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Marathon Details - Potomac River Run Fall Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MD > Carderock > Potomac River Run Fall Marathon

Potomac River Run Fall Marathon

Potomac River Run Fall Marathon & Half Marathon

Carderock, MD USA

October 19, 2024

http://www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/dean/index.php

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2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2013 2012 Top 3 Finishers

Contact Information

Name:	Jay Jacob Wind
Address:	Safety And Health Foundation 611 South Ivy Street Arlington VA 22204-2429
Phone Number:	703-927-4833
Fax Number:	703-521-6157
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (9)

Course 4.3

Organization 4.3

Spectators 3.2

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Number of comments: 9

J. S. from ND (10/7/2019) "Great, small towpath run" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a great little local race. The course is a flat, scenic towpath through a beautiful national park along the Potomac River. It starts and ends in DC so I used it for DC in my 50 state plus DC quest. It's a unique, small no frills race. The money it generates goes to a number of good causes. The race director loves running and loves this race and it shows. The guy that won the 2018 MCM was in this race as well. He won. So that was cool too.
J. F. from Massachusetts (10/29/2017) "Nice race but not as flat & fast as advertised" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the fall HALF marathon (one out & back, as opposed to the double out & back for the marathoners) on 10/28/17. The surface is rocky gravel - not as fast as a pavement surface, but more forgiving on the legs. There were also small hills whenever there was trail access - though not steep, since this is an out & back it was downhill on the way out, and uphill on the way back - making you work harder on the return if you wanted to be evenly paced. This is a small, no frills race ... as such the organization might have been a bit lacking, but overall it worked out fine and one just needs to have the right expectations. The race is not chip timed, and the trail is open for public use, so runners do need to be aware they will be sharing the trail with walkers, other runners, and cyclists. Overall it was a nice, small race.
J. A. from Minnesota (11/17/2015) "Nice little race with great RD" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Disclaimer: the RD let me into the race even after the limit had filled so I'm biased. The course is on a crushed gravel path and is a double out and back. They offer early start times for folks who need them as they have a hard 2:00 pm cut off, though it seems the cut off wasn't that stringent. There were 3 water stops staggered through out, but there was only water and Gatorade, so if you want gels, bring your own. The run along the canal was quite scenic and offered quite a bit of shade which helped as we had a pretty warm day. Thanks Jay for putting on a great race.
JOHN SHATTO from FREDERICK, MARYLAND (11/16/2015) "AN EXCELLENT SOFT COURSE WITH GREAT RIVER VIEWS." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I WAS LOOKING FOR A LOCAL MARATHON WITH A SOFTER SURFACE AND DISCOVERED THE POTOMAC RIVER RUN FALL MARATHON. GREAT COMMUNICATION FROM ORGANIZER WITH FLAT GRAVEL SURFACE AND FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE TO OR FROM HALF TO FULL MARATHON. EXCELLENT AND FREQUENT RACE WATER AND GEL STATIONS. IT FEATURES AND OUT AND BACK COURSE WITHOUT TURNS OR DODGING TRAFFIC. BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OF RIVER WITH HISTORIC CANAL LOCKS AND LOCK HOUSES. A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR MY MIND AND LEGS.
B. B. from Texas (12/2/2014) "One of those small hidden gems" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 OK, I'm biased because I chose this one to finish my 50 states and the RD went out of his way to congratulate me, but if you want to avoid the big city, crowded, commercialized races, run here. The course is an out and back twice along a canal - pretty and totally flat. You park nearby and the start and finish are in the trees. My race (which started at 8 a.m.) only had 76 finishers, and the bigger race at 9:00 didn't have many more. The course support was more than adequate. The finish line had much more food than larger marathons. This is put on by a local running club - my running cap is off to them for all of their hard work.
C. F. from Orange County, NY (11/17/2014) "Great November marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was looking for a small race, flat course. I don't need spectators, bands, crowds - I just want to run. The course was great. Flat. Truly flat. You run out 6.55 miles, head back to the start, and do it all again. I think because this is a small field, most of the entrants are experienced marathoners, which makes for a very courteous, pleasant experience. The communication from the race director was excellent. I have been disappointed by the food at too many other marathons so I now always pack my own post-race meal, so I can't comment on the food. However, all the volunteers at this race were wonderful and there were plenty of aid stations. And for a such a small race, there were more spectators than I was expecting to see. I would absolutely run this race again and again.
D. L. from Washington, DC (11/19/2013) "Very small local race" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I ran the half but am writing a report so you have something up on the board. This is a small, inexpensive local race. No chips, just gun time. You don't enter for the bling - the shirt and medal are cheap. This is an easy race in which to do well because of the flat course and small field. Its out and back on the C & O Towpath - twice for the marathon. I love these kinds of races because you get to see runners' faces as opposed to just their backs. A key aid station ran out of everything not cool - but I understand they ran out and replenished it, just not in time for me. Also, I thought the finish line was a bit chaotic.
P. K. from Cincinnati, OH (11/19/2013) "A Well-Kept Secret" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a modest marathon that goes out of its way to accommodate. I signed up a month previous, but several days before the race I had to cancel due to an infection. No problem. The race director deferred my registration to the following spring (this race is twice per year). Then the day before, I'd healed enough to run it, and he squeezed me back in. Then the morning of the race I was able to change my 9 am start time to an 'early-bird' time of 8 am (enabling me to get a jump on my 9-hour drive home). To top it off, I lost my wallet during the pre-race bib pickup, but someone had found it, turned it in, and the officials were holding it for me (thanks to everyone!). Aside from the friendliness and hospitality, there are some other advantages to this race: it starts in a park on the Potomac River; flat course on a soft gravel towpath between the river and canal; good proximity to hotels and highway; several opportunities for packet pickup, in varied locations around DC; money goes to a good cause (the Safety and Health Foundation); great email updates, immediate race results, finisher's certificate. The negatives (no mile markers or split times, congested finish area, minimal spectators) aren't really negatives, they're just normal for a small, homespun race like this. This run was a memorial to one Dean Schulman, who was a founding member of the board that organized the race. He'd be really proud of how it was conducted.
J. D. from Frederick, MD (11/18/2013) "Small race, big fun!" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I went into this race with no expectations, and I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a small race without any of the extra fluff you see in big city races these days, and if you like running solo in a quiet, natural setting without crowds of people cheering you on, then this event is for you. The race was very well-organized, the RD was kind and knowledgeable, and all of the volunteers were extremely friendly and helpful. The course is out & back 6.55 miles two times, and while some might find that boring, I thought that having four parts made the race much more manageable in my head. One of my favorite parts of the race was how personal it felt. Because there weren't too many people (about 350 for both the marathon and the half-marathon, which take place simultaneously), and because you ran past the same places multiple times, you kept seeing the same faces over and over again, and I thought the sense of camaraderie was awesome. There weren't too many spectators, but the few that were there were fantastic. I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a fun, quiet, low-key marathon. I am very much looking forward to doing it again next year (or maybe just the half!)!



