NRRL Happy Hours - Registration Discounts

The NRRL will be holding 2 Happy Hours this winter leading up to the first race of the season.  At each of these Happy Hours, individual runners will have the opportunity to register on-site and receive a discount on their league entry fee.

Captains of NRRL teams receive free registration!

All Happy Hours will take place at Penn Social (801 E St, NW, Washington, DC 20004 - corner of 8th & E St, blocks from multiple Metro stations)

Here is the Happy Hour schedule:

Friday, February 22nd, 5:00 - 7:00pm (*$10 off NRRL registration)

Friday, March 15th, 5:00 - 7:00pm (*$10 off NRRL registration)

*$6 drinks and plenty of specially priced food, TV's, and tons of games! 

Come out and meet the league founder, team captains, and other runners.  "Free agents" welcome!  RSVP to Mike, or just show up and ask for NRRL seating.

We hope to see you there!

Mike

Post-season party & captain interview

As the NRRL season came to an end last month, we celebrated with a party at Lululemon Georgetown on November 12th.  Check the Facebook page for more photos coming soon!

As we move into 2012, a few things are certain:

1) The team trophy you see pictured above, with Kinetic Fitness captain Becca, will continue to get larger!

2) More teams are slated to join the NRRL!

3) With more teams comes more competition and more social activities for local runners!

2011 was an experimental year, I think the experiment worked.  I am thankful to everyone who showed a vote of confidence and supported the league this year.  It will most definitely become a national phenomenon in a matter of years.

Here are a few highlights of what VIDA Fitness team captain, Dan, had to say:

What were your initial thoughts when you heard about the NRRL?

I thought it would be a great way to stay motivated throughout the year and give some 'meaning' to each race instead of having each race be an individual event.

What was your team's approach to the NRRL race schedule?

Initially we tried to schedule weekly group runs with minimal success.  After the first month, it came down to me sending out emails to nail down who was available for each race.

Did having a set race schedule help the runners with their approach to training and racing?

I think it kept people motivated. Most of our runners were already fit enough to run the race distances, so it was more about maintaining fitness than building up.

What was the highlight for your team/ runners?

My highlight was the feeling of community I had at the last race.  It was a very different feeling to go to a race where I knew so many people as opposed to something where I showed up, completed, and went home.

What are your thoughts on future expansion of the NRRL into other regions of the Mid-Atlantic?

I'd like to see our local chapter grow foremost, but am excited to watch NRRL as a whole expand. Creating a cross-team community would be something I'd like to see more of in future seasons.

DC Running Coach & Kinetic Fitness Win Titles

The finale of the inaugural National Road Racing League season ended at the Race for a Cause 8k in Arlington.  DC Running Coach won the men's race and therefore the team title with an impressive display of speed.  Mike Hamberger led the team, followed not too far behind by Chad Wolf and Max Huffman.  Chris Coates finished top-100 overall, as he was the next DCRC runner across the line, and Mike McVicker finished 4 seconds ahead of a VIDA runner to round out the lineup.

In the men's Individual Points scoring, Hamberger out-sprinted Duffield in this winner-take-all last race of the season, as they finished 1-2 in NRRL racing for the 6th time this year.  Memo Saenz held onto his third place position, while Dan Hunt and Theron Thilenius moved into the top-5.  Brian Cunningham ran his fourth race of the season and just missed the top-5.

Kinetic Fitness had already clinched the women's title, but DC Running Coach had four runners in the race, with these runners also rounding out the top-4 places in the season's Individual Points race.  Johanna Mansilla, Carolee Williamson, and Jessica Leitsch were in all top-20 overall at the 8k, while Heather Coles was also toward the front of the race field.  

Williamson ended the season with a commanding lead in the Individual Points race, with Mansilla coming on strong in the second half of the season to take second.  Leitsch returned to solid running form late in the year to take the 3rd position, while Heather Coles finished fourth, as she continues to get stronger each race.  Kinetic captain Becca Lipscomb finished 5th in the standings.

Final team and individual standings are posted on the NRRL results page.

The NRRL post-season party is set for Saturday, November 12th at Lululemon in Georgetown, where team trophies will be presented to the winning teams, along with plaques to the top-3 runners in each division.

Registration for the 2012 season will open on January 1st, with much in store for the second edition of the NRRL!  Help us spread the word about the NRRL and join us next year as the league grows into a nationally recognized sporting league for amateur (and professional) runners!

