Thank you for entering Potomac River Run Marathon and Half
It's show time!
Tomorrow, we welcome you to packet pick-up at Pacers Running Store, 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201, from 3:00 PM to 5:45 PM. We start setting up at 2:30 PM, so we can be ready at 3:00 PM. If you arrive at Pacers before 3:00 PM, buy something!
You can park free for 90 minutes under Trader Joe's, 1109 North Highland Street, Arlington VA 22201. Enter the underground parking lot through the entrance at 1200 North Garfield Street, Arlington VA 22201. Then take the elevator upstairs and validate your coupon at the cash register nearest the front door. Coffee is free in the back of the store. Support our sponsor Trader Joe's and buy something while you're in the store!
Pacers Running Store is also across the street from Clarendon Metro Station (Orange and Silver Lines).
We have a treat for you:
2017 Marine Corps Marathon winner Desta Beriso Morkama, the subject of the centerfold article in this month's RunWashington magazine, will be on site from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM to sign autographs.
In addition, I bring copies of my book, The Man Who Stole The Sun, for sale for $10, autographed by the author (me). It's a suspenseful science-fiction techno-thriller that focuses on three runners planning to run Marine Corps Marathon the next day. One of them, a highly-successful inventor, gets a fusion reactor up'n'running on that day, with unexpected and potentially disastrous consequences. It's a story of love, devotion, betrayal, courage, teamwork, and triumph, also quantum mechanics, theoretical astrophysics, and much of Stephen Hawkings work.
When you pick up your goodie bag, t-shirt, and bib number, please look at the information or the name tag at the bottom of your bib number. Please DO NOT REMOVE THE NAME TAG -- we collect them after you finish to score the race. Please verify that we have your name, age, gender, city, start time, and race distance all correct. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE your start time or race distance, please ask the registration volunteer to enter your number, name, and change on the Change Chart, and please transcribe the change on your name tag.
If you signed up for dinner on Saturday, May 5, at 6:30 PM at Cosi Restaurant, 1801 North Lynn Street, Arlington VA 22209, your name tag is your dinner ticket -- look for "DINNER=1" or "DINNER=2" on your name tag. You may also sign up for the dinner for $10 when you pick up your packet on Saturday, and we mark your name tag. At dinner, we watch Kentucky Derby, then Gib Leonard of Buy A Brick Foundation presents his twice-yearly progress report on Leonah Clinic, hospital, and school in Zimbabwe, supported by Safety And Health Foundation for the past seven years.
If you signed up for Red Top Cab on Sunday, May 7, at 7:00 AM at Key Bridge Marriott hotel, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington VA 22209, your name tag is your cab ride ticket -- look for "Taxi=1", "Taxi=2", or "Taxi=3" on your name tag. You may also sign up for the taxi for $10 when you pick up your packet on Saturday, and we mark your name tag. Parking is free on-street in Rosslyn on Sunday mornings; parking at Key Bridge Marriott is $8.00. The cab drops you off on-site at Fletcher's Cove, at the top of the ramp down to the boathouse and restrooms. The race starts on the river side of C&O Canal, at the west end of the wooden footbridge.
Packet pick-up resumes on race day, Sunday, May 6, from 7:15 AM to 8:45 AM, on-site at Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC 20007. We set up around 6:30 AM. Fletcher's Cove's coffee / bait & tackle shop opens at 7:00 AM. Buy a cup of coffee! You may check a personal bag at the bag-check table in the white plastic bag we provide. Please, no backpacks or duffel bags.
If you change your start time or race distance, please ask the registration volunteer to note the change on the Change Chart, and please modify the time or distance on your name tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE THE NAME TAG at the bottom of your bib number. Please use safety pins on the top part of your bib number, not through the name tag.
Please dress appropriately for the weather. Boston Marathon's weather was terrible this year, and I was unprepared. Let's hope our weather on Sunday is nicer!
Before the start, we have coffee from Dunkin' Donuts and three kinds of 100% organic Arnold's Breads, courtesy of the manufacturer. We also have water, Gatorade, Simone Super Energy, and Carb Boom!
At 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM, "Showtime Mike" Mebreahtu and certified laughter leader Diane Cohen entertain you in celebration of World Laughter Day, the first Sunday in May. At 7:45 AM and 8:45 AM, 14-time Potomac River Run Marathon finisher Michael Creadon plays the National Anthem on his trumpet. Then I provide pre-race instructions and whistle the start at 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM.
Please wear your bib number so it's visible on the front of your shirt, not obscured in any way. We must be able to read your bib number at the turnarounds and at the finish.
The course is simple -- 6.55 miles out on C&O Canal Towpath -- completely flat, to the turnaround point, 6.55 miles back for the half marathon. If you are in the half marathon, fish to your right when you return to Fletcher's Cove. If you are in the full marathon, we have an aid station in the middle of C&O Canal Towpath and a traffic cone at the end of the aid station. Stay right around the table, turnaround left at the marathon midpoint, and head back for a second tour of the course.
We have three aid stations on the course at Lock 5 (staffed by Ethio-American Athletic Association), Lock 7 (staffed by Buy A Brick Foundation), and Lock 10 (staffed by DC Capital Striders), roughly two miles apart, with water, Gatorade, and first aid. If you must drop out, please stop at an aid station. They have space blankets, chairs, and an extra car to drive you back to the finish at Fletcher's Cove. If you see another runner go down, please report the case to the next aid station so they can send aid.
When you finish, we present you a medal from Dan Kain Trophies. We have space blankets and wooly blankets to keep you warm, water, Gatorade, Simone Super Energy, Arnold's Breads, Dunkin' Donuts bagels and donuts, Mario's Pizza, Trader Joe's bananas (they have appeal), and King Zachary's Royal Barbeque. Think of our event as a picnic preceded by a footrace!
We thank ACE Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Institute for their support. If it hurts, call ACE-PT first at 703-205-1233. We also thank Dr. Myles Schneider, Annadale Foot & Ankle Center (703-750-1124), Falls Road Running Store, Boom Nutrition, Metro 29 Diner, Sport Science > (r), and everyone else on the back of your t-shirt!
We produce results as quickly as possible after the race and present awards as soon as your finish, if we can. We have first-place age-group awards in the 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM half marathons and the 8:00 AM marathon. We have cash awards for the top 3 M/F overall in the 9:00 AM marathon and top 3 M/F in 10-year age groups. Awards include SHF seven-color-changing desk lamps (cats love them), SHF wooly waterproof hats, $25 certificates from Falls Road Running Store in Baltimore, $10 certificates from Pacers Running Stores in the DC area and Princeton NJ, one $50 certificate from Metro 29 Diner, and one $500 certificate from Big Wheel Bikes reserved for the most spectacular performance of the day by an athlete or a volunteer (race director's choice).
Our first draft of the results on Monday lists everyone in finish-time order, not sorted by start time and distance. After a day of review, we sort by start time and distance and report marathon finishers to Boston Athletic Association.
For more details on parking and spectator access, please see our web page at www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/marathon/index1.php
Potomac River Run Marathon & Half is the first leg of SHF's 2018 Grand Prix Series. If you finish all three of our races on May 6, September 8, and September 29 -- marathon or half -- we send you a $100 cash prize. Imagine that -- even a last-place finisher at our races has a shot at a cash prize!
See our web page ??www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org?? for those races and all the others that we direct or manage, including Fast Track Marathon to Boston on Saturday, May 12 -- and I'm hoping I'm not throwing away my shot!
Thank you, Jay Jacob Wind, director
Safety And Health Foundation