Well, the big day has finally arrived …
It’s Sunday, February 16th, 2020 !!
Is the race on? YES.
What’s the weather going to be like? Click here for the weekend forecast.
What should I wear? We suggest bringing a water-resistant outer shell, layers with zip-able components that will let you adjust to temperatures, and a pair or two of dry socks in a pocket or in your waistband.
Where do I go? How do I get there?
Come first to the Greenbelt Youth Center, 99 Centerway, Greenbelt MD. The Youth Center opens at 8:00 a.m. You should be able to find parking within reasonable walking distance from the Youth Center. Please be respectful of parking regulations and signs. We want to support the local economy, but not by runners having to pay parking citations.
Packet pickup and last-minute registration will be in the Youth Center’s Multi-Purpose Room. We’ll have signs posted to guide you there. (And please, don’t wait until Sunday to register.) We’ll give you your bib and your shirt. If you’re with a relay team, we’re okay with one person checking in for the team. We’ll give him or her all the bibs and shirts, and a wrist band with the team’s timing chip. We’ll write each team member’s name on his or her bib, and it’s important that the right person wear each bib. You don’t have to tell us who is running which leg; we’ll figure that out from the timing data.
Getting to the Start Line
The start line is at 110 Northway. It’s about a five minute walk from the Youth Center. We’ll have signs to guide you, and here’s a map you can print that shows you the way. You’ll note that the finish line is very close to the start, on the other side of a row of houses.
The Dunkin’ Donuts Community Cruiser will be parked on Crescent Road near the start and finish lines. They’ll be serving hot Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, so be sure to visit! (We’re going to ask them also to visit the relay exchange area, but we can’t promise they’ll oblige.)
Are there “facilities” on the course?
Yes, we have portable toilets at all the water stops (except for the first, at the 2-mile point). There’s another toilet at the 1.5 mile/25 mile (±) point. We don’t have a toilet at the start line, so be sure to take advantage of indoor plumbing at the Youth Center before you head out. And there’s a toilet at the finish line, which is just 100 yards from the start line.
The Relay Exchange.
The Relay Exchange area is on Log Lodge Road in the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. We’d prefer you not drive there. We’ll have a Chariots for Hire shuttle bus making continuous runs between the Youth Center and the Relay Exchange Area between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Runners have priority, but family and friends are welcome if there’s room. If you do choose to drive to the Relay Exchange, park only on paved surfaces and please make your vehicle available to runners waiting for teammates.
- Solo Marathoners should pass over the timing mats each time through the Relay Exchange so we can log split times.
- Relay runners should pair up before the timing chute and both should pass over the timing mats more-or-less together. Please hand off the wrist band just before or just after passing through the chute.
Coming out of the timing chute, you’ll head back to Beaver Dam Road. If you’re starting the second or third loop, you’ll turn left. Solo marathoners must begin the third loop by 2:15 pm to complete the course within 6½ hours; we’ve got a little more discretion with relay runners (but not much). If you’ve completed the last loop, you’ll turn right to head for the finish line.
Finish Sequence.
Turn left on Research Road. Remember that long hill you ran down just after Mile Marker 1? Well, now you’ve got to run up that hill, so “leave some gas in the tank.” When you get to the T-intersection, you’ll turn left, then after about 100 meters you’ll turn left again off the road and head down a steep path that turns sharply to the right, runs through a culvert under Hillside Road, and leads to a trail to the finish. Congratulations! We’ll have Mylar blankets at the finish area, and we’ll direct you back to the Youth Center for the post-race party. We’ll be serving hot food as well as an assortment of hot and cold beverages. There are showers in the Youth Center (they’re in the back of the gym) so you can get cleaned up. Enjoy the party!
Our shuttle bus will make a loop between the Youth Center and the Greenbelt Metro station between approximately 3:30 and 4:45 pm.
Have other questions?
We’ve tried to cover everything here but, if we missed something, please email the race director.