Calendaring and Goal setting:

(taking shape according to the input of our participants.)

Sat. March 22 at 9:00 am- Cornellians Run at the National Mall. 

Rise early, meet us at 9 am at the corner of 7th Street SW and Independence Ave, SW beneath the huge spinny silvery art installation. Closest metro is L'Enfant Station. Try to wear red for the group photo; leader will be in a red MCM 10K top. We'll stretch, make quick introductions mentioning goals for this season's running, then head out to run or run/walk/talk the perimeter of the National Mall. Go at a pace that works for your fitness; "packing up" is optional; some people like to put on earbuds and run solo, our gathering just keeping you motivated to get on your running shoes that morning.  Note that if folks want to socialize after, they can meet up at the Food Trucks near L'Enfant Metro Station or head inside to L'Enfant Food Court. Parking information for L'Enfant Plaza.  

Sign up at our CCW registration page coming soon.

Scroll down to "Routes on National Mall" to set your morning's goal, based on ability.

FYI: April 5 at 10 am Rock Creek Hike and Thai Food: 

 opportunity provided by Princeton Club.

FYI: April 27 Parkway Classic:  

Kids' Dash, 5K or Half-Marathon - who's doing it?  Registration goes fast for the kids' dash!  Details and sign-up.  (Note: this event historically offered a 10 miler that started at Mount Vernon, however the event is changing in 2025 to provide a half-marathon instead! It is a spectacular day that ends at a park with plenty of fun, food, and family style picnicking on the waterfront.)  Who's going?

FYI: April 28, 10:30 - Big Ten Fun Run: 

Details and registration.  Wear red, get there a little early and join in with a least 100 alumni of the Big Ten for their third annual fun run along the Anacostia Trail and Navy Yard. Run it as a self-timed 5-K or10-K and enjoy refreshment afterwards at Salt Line and/or Dacha Garden. No prior registration required this year; can just show up!  Who's going?

FYI: May 17, 7:00 am:  

Run with the Marines in the Semper Fred, Fredricksburg, VA-- a family friendly 5K event.   Details and Registration.  Cornellians will find a spot for a photo op if you e-mail your interest to Librarian   MS   @gmail.com.    A half-marathon happens the next day, so some folks are making a weekend of it. Who's going?

Tentatively May 17, 10 am:    

Cornell Club of Washington runs the National Mall:  Begin at 10 am  at the Smithsonian Metro exit where we'll gather, stretch, introduce ourselves around, high five, stretch a little more and then proceed at our own paces.  (We'll take a terrific group photo.) This is a great event to wear red and bring kids, a dog or a date.  You will have the chance to group up according to interests or paces noting some options below, so you can meet fellow marathoners or dog lovers or babies in strollers for the first part of your run... no obligation to travel in a pack the entire way as you get your exercise at the National Mall.  Watch this space to see how we develop this event, but it probably won't get much more complicated than that!  

Sign up at our CCW registration page coming soon.  If you are in any of the following categories, it helps if you send Maggie a quick e-mail to indicate such-  young runner, stroller, dog-walker

Routes on the National Mall  (select one of these 4 or invent your own:

• Over Hill and Dale (especially for cross country runner wannabe tweens)- jog up Independence Ave past the Botanical Gardens up-up-up Capitol Hill (counter-clockwise around the Capitol Building) to wave at the Supreme Court and salute RGB, then around the North side of the Capitol building, finding your way to Madison Avenue, NW. Hug the grass of the Mall, using the gravel pathway of the mall if you can, passing the huge Art Gallery buildings and eventually the National Museum of Natural History (big dome). Meet back up at our morning gathering spot near12th street.  Although this trail is for all ages, the winning kid (aged 9-18) gets a medal and bragging rights!  Estimated distance: 3 miles / 5K with a hill.

