Saturday Winter/Spring Runs from Bethesda
These runs start from the head of the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) in the parking lot in front of Barnes and Noble in Bethesda. They are a great way to do Saturday medium-to-long runs with a group of MCRRC members. The route will vary somewhat from week to week, depending in part on the weather and conditions- usually starting down the CCT towards Georgetown; "up" the CCT to Jones Mill Road and Beach Drive; or (when the CCT is in bad shape) down Leyland Street to Beach Drive. The runs are generally out and back and can accommodate a number of distances. Most runners do from about 6 to 14 miles, and you will find runners doing a wide variety of paces. The group run started as an informal Winter Maintenance run for those doing the XMP Training Program and other runners who train for marathons or half-marathons during the summer (hence the schedule from December through June), but is useful for anyone who wants to run those distances with some friendly company.
Runners looking for weekend long runs in the summer and early fall to train for a long race may want to consider enrolling in of the MCRRC training programs, such as the Half Marathon Program, the First Time Marathoners Program, or (if they have completed a marathon) the Experienced Marathoners Program. These programs are an excellent way to meet other runners who run at your pace.
