Georgetown Half Marathon
Washington, DC
- Half Marathon
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Georgetown Half Marathon is a premiere charity race along the Georgetown waterfront along the scenic C&O Canal and Potomac River. Finisher medals, awards, music and light fare follow at Fletcher’s Boat House. Race proceeds support Mercy Center Foundation’s work in Kenya supporting and mentoring girls’ education and empowering new … MORE
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Meh
Although this was my first time running this particular race, I have done the Potomac river marathon/half two times (the May one). The “safety and health” organization drives me a … MORE
Although this was my first time running this particular race, I have done the Potomac river marathon/half two times (the May one). The “safety and health” organization drives me a little crazy because each race feels a bit disorganized. They start late (all three). They run out of water (one out of three). This particular event had no port a potties at the start!!! (The other two did.) Fortunately there is a national park service bathroom with flush toilets, but only three stalls for each gender ( I assume—of course the men’s line was quite short). And these were unlocked at 8:10ish while packet pickup started at 7:15.
So the start (late) was a bit irritating. The c and o canal was (as usual) a popular place for bicycle riding and for the first couple of miles quite congested, with cyclists as well dinging their bells kind of aggressively at times. The canal was damp and had puddles from our rainy days prior to the race, but not too much slippery mud.
The course is out and back, lonely after the initial congestion. There were not many spectators. There were three water stops but I ran with hydration pack —they did not run out of water, so that was an unnecessary precaution.
The shirt is technical short sleeve with much more attractive design than the SHF other races, as was the medal.
Leaving the parking lot was an exercise in patience—the smart folks were walking up to canal road (possibly to meet an Uber?)
The race literally lined up perfectly my training plan for JFK, so I will probably be back. It’s not my favorite but it’s convenient and for a good cause.