Thank you all for your support and a great first season!

Mike

Final Countdown to Championships

 
The end of the rainbow is near.  With the conclusion of the Race For the Parks 10k, the NRRL is honing in on the final standing for both teams and individuals.  NRRL Results from Sunday's 10k are now posted.

In the women's race, Johanna Mansilla and Carolee Williamson of DC Running Coach, LLC took 1-2, respectively, to extend their lead over the rest of the field in the Individual Rankings.  Both runners set a 10k PR and earned age-group awards at the race.  Jessica Leitsch leads a plethora of runners in contention for the final plaque at the post-season party.

On the men's side, Rory Duffield from Potomac River Running took his second straight 10k victory among NRRL runners, finishing under 37 minutes.  He was followed by Mike Hamberger for the second time.  Memo Saenz of VIDA Fitness clinched an individual plaque at the post-season party by finishing 3rd among NRRL runners.  Andrew Tweedie and Chris Coates (pictured below) were next across the line for DC Running Coach, LLC.

Looking at the team standings, Kinetic Fitness has clinched the team title in the female division, due to early success in the season.

With the way the league is scored, the male division team title is looking at a potential tie-breaker between all teams, in which the tie-breaker is given to the team with the most 1st-place team finishes throughout the season.  Here are the league Rules, are you ready for some NFL-style playoff wildcard scenarios!?

As it stands, PRR leads the standings 8-9-9 over the other two teams.  VIDA Fitness and and PRR each have two 1st-place finishes (DCRC has one), so a PRR victory in the remaining race would give them the title outright, regardless of how the other teams finish.  A VIDA victory with PRR finishing second would give VIDA the tie-breaker because even though those teams would end up with the same number of total points, VIDA would have more 1st-place finishes over the season.  A VIDA victory with a DCRC second place finish would give VIDA the title outright.  Either way you cut it, if VIDA wins the final race, then they are champions, controlling their own destiny.

Now if DCRC wins the final race and VIDA is second, then DCRC wins the season title outright.  If DCRC wins the race, but PRR gets second, then we have a shared championship, because both DCRC and PRR will have the same number of first place finishes, as well as second place finishes (the next tie-breaker, and so on).  Due to bye weeks and incomplete teams at a few races, DCRC and PRR have no other means for a tie-breaker.  There was a 0.0001% chance of this occurrence before the season started.  Never say never!  There looms the possibility that captains may agree on this final race as a winner-take-all to avoid a shared championship.

For the final Individual Rankings, Hamberger can clinch by finishing any number of spots ahead of Duffield.  Duffield can clinch by finishing first and having Hamberger finish anywhere but second place.  If Duffield does not win the race, then he must beat Hamberger by two or more places in order to clinch the Individual Rankings.  Duffield and Hamberger will end up in a tie if Duffield takes first and Hamberger second.  In the case of the latter, because they will have the same number of 1st- and 2nd-place finishes, with no other placings able to used as tie-breakers, they will split the championship, or they may have a gentleman's agreement that the final race of the year is a winner take all.  FYI and as a reminder: Gambling on the outcome of NRRL races is legal as long as the prize fighters get a cut of the action! :)

The now uber-important final race of the season is a PRR hosted event (home field advantage) in Arlington, the Race For a Cause 8k!

We hope to see you there!

Mike

Another 10k in the Books

The last NRRL was a 10k in the middle of a heat wave 7 weeks ago, while Sunday's 10k in Fairfax was perfect running weather.  The Kit's Miracle Mile hosted race #6 on the 8-race schedule and the conditions couldn't have been better on the 3-loop 10k course.

Carolee Williamson was the first NRRL runner across the line for the 3rd time this year, cracking the 100-point barrier in the Individual Rankings.  Jessica Leitsch made the deuces wild, running her 2nd race, finishing 2nd place for the 2nd time and moving into podium contention with 2 races to go.

On the men's side, Rory Duffield picked up his second NRRL victory of the season (beating all non-NRRL runners, too), running a smart race and taking over the lead just past the 2-mile mark from Mike Hamberger, who would finish 2nd NRRL.  Memo Saenz has taken over the 3rd position in the standings, but all top-10 spots are still up for grabs with 2 races to go!

The team standings remain unchanged after this race.  The race schedule is on the NRRL site, including links to all races and results.

News and information about the 2012 season will be dispersed after the final race and in anticipation of the post-season party, scheduled for Sat, Nov. 12th from 4 - 6pm at Lululemon in Georgetown.