• Bebe Lake inspired for Babies! (baby strollers): Long route: use the sidewalks to walk to circle the tidal pool of the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and Martin Luther King Memorial. Cross over to take in the WWII Memorial. There's plenty along the way to fuel chat with new friends.  (Option: if that's all a little much, stick to the mall, strolling west up to the flags to circle the Washington Monument and come back. Your sidewalks are fairly wide the whole way so that you can maximize the chat time with other strollers or power walkers.)

• The Whole Darn Mall (around 5 miles): Start by heading West toward the Lincoln Memorial. Keeping on the white gravel, pass the Jefferson, WWII and eventually the Korean Memorial, cross at the base of the Lincoln Memorial with the reflecting pool on your right. Proceed past the Vietnam Memorial and up the mall's northern side. Pass the White House and proceed around the Western end of the Capitol to wave at the Supreme Court, then swing back down hill past the Botanical Gardens, Native American Museum, Air and Space Museum, Hirschhorn and convene back where we started our day to see if anyone's still around: Smithsonian Metro exit on the National Mall.

• Run the Dog - "race" or just walk any of the trails above with your pup, depending on the length of its legs and power in its paws. Enjoy the chance to engage with another dog lover.  "What would your dog have loved doing or visiting in Ithaca? Was your dog the one with a red bandana on the Arts Quad?"

Potentially May 31, weather permitting:

Enjoy an 8 am 5K with the Cornell Club of Washington. Let this May event serve as a warm-up to CCW's Alzheimer's Association on June 21 in DC-- see below.  Casually conducted, and especially terrific as an event to bring a friend, bring the kids, take it fast or slow around the Falls Hills neighborhood (option to swing out onto the W&OD Trail at Mile 7.5 to lengthen your training that day). You'll meet some cool runners when you come to Falls Church, VA.  Expect to make a small contribution to the operation (We'll have a sign-up to contribute some bananas, pretzels pledge a donation or collect donations via AA's web site. We will also use this event to culminate our challenge to pick a trail to pick up trash-- which will happen prior to the event. Bring a photo on your phone that shows the trash bag that reflects your effort and THANK YOU!) 

Free parking. West Falls Church metro (Orange Line) puts you an easy 15 min walk away.  Bad weather (anything rainier than a mist) cancels, and that notice will be placed here on this web page by 6:30 am.  

Sign up at our CCW registration page coming soon.

June 21, 2025 - tentatively 9:00 am on the National Mall. Weather permitting:

Join Cornell Club of Washington's "The Longest Day" Fun Run to take place at the National Mall. We're meeting other Cornellians and having a blast while raising money to fight Alzheimer's. Join our TEAM here to create your fundraising web page. Can't run? Just encourage and donate as a supporter to a Cornellian who is running with our team called "Go Big Red." All Runners registered through the AA web site get a free t-shirt.  Prestigious, gorgeous, glorious (home-made) medals go to the first 3 finishers in each race of the section above called "Routes on the National Mall." Our event is organized as part of AA's nationwide effort called, "The Longest Day." 

Sign up at our CCW registration page coming soon.

FYI: Sept. 14, 2025 - Pacer's 

...is organizing a half-marathon and a 5 K:   details and registration.  Who's doing it?

FYI: Oct. 26, 2025   Marine Corps Marathon: 

Group photo opportunities:  7:10 at the bag drop truck for bib #10,000   OR  at the beer tent, approximately 2:15 pm.   Note: rumor has it the 10 K will not be conducted in 2025, but MCM is running both the 26.2 and 50K events, right? Good luck to participants! Please let us know if you are running for a charity so that we can put your efforts into the spotlight.

FYI: Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot - 

a 5K likely in Arlington (try to register well ahead to help organizers)  to support a large number of Arington charitable organizations listed here. It's a charming, low-key event, great for families and teams that feel like dressing up.  Also of note, the Alexandria Turkey Trot is more hard core and huge with elite runners competing, and it supports ALIVE!  Registration. 

Other races:   RunGuides