23rd annual
POTOMAC RIVER RUN MARATHON & HALF
Saturday, May 2, 2026
8:00 AM FULL MARATHON
9:00 AM HALF MARATHON
On the historic C&O Canal Towpath
Start & finish at Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road, Washington DC
The Easiest Trail Marathon & Half in America -- Come see why!
www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/marathon
Name G Age City State Time
Andrew Brodeur M 35 Bethesda MD 2:37:03
Jacob Eigner M 30 Washington DC 2:53:25
Sascha Morris M 27 New York NY 2:53:40
Kristin Evans F 18 Alpharetta GA 3:10:13
Ann Kauffman F 21 Snoqualmie WA 3:24:06
Alicia Solow-Niederman F 35 Washington DC 3:27:34
- The course is almost totally flat, 100% unpaved gravel except for about 50 meters across a wooden footbridge and about 50 meters of concrete under the I-495 Capital Beltway to prevent erosion. No roads, no crossings, no hills.
- Scenic with beautiful views of the Potomac River - tree-lined - shaded - out'n'back
- Start and finish at Fletcher's Cove | 4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC
- 2027 Boston Marathon Qualifier
- USATF-certified half / full marathon course DC21001RT
- Color Map | DOC | PDF | Color Map | GMAP
- Your choice -- 26.2 miles or 13.1 miles
- Both the half and the full marathon are a qualifiers for 2027 Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and 2028 Olympic Trials Marathons
- The full marathon is a 2027 Boston Marathon qualifier
- When you register, you can select which distance you want to run, same price
- You may change later between 8:00 AM FULL and 9:00 AM HALF start
- Course elevation profile: -------------------------------
- Highest point is 44m above sea level, lowest point is 12m above sea level
- The course is out'n'back once for the half marathon, twice for the full marathon
- Aid stations with water, Gatorade, friendly volunteers, and toilets at
- Start / midpoint / finish at Fletcher's Cove - Mile 0.0, 13.1, and 26.2 (permanent and portable toilets)
- Lock 6 - Mile 2.2, 10.9, 15.3, 23.9 (Lock 5 is under construction with no vehicle access)
- Lock 7 - Mile 4.0, 9.1, 17.1, 24.0
- Lock 10 - Mile 6.0, 7.1, 19.1, 20.2
- Spectator access at the aid stations and also at
- Chain Bridge - Mile 1.0, 12.1, 14.1, 25.2
- Lock 6 - Mile 2.2, 10.9, 15.3, 24.0
- Lock 8 - Mile 5.0, 8.1, 18.1, 21.2
- Lock 9 - Mile 5.5, 7.6, 18.6, 24.7
- Turnaround point - Mile 6.6 and 19.7
- The locks are accessible from EASTBOUND Clara Barton Parkway only
- You pass 4 aid stations a total of 15 times.
| MAPS
- Bicycles on the course
- We run in a national park open to all users at all times, so we can't ban the bikes
- We plan to provide signs that announce our event a week in advance:
- Available on Amazon.com to say CAUTION! RUNNERS ON THE ROAD and the date
- Enjoy a lovely day on the C&O Canal Towpath!
- See displays about the historic C&O Canal before & after race
- Read about the history of the C&O Canal Towpath:
-
Packet Pick-ups:
- Early birds: ACE Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Institute donates spiffy green souvenir bags, which we assemble on Thursday, April 30, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at their office at 2841 Hartland Rd, #401B, Falls Church VA 22043, on the first block north of Lee Highway (Route 29) just inside the I-495 Capital Beltway
- Please come to ACE on Thursday, April 30, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, to help assemble souvenir bags and to pick up your bag, t-shirt, and bib number early.
- Pre-race: Packet pickup at Pacers Running Store of Clarendon at 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201, welcomes us for packet pick-up on Friday, May 1, from 12:00 noon to 5:45 PM, inside the store
- Buy something while you are there!
- Race Day:
- You may also pick up your bib number, t-shirt, and goodie bag
- on race-day, Saturday, May 2, 7:15 AM to 8:45 AM, at Fletcher's Cove at the picnic tables
-
Sponsors:
- We invite you to sponsor SHF's 23rd annual Potomac River Run Marathon & Half
- Sponsorship information
- For $250, you get one free entry and your name or company name, link, and logo on the website
- For $500, you get three free entries, and your name, link, and logo on the website AND the t-shirt
- All sponsorship receipts go to charitable organizations
- Sponsor us
- Pre-race dinner:
- Friday, May 1, at 6:15 PM at Big Tony's Pizzeria
- 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, two doors west of Pacers
- $10 in advance, $15 at the door -- all you can eat) at 6:15 PM
- Meet other runners and share your stories
- Friends and family are welcome
- Buy tickets for our pre-race dinner
- Our host hotel is Le Méridien, Arlington VA (703-413-5500)
- Location
- If you buy the cab ticket, please be at the host hotel by 7:00 AM to get to the 8:00 AM start
- You can pre-purchase a round-trip via Red Top Cab for $10.00 leaving the hotel at 7:00 AM to the race and back after the race
- Each cab takes four passengers | First cab arrives 6:55 AM and departs as soon as it has four passengers | Cabs continue until last cab departs at 7:15 AM (don't miss it)
- For ground transportation from the airport or anywhere else in the DC area, call Red Top Cab directly at 703-522-3333
-
Book a ride with Red Top Cab ($10 round-trip) from our host hotel at 7:00 AM to Fletcher's Cove
Three miles from the start / Finish
- Le Méridién by Marriott, 1121 19th Street North, Arlington, Virginia, USA, 22209
- It's the hotel closest to the race start / finish - just 3 walkable miles away
- Toll Free: 1-888-627-7101 | Local: 703-351-9170
- Make all reservations, modifications, or cancellations, on-line with
- Nearby restaurants:
- Continental - 0.1 Miles - Delight in the simple pleasures at Continental, a modern pool lounger offering a delectable list of bar food and a long list of beers. Located close to our hotel near the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - Open for Lunch & Dinner
- International - Nando's - 0.1 Miles - An Afro-Portuguese chain restaurant beloved for its peri-peri chicken, Nando’s serves flame-grilled chicken in spicy chili sauce. Convenient to our hotel near Washington D.C.