Continue to let your fellow runners know about this new running league!

Kit's Miracle Mile Event Ready to Go!

 

The next stop in the inaugural NRRL season is Kit's Miracle Mile, which offers a 10K Run, 2 Mile Run-Walk, 1/4 Mile Fun Run, a Little Tykes Fun Run, plus a whole morning of festivities.

The 10k portion of this event will serve as the NRRL race.

The 8th annual event will take place on Sept 18th, 2011 at George Mason University, with a special cash prize being awarded to the top male and female NRRL runners!

Like so many races in the area, the race has a great cause.  Read about it here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Mike

10k Distance (and heat!) Enter the NRRL

On Saturday night the 5th annual Friends of the W&OD 10k hosted the 5th NRRL race of the inaugural NRRL season.  Racers traveled to Vienna for another twilight race on the NRRL calendar.  The relatively flat course was balanced with more hot and humid July conditions.

Team and Individual results are update on the website.

The Kinetic Fitness female team had another strong showing with a full team of 5 runners and moved into first place in the Team Rankings.  Stephanie Maltz led her team across the line, as her and Katie Judge moved into the top-10 in the overall Individual Rankings with 2 races under their belts.  Aryan Rodriguez was only seconds behind Maltz across the line, finishing in the top half of the overall field.

Carolee Williamson broke the 1st place tie in the Individual Rankings, beating her time on the course from last year and being the first NRRL runner across the line.  Jessica Leitsch made her 10k debut and NRRL debut at the same time, finishing 2nd among NRRL runners.  Teammate Heather Coles wasn't too far behind, earning 3rd in the race and cracking the top-5 in the Individual standings.

On the men's side, VIDA Fitness took home another win with a full squad of runners, led by Memo Saenz once again.  Teammates Theron Thilenius, Keith Jankowski, and Sean Wang all moved into the top-10 with their 3rd NRRL finish this season.  Meanwhile, VIDA runner Dan Hunt catapulted into 1st in the rankings place with another good finish time.

The men's Individual Rankings continue to be close as Mike Hamberger and Rory Duffield finished 1-2 for the third straight race.  The team and individual titles are still open as we head into race #6 in our 8-race season.

The next race is the Kit Callahan 10k on Sept 18th, which is part of Kit Callahan's Miracle Mile day of run festivities at George Mason University in Fairfax.  We hope to see you there!

Mike

Friends of the W&OD 10k is next!

 

The Marathon Charity Cooperation will be hosting the next race for the NRRL.  The popular Friends of the W&OD 10k takes place on July 30th and is a twilight race with a 6:30pm start time!  It's a flat out-and-back course from the Old Vienna Train Station to Hunter Mill Road.  If the weather cooperates you can expect a PR.  This race marks the first race longer than 5k in the NRRL season, so we'll see who has been training hardest.

 

All MC-Coop races benefit their charity partners.

NRRL runners receive a discount on registration.

The post-race happy hour for NRRL runners will take place down the street at Maplewood Grill.

Hope to see you out there.

Mike 

Night Time is the Right Time for NRRL!

The inaugural Chris Carter Memorial Twilight 5k provided the first evening race for the NRRL, and also provided a very challenging course through one of Arlington's neighborhoods.  It's accurate to say that there weren't many steps taken on flat road, as the runners were usually moving either up or down over the rolling course.

For the second straight race in a row (in as many weekends) Mike Hamberger and Rory Duffield finished 1-2 in the NRRL field, both with top-10 performances in the overall 5k results in what was a competitive field.  Jason Kagarise took the 3rd spot and moved into 1st place in the NRRL Individual Points race.

Memo Saenz has emerged as VIDA Fitness' top runner in terms of finish place at races, while teammate Dan Hunt leads the team in total points, currently 2nd in the overall points standings.  And by running his third race, Theron Thilenius has jumped into the top-10.  In the season team results, Potomac River Running leads DC Running Coach and VIDA Fitness.

Johanna Mansilla (pictured above) won her 2nd NRRL race in a row, after running the another 5k earlier in the morning.  Sandra Grance of DC Running Coach also pulled off the daily double on Saturday.  Mansilla's win now puts her in a tie for 1st place in the NRRL Individual standings with teammate Carolee Williamson, who finished 3rd in the 5k, behind teammate Lexi Castenalli.  The Kinetic Fitness team was off for their bye week, and the two female teams are now tied in the Team Standings.


