The Capital Runner
Washington DC's essential weekly newsletter for runners: delivering the best routes, upcoming races, community news, and insider tips straight to your inbox.
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The Capitol Reflecting Pool sits quiet most mornings, a shallow mirror catching the first light beneath the dome. Runners loop the perimeter on their usual routes—three miles, maybe five if they're extending down to the monuments. Tourists arrive later with their cameras. Commuters cut through on autopilot. Nobody stops to consider that this particular spot, this pool at the base of Capitol Hill, marks Mile Zero of the longest car-free trail in America.
The cold weather is here—we even got an early December snow. But running doesn't have to be miserable just because temperatures are dropping below freezing. Here's how to stay comfortable when winter hits the D.C. area.
Whether you're shopping for someone training for their first race, a veteran chasing another PR, or treating yourself after a solid training block, these recommendations cut through the noise of running retail to focus on what actually matters.
Beginning Thursday, December 11, the pedestrian path on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge will be temporarily closed as part of the ongoing rehabilitation work on the bridge connecting Arlington, VA to Washington, D.C., according to the District Department of Transportation. The December closure will allow crews to install the foundations for new overhead sign structures.
“This is the stupidest thing I have ever done!” The cry was heard as hundreds of chilly runners—fueled by ambition and their first Taco Bell meal of the day—set off down King Street in Alexandria, Virginia.
Step onto the Mall at sunrise, and you'll get it immediately. Runners are already circling the monuments, headlamps cutting through the pre-dawn darkness. By 7:00 AM, the trails are buzzing. And by evening? The paths are still packed with people chasing miles between their day jobs and whatever comes next.
Meet the GOOD GRiEF, an Austin, TX- and Washington, DC-based running club that focuses on mental health alongside their passion for running. Their mission is to help people find the good in grief, fostering a joyful and kind community where people can be themselves. We spoke with the GOOD GRiEF DC team to get the low-down on the group and learn how people can get involved.