- American - Open Road Rosslyn, a woodsy and award-winning restaurant, is known for its seasonal menus, creative cocktails, and craft beers, plus take-out to take home to your room or suite. (703-248-0760) - Dress Code: Casual
- Italian - Sfoglina - 0.3 Miles - Known for its whimsical design, al fresco patio dining, and Italian menus, cocktails, and wines, Sfoglina offers a full menu that ranges from apps and mains to salads and desserts.
- Mexican - District Taco - 0.3 Miles -From our hotel near downtown Arlington, you’re an easy walk to District Taco, where you’ll enjoy fresh tacos, burritos, and guacamole at this food truck-inspired eatery. Open for Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner
- Pizza - Wiseguy Pizza - 0.5 Miles
- South American - Inca Social - 0.5 Miles
- American - Barley Mac - 0.5 Miles
- Le Méridién by Marriott, 1121 19th Street North, Arlington, Virginia, USA, 22209
- Volunteer:
- Sign up as a volunteer
- You can select to support any of our beneficiary charities, or as a volunteer for Safety And Health Foundation
- All the locations are mapped on this web page
- You get one of our colorful t-shirts
- Volunteer instructions
- Race-Day:
- Pick up your bib number, goodie bag, and t-shirt on Saturday, May 3, from 7:15 AM to 8:45 AM, on-site at Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road, Washington DC 22207
- Race-day packet pick-up and bag check at the picnic tables down the stairs in the lower parking lot
- Races start at the top of the stairs on the gravel trail.
- Chip Timing:
- A small waterproof plastic bag is stapled to the back of your bib number.
- That's the automatic RFID timing chip that feeds data to WebScorer®.
- Please DO NOT OPEN THE ENVELOPE! DO NOT DESTROY THE TIMING CHIP OR RUN A SAFETY PIN THROUGH IT!
- We collect those chips post-race to re-use at future races. They are costly.
- After you finish, leave the timing chip intact, attached to the back of the name tag at the bottom of your bib number, and give the chip and tag to the finish line official
- Then receive your finisher's medallion, hand-strung on a colorful ribbon
- In addition, as a back-up, we collect the name tag at the bottom of your bib number on a stringer to ascertain the order of finish, so please co-operate with the finish line volunteers.
- In addition, as a back-up, we transcribe your bib number in a Time Machine® hooked directly to the computer under the tent at the finish line.
- After every 50 finishers, we print a finisher list. Consult the printed lists for your time and place. DO NOT HARRASS THE PEOPLE UNDER THE TENT AT THE RESULTS TABLE!
- We broadcast the finish times directly and instantly to www.webscorer.com® which emails your results to you in real time.
- For a link to live results, go to www.webscorer.com/shfresults
- Post-race:
- Right after your finish, we honor you with a medallion printed by Dan Kain Trophies
- We try to present awards immediately after you finish, so please listen for the presentation
- After you get your medallion,
- Get some refreshments under our recovery tent on the C&O Canal Towpath, and then walk down the stairs to our post-race picnic
- Awards:
- 8:00 AM Full Marathon Awards: $250 to 1st, $150 to 2nd, $100 to 3rd overall M/F; commemoratives to 1st, 2nd, 3rd by 10-year age-group M/F in the 8:00 competitive start
- 9:00 AM Half Marathon Awards: Commemoratives to 1st, 2nd, 3rd M/F overall and 1st, 2nd, 3rd by 10-year age-group M/F
- Finisher certificates by e-mail on request
- This year's commemorative awards:
- Your choice of a
- Colorful, reflective warm wooly winter hat in Safety Orange and Safety Yellow

- Spacious sturdy black reinforced canvas 10-gallon carry-all bag
- 24-pack of your favorite flavor of CarbBOOM!

- Free entry to any of our future races (we send you a code)
- Colorful, reflective warm wooly winter hat in Safety Orange and Safety Yellow
- Refreshments courtesy of Big Tony's Pizzeria, bagels, and Trader Joe's energy bars and fresh fruit from Trader Joe's
- 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:
Course:
Aid stations with water & Gatorade at 4 locations accessible from Canal Road NW & EASTBOUND Clara Barton Parkway:
Spectator Access:
• A good place to watch in case of rain | Free parking on the canal side of Clara Barton Parkway
Headphones and water belts:
• Start line
• Aid stations
• Turnaround
• Finish line
• Copyright © 2023 Safety And Health Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.