All NRRL league standings and results can be found on the NRRL Results page.

All teams square off again at the next race, the Friends of the W&OD 10k.  This is another twilight race, taking place on Saturday, July 30th.  It is also the first 10k of the NRRL, so we'll see who's got the legs for the longer distance.

Alexandria 5k led by Potomac River Running team

The first annual Alexandria Running Festival featured a Half Marathon and 5k, with the National Road Racing League utilizing the fast out and back 5k course.  The men's team competition was won by Potomac River Running, as they placed runners in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th, finishing with 22 points. Rory Duffield was the first =PRR= runner across the line, out-sprinting another runner at the finish to take the final podium spot in the overall field and 2nd place within NRRL competition.

DC Running Coach came in 2nd place with 42 points, led by 3 runners in the top-10 of the NRRL field, including winner Mike Hamberger, who was also 2nd in the overall 5k field.  The VIDA Fitness squad placed 2 runners in the top-10 of the NRRL race, led by Memo Saenz, as the team finished with 56 points.

In the Individual Points race, Brian Cunningham now sits atop the rankings, with 3 =PRR= teammates close behind.

In the women's race, Kinetic Fitness has a strong showing with 6 runners entered in the race.  Team captain Becca Lipscomb led her team and finished 2nd in the NRRL, behind Johanna Mansilla (leading the pack below) of DC Running Coach, whose victory keeps her just ahead of Lipscomb in the overall Individual Points race.  Four other Kinetic runners are in the chase thus far.

The next race for the National Road Racing League schedule is the inaugural Chris Carter Memorial 5k, a twilight race in Arlington on Saturday, June 4th.

Wet, but no rain at the Run For The Animals 5k

The 2nd race in the inaugural National Road Racing League season is complete.  The rain stopped early in the morning in time for the Run For The Animals 5k, which is a fundraiser for the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary.  There were plenty of runners on hand for the 8th annual event that takes place on a very challenging course at Wheaton Regional Park.

Kinetic Fitness and Potomac River Running ran very well and took the 1st place spots in the NRRL team results, as other team took their bye week.  Kinetic and PRR each had some top overall finishers, with PRR placing 4 of its runners in the top-20 of the overall field.  Brian Cunningham led the way with a sub-20 minute performance on the hilly course.  Teammates Chris Marshall and Josh Posilkin rounded out the NRRL podium spots and came in the top-10 of the overall field.

On the women's side, Carolee Williamson of DC Running Coach made it 2-for-2 as she was the first NRRL runner across the line, finishing 5th overall.  Mandie Samuels and Nikki Souris took 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the NRRL competition, with Samuels finishing 7th in the overall field.  Several runners confirmed this course as being one of the toughest 5k courses in the DC area!

The NRRL team and individual rankings are updated on the website.

Mouli and Carolee of DCRC

The next stop on the schedule is the Alexandria Running Festival on Sunday, May 29th, where the NRRL runners will tackle the 5k course at 8:00am.  The Marathon Charity Cooperation has graciously given NRRL runners a discount on registration!

Inaugural NRRL Race Is Now in the Books!

 

The first race of the 2011 National Road Racing Leauge is official, which means the ball is rolling for the NRRL!  All race results and standings can be found on the National Road Racing League website. 

The rain held off on Saturday morning as the Race To Stop The Silence 8k got underway.  With a male and female team each taking their bye week, it was a dual meet on both sides.  In the men's race, DC Running Coach, LLC held off the VIDA Fitness team to capture the inaugural victory.  Eddie Valentine of Arlington, VA led all NRRL runners across the finish line to pave the way for DC Running Coach, thus building a strong case for his future Hall of Fame status.  Jacques Tisne and Grant Garton were next across the line, before 4 more runners came through within nearly 60 seconds of one another, including VIDA captain, Dan Hunt.

On the women's side, Carolee Williamson of DC Running Coach hit a big 8k distance PR and is the first NRRL runner to wear the crown, coming in 1st among NRRL runners and 3rd overall among the entire 8k field.  Claudia Amendola took the silver position in the NRRL (3rd AG) and earned individual points despite VIDA Fitness taking the bye week.  The 3rd NRRL runner across the line was Johanna Mansilla (DC Running Coach), who also won her AG.  Kinetic Fitness team captain, Becca Lipscomb, was 4th in the NRRL race.

