Safety And Health Foundation

22½th annual POTOMAC RIVER RUN MARATHON & HALF

^{22½th annual} ACE Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Institute
POTOMAC RIVER RUN MARATHON & HALF
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Start times:
8:00 AM FULL Marathon
9:00 AM HALF Marathon

Dear marathoner and half marathoner,

Thank you for joining for the 22½th annual ACE Physical Therapy Potomac River Run Marathon & Half.
Currently, National Parks are closed. We eagerly await the end of the federal government shutdown. We temporarily closed registration until the shutdown ends and National Park Service is back in operation. We will keep you informed. Please be patient.
If you can, please ask your representatives and senators to vote for reconciliation or a Continuing Resolution.
We have everything purchased and ready -- bottled water, paper cups, snacks, Gatorade, Simone Super Energy, CarbBoom! energy gel, medals, awards, bib numbers, portable toilets -- all ready for October 18. We have not yet ordered the pizza.
Please wait to see what develops.
Thank you
Jay Jacob Wind, director
Safety And Health Foundation

Read our transfer / deferral policy, our fee disclosure, and our advice to avoid Active.com's upselling

In memory of Dean Shulman
(September 25, 1961 - May 8, 2012)

Dean
Washington Post obituary
In memory of Dean, from The Book of Jewish Common Prayer

and
and in memory of Wendy Martinez (1983-2018)

If you complete 22^th Potomac River Run, 19^th Abebe Bikila Day International Peace, and 22½^th Potomac River Run (half or full marathon),

you are entered in SHF's 2025 Grand Prix Series

$100 cash award to anyone who completes all three SHF half or full marathons in 2025 - May 3, September 7, and October 18

You may enter changes between 8:00 AM FULL MARATHON and 9:00 AM HALF MARATHON or vice versa
using this handy change form

Read our Transfer & Deferral Policy and Fee Disclosure

We make transfers or deferrals easy

Please understand that we do not issue refunds except for military deployment, a death in the family, or airborn infectious disease

Fletcher's Cove

Directions to Fletcher's Cove:

From the east (Georgetown) or Arlington, Alexandria, and points south, go to Key Bridge
If from DC east of Arizona Avenue, head for M Street NW westbound
Pass the stoplight at Key Bridge and continue on westbound M Street NW
If from Virginia, cross Key Bridge and turn left onto westbouund M Street NW
At the stoplight at Foxhall Road, M Street NW ends
Bear left onto Canal Road NW
Follow the stone wall on the left side of Canal Road NW
At the stoplight at Reservoir Road NW, look for the first break in the stone wall and the big white historic Abner Cloud House, the home of the last lockkeeper of the C&O Canal
Turn left at the stoplight to take a ramp down to free parking for 85 cars, also permanent and portable toilets
Notice the road on the right side of the upper lot, which is badly rutted and takes you through a tunnel under the C&O Canal and Towpath and opens to a parking lot for 225 cars
When upper lot is full, we direct you to the tunnel
Beware of the potholes and ruts on the right side of the road thru the tunnel
If from DC west of Arizona Avenue, take Arizona Avenue south to Canal Road NW
Turn left and follow the directions below
If from MD, head toward MacArthur Drive
Turn onto >Arizona to go south to Canal Road NW
From I-495 Capital Beltway, take Exit 41 WEST onto Clara Barton Parkway. When you pass Chain Bridge, Clara Barton Parkway ends and Canal Road NW begins
Follow the stone wall on the right side of Canal Road NW
At the stoplight at Reservoir Road NW, look for the first break in the stone wall and the big white historic Abner Cloud House, the home of the last lockkeeper of the C&O Canal
You can try to make a really sharp right turn to go down the ramp, but that's not safe
Your safest tactic is to turn left at the stoplight, proceed up Reservoir Road NW, make a safe U-turn or turn on one of the side streets, then turn back on Reservoir Road NW southbound
Then at the stoplight. cross Canal Road NW and turn right to go down the ramp to Fletcher's Cove

Course Maps:

Start and finish at Fletcher's Cove | 4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC (Google Map)

Course:

Totally flat dirt-packed gravel trail, alongside scenic C&O Canal Towpath

The half marathon is out 6.55 miles to Towpath mile 9.65 and back

The towpath runs the length of 184.5 miles along the scenic C&O Canal

Made of crushed stone and packed dirt, it is perfect for running, biking, and recreational events and programs

It is mostly a flat route combined with some hills, turns, and medium or moderate terrain, but it's straight out'n'back where we run this race

Please be courteous to other park users. We do not have exclusive use of the trail -- we share it with other runners, walkers, and bicyclists

Aid stations with water & Gatorade at 4 locations accessible from Canal Road NW & EASTBOUND Clara Barton Parkway:

Fletcher's Cove, miles 0.0 & 13.1

Lock 5, miles 1.8 & 11.3

Lock 7, miles 3.8 & 9.3

Lock 10, miles 5.8 & 7.3

Spectator Access:

At the 4 aid stations above, plus:

Start / midpoint / finish line at at Fletcher's Cove, miles 0.0 & 13.1

Under Chain Bridge, down the spiral ramp to C&O Canal Towpath, where Canal Road NW becomes Clara Barton Parkway NW, miles 1.0 & 12.1 -
• A good place to watch in case of rain | Free parking on the canal side of Clara Barton Parkway

Lock 5 -- off-road parking on the south side of Clara Barton Parkway, legally accessible only from eastbound Clara Barton Parkway -- we would never suggest crossing the median strip

Lock 6 -- limited parking

Lock 7 -- ample parking

Lock 8 -- limited parking

Lock 9 -- limited parking

Lock 10 -- ample parking

Lock 11 -- accessible only on foot from Lock 10 on C&O Canal Towpath

Turnaround point (at the end of the blue line) -- accessible only on foot from Lock 10 on C&O Canal Towpath

Headphones and water belts:

Re personal listening devices, we follow USATF rule 144.3.b (Assistance to Athletes):

Because we must be able to communicate instructions to you at certain points in our races, we specifically allow wearing headphones during the race, but we specifically prohibit wearing headphones at these points:
• Start line
• Aid stations
• Turnaround
• Finish line