Fun Run ($25) and virtual options ($45). Proceeds benefit MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital’s Adaptive Sports Programs, which help children and adults with physical disabilities participate in recreational and competitive sports. 8250 Greensboro Drive, McLean
Food for Others Tysons 5K & Fun Run
The nonprofit that addresses food insecurity in our region will host its 13th annual fundraising race. It takes place Sept. 26, 8 a.m.—fittingly, during Hunger Action Month. Meet at Tysons Corner Center’s PenFed Plaza and get moving on the 3.2-mile course or the 1.2-mile fun run path. Registration is $35. While you catch your breath post-race, stop to write inspirational postcards to kids and families that will be included with Power Packs, which are weekend food bags given to school children who might otherwise go hungry when school meals aren’t available. 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons
National Capital 20 and 5 Miler
Organized by DC Road Runners, this race has two distance options, both of which are flat, out-and-back paths along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, starting at Mile Marker 11 (the northwest end of the Carderock Recreation Area). Open to only 300 runners, the 20-miler costs $80.50 (more after Sept. 12), and the shorter race costs $43.40. Race day is Oct. 3, 7 a.m. Note that registration must be completed beforehand. Carderock Recreation Area, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, Potomac, Maryland
McLean 5K
This certified course is open to runners of all abilities. The Oct. 10 race starts at 8 a.m., and starts and ends at the McLean Square Shopping Center. New this year: Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Share of McLean when you pick up your race day packet. (Check out their most-needed list.) Additionally, the registration fee goes toward the McLean Community Foundation, which supports social services and funds fire trucks and playgrounds. Pay $40 through Aug. 31, $45 through Sept. 30 or $50 through race day. 6631 Old Dominion Drive, McLean
Army Ten-Miler
Celebrating its 42nd year, this race is one of the D.C. area’s most popular and largest races, drawing about 35,000 runners from across the country and globe. This year, participants will pound the pavement Oct. 11, starting at the Pentagon and winding through iconic D.C. monuments and landmarks. Carb-load the night before at the General Dynamics Pasta Dinner, where you can rub elbows with the sergeant major of the Army, sergeants major of the Army Reserve and Guard, and Wounded Warriors. Can’t make it in person? No sweat. You can still do the virtual option. Registration for everyone 13 and older for the in-person or virtual race costs $110 through Aug. 31, $125 Sept. 1-Oct. 8 and $135 after that. The youth run costs $35 through Oct. 8 and $45 after.
Marine Corps Marathon
One of the largest marathons in the country, the best for beginners and the largest in the world to not offer prize money, the “People’s Marathon” has been an annual Arlington event for close to 50 years. Register for your chance to run Oct. 25. (See the course here.) The full race starts at 7:15 a.m. and carries a $250 registration fee. If you’re feeling less ambitious, there’s an 8K option on Oct. 24, 7:30 a.m. It costs $60. Military members get a discount on both. Runners who are 5-12 years old, can compete, too, but in the 0.8-mile Kids Run, which costs $27.
Monster Mash Dash
Get in the Halloween spirit at this PR Races 5K and 1-miler on Oct. 25. The longer run starts at 8 a.m., while the shorter one is at 9 a.m. Feel free to wear a costume. Registration fees through Sept. 25 are $40 for the 5K or $30 for ages 14 and younger. The 1-mile fun run is also $30. Prices increase starting Sept. 26. Prefer to run your own route? Opt for the virtual race, which is also $40 or $30 for youngsters. Franklin Sherman Elementary School, 6633 Brawner St., McLean
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Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation 5K & Carnival
Part race, part party, this event celebrates the life of an Arlington mother and avid runner who died in a 2014 traffic accident. After having three complicated pregnancies and NICU babies, she worked to ensure medical care for moms and newborns in need. That’s an effort that the foundation continues today. Sign up for the certified 5K, the carnival or both. They happen Nov. 21, 9-1 p.m. The carnival promises moon bounces, laser tag, a mechanical bull and face painting. Registration costs $40 for the 5K, $25 for the carnival or $50 for both. Knights of Columbus, 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington (Yorktown)