As a reminder about the scoring, runners from teams taking their bye week do not factor into the team scores, but these individual runners still earn points in the Individual Rankings.  Individual points and rankings are based on the finishing order of NRRL runners only.

Runners can join an existing team until May 28th, contact us for details!

Special thanks goes to the race directors and staff at Stop The Silence and timing coordinators at the Capital Running Company!

The next stop on the NRRL schedule is the Poplar Spring Run for the Animals 5k at Wheaton Regional Park on Sunday, May 15th @ 8:30am.

Thank you to Liz and Jodi and everyone else who helped get the National Road Racing League up and running!

See you at the next race,

Mike

Kinetic Fitness joins the NRRL & race #1 approaching!

The newest team to join the NRRL is Kinetic Fitness (LLC), which is captained by local running coach Becca Lipscomb.  Becca's team is a formidable bunch, comprised of runners she coaches and other running buddies.  More information on the team will be coming soon via a video interview with the captain and teammates to be posted on the NRRL Youtube page, along with interviews of other league captains. 

The first race is set for this Saturday downtown at Freedom Plaza.  The Race to Stop the Silence 8k will serve as the inaugural race in the National Road Racing League!  We'll bring you plenty of race highlights all season long through this blog. 

Any runners interested in joining a team in the DC Region can check out our Teams page and contact one of the captains.  The transaction deadline to join a team is May 28th. 

See you at the races!

Mike

8th annual Run Ror The Animals 5k added to NRRL

With the recent cancellation of The Bulldog 5k due to construction on the race course, the NRRL is happy to have the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary step up to fill in the slot!

The 8th annual Run for the Animals 5k takes place on Sunday, May 15th at Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton, MD.  The festivities on the day also include a 1-mile fun walk as part of Poplar Spring's fund raising efforts for their charitable mission.

"From the warm up, running and walking on the scenic trails, the dog and people raffles, the prizes, and the abundance of food, a good time will be had by all."

NRRL runners receive $5 off registration!

Thank you to the folks at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary for supporting the NRRL!

This race is the 2nd on the DC Region NRRL schedule, following the Stop the Silence 8k on April 23rd.

Captains' meeting for DC Region is set

The captains' meeting for the Washington DC Region will be held on Saturday, April 16th at 1:00pm at the downtown Capital City Brewing Company.  The meeting will cover the topics of: team rosters, race registrations, race lineups, scoring, team webpages, and uniforms.

The NRRL is open for teams to join until April 23rd, which is the date of the inaugural NRRL race!

Individual runners can be added to any team roster until the transaction deadline on May 28th.

To officially join a team, all runners must register themselves on the NRRL registration page, which is a very quick process.

Entry fees for each team (male/female separately) will be divided among all the runners on the team, but only 1 payment is submitted per team.  This fee covers league T-shirts for all runners, as well as the team trophies and individual plaques for top runners.

VIDA Fitness team meeting this Friday

Hello Runners,

There is a team meeting for VIDA Fitness' running squads this Friday at 6:00pm at Capitol City Brewing Company.  These would be teams comprised mostly of VIDA members (and some staff), but is open to everyone.

Potential group workout times/locations will be discussed, but attendance at workouts would not be mandatory in order to join/compete for the team.  The workouts would most likely be held downtown (on the Mall). 

Please feel free to attend and bring any friends that are interested.

Any runners looking to join a team or form their own team should contact us ASAP!  Registration FAQs can be found on the NRRL website.

Washington Post Express features NRRL!

 

The Express' Vicky Hallett contributed an excellent feature article on the newly created running league, painting an excellent picture of how the league functions and what it hopes to accomplish.

The article helps explain that the league is open to all runners and that it offers both a competitive and a social outlet for local runners.

The registration process for each runner is painless and takes about 10 seconds!  The team entry fee is split among each runner on the 7 - 25 person roster.  After that, get your 5-7 runners ready for each race and do your best!

Interested runners looking to join a team are encouraged to contact us!

Hope to see you at the races,

Mike

Check out the new NRRL commercial!

Let us know what you think!

The NRRL...as easy as 1-2-3.

The NRRL follows a simple format:

Enter 5-7 runners from your roster for the next race on your regional schedule and run fast!  The chip timing does the rest.

Teams only need to compete in the races in their region, and therefore are only in competition with the other teams in that region.  For instance, a DC team need not worry about either of the Delaware schedules or teams.

Team members do not need to register/compete in each race, which is the benefit to having more than 7 people on your roster.  Your team can rotate the starting lineup any way you choose.

The scoring is quite simple, as it follows the same model used in high school and collegiate cross-country, as well as most local 5k's that have a team competition.  Your first 5 runners across the line are your scoring runners.  Whatever place/rank they finish gets added to the team score, so the low score wins (e.g., 1st place = 1 point, etc).

There is a Rules document and FAQs page on the NRRL website with more details, but don't look too far past the basics. 

Registration for each runner is the first step for your team and is done quicker than a 100-meter dash!

Key updates for the NRRL season

Hello Runners,

Since our launch date on January 1st, we have some key updates for all interested runners/teams:

1) The regional schedules are complete with links to each race's own website.

2) The entry fee was reduced to $400 per team, which still keeps us more affordable than most kickball and dodgeball leagues.  Teams would split the cost among its members.

3) We have gone to 1 level of competition for all runners, which makes the only Divisions as Male and Female. We expect each team to have similar calibers of runners no matter how fast or slow you think your team may be.

4) The registration deadline has been extended to April 16th, and the Captain's meetings have been posted.

Share the news with your running group.  The season starts in 5 weeks!

Mike

NRRL in the News!

Very fortunate to get a great write-up by Kevin Tresolini at the Delaware News Journal in today's paper. 

Click HERE for the online version.

And HERE is the Press Release from the Washington Running Report last month.

Races 2 Run plays big role in NRRL

The Delaware North and Delaware South regions of the NRRL will have many of its races organized and timed by Races 2 Run, a company that's been a part of running in Delaware for many years.  9 of the 10 race in the DE North region and 6 of the 8 races in the DE South region are organized by Races2Run.

Many of these races are part of the annual race series Seven Sisters and Two Brothers of Dewey Beach, while others are a part of the 3rd annual Michelob Ultra's Race To The Finish Line Restaurant Series, which is already underway.

The first Races2Run event on the NRRL schedule is the Four Miles of Hope, taking place in Newark on rolling terrain.  Other races hosted by Races2Run also take place in Wilmington and include:

The First Tee of Delaware 5k

5k The Westside Way 

Kid Shelleen's 5k

The Pace For Prevention 5k

Tour de Lance 5k

Racing at the beach gets underway with the 2nd race in the DE South, Jimmy's Grill Bridgeville 5k on May 30th.  The DE South race schedule ends with the Bottle & Cork 10-miler in September.   

Thank you again to Races2Run for all your support!

The First Tee of Delaware hosts its first 5k

With the NRRL in its inaugural season, it's only fitting that there are a few inaugural races on the schedule to benefit local charities.

The First Tee of Delaware is an organization whose mission is "to impact the lives of young people in the state of Delaware by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf."

The organization's inaugural 5k race is Saturday, May 7th @ 9:00am at the Wilmington Waterfront, which makes for the perfect combination of weather and a flat course to run your fastest 5k!  

NRRL members receive $5 off registration with paper/mail-in option.  Click HERE for all the race details and spread the word to your running group!


See you at the race,


Mike

Tri-Sports Events partners with NRRL for 3 races!

Tri-Sports Events and Ray Parker have graciously agreed to bring 3 races to the NRRL race calendar, with 2 races being hosted in Sussex County (DE South), as well as hosting the final race of the 2011 season in New Castle County (DE North).

The first race is the Heart & Sole 5k, which kicks off the DE South season in Seaford on April 30th.  The race starts at 10:00am at West Seaford Elementary School.   

The Dover Air Force Base Heritage Half-Marathon is the only half-marathon in the NRRL this year, so we're fortunate to have it on the calendar.  The race takes place on June 5th at 8:00am.  This event also features a 5k run/walk.

The inaugural NRRL season will end with the PAWS For People 5k on October 22nd.  The event takes place at the relatively new Glasgow Park in Bear and starts at 9:00am.  Dogs welcome!

Tri-Sports Events can be contacted for many race services.  Tri-Sports Events recognizes that running, walking, cycling and multi-sport events help raise thousands of dollars for charities and other organizations. The events they manage help to build awareness in your communities by promoting your cause while raising needed funds for your organization.

We hope to see you at the races!

Mike

Marathon Charity Cooperation partners with NRRL

The Marathon Charity Cooperation is placing two of its events on the NRRL schedule this year for the DC Region.  All MC-Coop races benefit their charity partners.

The first of these races will be the 5k that is part of the larger Alexandria Running Festival, now in its second year.  The Festival also features a Half-Marathon, Half-Marathon Relay and Kid's Run.  The courses go through the Holmes Run and Brenman Park area.  This scenic course is mostly flat and shaded providing a combination of trails, parks, and road running.  The 5k starts at 7:15am.

The popular Friends of the W&OD 10k takes place on July 30th and is a twilight race with a 6:30pm start time!  It's an out-and-back course from the Old Vienna Train Station to Hunter Mill Road.

NRRL runners receive $5 off the 5k race in May, and $10 off the W&OD 10k race in July!

We're happy to have these races added to the schedule and hope to see you out there!

Mike

Pace For Prevention 5k set for August

The 7th annual Pace For Prevention 5k is ready for registration!  The race starts at 8:45am and is being held at the Ironhill Brewery at the Wilmington Waterfront, which has featured a continental breakfast buffet after the race in previous years. 

The race benefits the Tancredi Colon Cancer Prevention Foundation, which promotes colorectal cancer awareness.  We hope to see you there!

Looking to join an NRRL team?

Hello Runners,

If you are unable to form your own band of runners through friends, co-workers, etc, then have no fear!  The NRRL can set you up with an existing team or other runners in a similar situation.

Runners may join an existing team until June 30th, 2012 (transaction deadline).

Just send us an email and let us know the type of team you're looking for (gender, location, etc) and we'll put you in touch with team captains.

The NRRL is designed to cater to runners of all levels, so there is a team out there for everyone.

We hope you can help us spread the word about this new team running league!

Train hard!

Mike

NRRL race schedules are complete!

The DC region and DE North region race calendars are now complete! 

Each region features 5 short races between April and May, with the races becoming more spread out through the summer and fall, totaling 9 races in DC and 11 races in DE North.  Teams can now have a better sense of how their roster will fare against the schedule.

There will not be any half-marathon races in these regions, although the DE South region includes the Dover Air Force Base Half-Marathon.  The DE South regional schedule should be completed by the end of the month.

Speaking of the end of the month, the $50 team registration deadline ends on 2/28!  You may pay the registration fee now and update your roster later.

We would like to thank the local running clubs that have invited us to chat briefly with them before they embarked on a weekly run (most likely in the cold):
Lululemon Logan Circle & Georgetown, Chevy Chase Running Company, Fleet Feet Adams Morgan, and Potomac River Running Cleveland Park.

We will be joining 2 Thursday night runs clubs in this month, City Sports and Fleet Feet's Get FIT program!  Hope to see you out there!

Mike

Looking forward to the Race to Stop the Silence

Races in downtown Washington, DC usually draw a big crowd.  It's not every day you get to run wild through the city streets!  On April 23rd, the 7th annual Race to Stop the Silence takes to the streets, starting at Freedom Plaza on 14th St.  The race features a 5k and 8k, and the NRRL will be joining the 8k for league competition.  It's a flat course in April, perfect conditions for a PR!

The race has a great cause, to expose and stop Child Sexual Abuse and to help survivors heal worldwide.  More information about Stop The Silence can be viewed HERE.

Get your team registered for the NRRL and we'll see you at the races.  Just one more week for the $50 registration discount...

NRRL Press Release!

Check out the press release posted on the Washington Running Report!

The article explains the premise behind the founding of the league.

Four Miles of Hope added to Delaware North

With more races being added to the NRRL schedules, the Four Miles of Hope Run/Walk is the latest addition.  Taking place in Newark, DE, this course promises to be very scenic, yet also challenging with all its rolling hills.

The race is held on April 30th, starting at 9am.  The entry fee is $20 for individuals and a special $10 offer for kids and college students.

The race benefits the Pearce Q. Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising hope and awareness for children battling cancer, with much of the good will being done by children who have already been diagnosed with cancer.  More about the Pearce Q. Foundation can be found HERE.

We hope to see you there!

Mike

What You Need to Succeed

As the NRRL enters its second month of existence and prospective teams consider how they'll fit into the league, remember that a big roster is the secret to success. 

Runners do not have to compete in every race on the schedule, nor do we expect a runner to be available for every race, and that is where teammates come into play.  Each team may only enter 7 runners in its official race lineup, so the team captain (or coach) will have to factor the availability of each runner for each race, along with the ability of each team member to do well at particular race distances (5k through Half Marathon).

There are no age-groups in the NRRL, nor any age-graded times.  This does not imply younger runners somehow have an advantage, as race and training experience and the ability to stay healthy over the whole season will play a large part of your team's success.

There are no professional ("elite") runners in the NRRL, so don't let the Elite Division discourage you from participating.  There is a Weekend Warrior Division for those that wish to keep the competitive drive to a minimum, but most runners in the NRRL will be the same runners you see on the trails on the weekend.

Finally, the NRRL adds a new element to your group's training and weekly running social gatherings.  You can now compete as a team on a more regular basis and encourage each other to attempt races in new parts of the DC area, or perhaps pushing harder at a new race distance.

This is the future of team racing!  Consider registering today!

Mike

Potomac River Running to host NRRL races

The good folks at Potomac River Running will be hosting NRRL races in May and October, using existing races from their 2011 =PRR= Race Series.

The May 21st race is a twilight race!  The 6:30pm event will begin the 1st Annual Christopher Carter Memorial 5k and will be held in Arlington. 

The October races are the Run for the Parks 10k on 10/2 in Hains Point, which may have a reduced entry fee for NRRL runners, and the 3rd Annual Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8k on 10/16 in Arlington.

More details coming soon.

Delaware race schedules shaping up

With the help of Wayne Kursh at Races2Run, the Delaware North & South regions have had many races added to their respective schedules. 

The Wilmington Riverfront is now a hotbed for hosting DE races, alongside the Trolley Square area of Wilmington.  In Delaware's southern county, Dewey Beach and Lewes are ever-popular destinations for relaxation (even from the Virginia and DC folks), but competitive running is a staple of Sussex County.

Check out the updated race calendars.  We hope to have the schedules for all 3 regions completed by the end of the month.  Don't forget the registration discount ends on Feb 28th!

Happy running,

Mike

Kit's Miracle Mile joins the NRRL!

Another race has been added to the NRRL race schedule, Kit's Miracle Mile, which offers a 10K Run, 2 Mile Run/Walk, 1/4 Mile Fun Run, a Little Tykes Fun Run, plus a whole morning of festivities.

The 10k portion of this event will be an NRRL race.

The 8th annual event will take place on Sept 18th, 2011 at George Mason University, with a special cash prize being awarded to the top male and female NRRL runners!

Like so many races in the area, the race has a great cause.  Read about it here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The first team has registered!

DC Running Coach has become the first team to register for the NRRL.  With 9 runners and counting on its roster, the male team is stocked with plenty of fast runners from DC, MD, and VA!  A female team is in the works.

Their NRRL team webpage can be found HERE.

Teams that register for the NRRL will be able to create a team webpage on the NRRL site to let the rest of the run community know a bit more about them through uploaded interviews with the team, individual bios, training sites, links to the team's official website, and a team picture!

VIDA Fitness, a fitness club chain in DC is expected to be the 2nd team to register...stay tuned!

Hoping to see more teams register this month.  Train hard!

Mike

Bulldog 5k is first race to join the NRRL!

My favorite race in the DC region is the Bulldog 5k, so we are happy to have its 5th annual running be the first race to partner up with the NRRL!  The race is slated for Saturday, May 14th.  NRRL runners receive $5 off registration.

The first mile is all downhill, but it's a deceivingly hard course with plenty of hills rolling through the Chevy Chase neighborhoods.  Leave the stopwatch at home!

The race is supported with MoCo police, as well as a complimentary tote bag, DJ, delicious post-race food, and top-notch gift certificates for the overall podium finishers.  Chip timing will be provided by Montgomery County Road Runners.

Thank you Cindy and Lisa for your support.

Onward,

Mike

NRRL Registration

Hello Runners,

Team registration opened on New Year's Day and closes on April 16th.  Remember there is only 1 entry fee to submit per team ($400), in which the members of the team can divide the cost.  The cost per runner will range from $16 - $57, depending on how many are on your roster (7 - 25 runners).

Register by February 28th and receive $50 off the entry fee!

Each member of the team (including the captain) must register their name individually using the quick-and-easy online process.

Once payment has been received and the team captain has registered, the captain will receive instructions for setting up the team website with any pictures, interviews, videos, bios, etc, as well as information for the captains' meetings in April to finalize the NRRL race schedule.

The registration process is completed on the NRRL site.

I hope you're getting excited to race in 2011!

Mike