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J. S. from ND (10/7/2019) "Great, small towpath run" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a great little local race. The course is a flat, scenic towpath through a beautiful national park along the Potomac River. It starts and ends in DC so I used it for DC in my 50 state plus DC quest. It's a unique, small no frills race. The money it generates goes to a number of good causes. The race director loves running and loves this race and it shows. The guy that won the 2018 MCM was in this race as well. He won. So that was cool too.
J. F. from Massachusetts (10/29/2017) "Nice race but not as flat & fast as advertised" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the fall HALF marathon (one out & back, as opposed to the double out & back for the marathoners) on 10/28/17. The surface is rocky gravel - not as fast as a pavement surface, but more forgiving on the legs. There were also small hills whenever there was trail access - though not steep, since this is an out & back it was downhill on the way out, and uphill on the way back - making you work harder on the return if you wanted to be evenly paced. This is a small, no frills race ... as such the organization might have been a bit lacking, but overall it worked out fine and one just needs to have the right expectations. The race is not chip timed, and the trail is open for public use, so runners do need to be aware they will be sharing the trail with walkers, other runners, and cyclists. Overall it was a nice, small race.
J. A. from Minnesota (11/17/2015) "Nice little race with great RD" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Disclaimer: the RD let me into the race even after the limit had filled so I'm biased. The course is on a crushed gravel path and is a double out and back. They offer early start times for folks who need them as they have a hard 2:00 pm cut off, though it seems the cut off wasn't that stringent. There were 3 water stops staggered through out, but there was only water and Gatorade, so if you want gels, bring your own. The run along the canal was quite scenic and offered quite a bit of shade which helped as we had a pretty warm day. Thanks Jay for putting on a great race.
JOHN SHATTO from FREDERICK, MARYLAND (11/16/2015) "AN EXCELLENT SOFT COURSE WITH GREAT RIVER VIEWS." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I WAS LOOKING FOR A LOCAL MARATHON WITH A SOFTER SURFACE AND DISCOVERED THE POTOMAC RIVER RUN FALL MARATHON. GREAT COMMUNICATION FROM ORGANIZER WITH FLAT GRAVEL SURFACE AND FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE TO OR FROM HALF TO FULL MARATHON. EXCELLENT AND FREQUENT RACE WATER AND GEL STATIONS. IT FEATURES AND OUT AND BACK COURSE WITHOUT TURNS OR DODGING TRAFFIC. BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OF RIVER WITH HISTORIC CANAL LOCKS AND LOCK HOUSES. A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR MY MIND AND LEGS.
B. B. from Texas (12/2/2014) "One of those small hidden gems" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 OK, I'm biased because I chose this one to finish my 50 states and the RD went out of his way to congratulate me, but if you want to avoid the big city, crowded, commercialized races, run here. The course is an out and back twice along a canal - pretty and totally flat. You park nearby and the start and finish are in the trees. My race (which started at 8 a.m.) only had 76 finishers, and the bigger race at 9:00 didn't have many more. The course support was more than adequate. The finish line had much more food than larger marathons. This is put on by a local running club - my running cap is off to them for all of their hard work.
C. F. from Orange County, NY (11/17/2014) "Great November marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was looking for a small race, flat course. I don't need spectators, bands, crowds - I just want to run. The course was great. Flat. Truly flat. You run out 6.55 miles, head back to the start, and do it all again. I think because this is a small field, most of the entrants are experienced marathoners, which makes for a very courteous, pleasant experience. The communication from the race director was excellent. I have been disappointed by the food at too many other marathons so I now always pack my own post-race meal, so I can't comment on the food. However, all the volunteers at this race were wonderful and there were plenty of aid stations. And for a such a small race, there were more spectators than I was expecting to see. I would absolutely run this race again and again.
D. L. from Washington, DC (11/19/2013) "Very small local race" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I ran the half but am writing a report so you have something up on the board. This is a small, inexpensive local race. No chips, just gun time. You don't enter for the bling - the shirt and medal are cheap. This is an easy race in which to do well because of the flat course and small field. Its out and back on the C & O Towpath - twice for the marathon. I love these kinds of races because you get to see runners' faces as opposed to just their backs. A key aid station ran out of everything not cool - but I understand they ran out and replenished it, just not in time for me. Also, I thought the finish line was a bit chaotic.
P. K. from Cincinnati, OH (11/19/2013) "A Well-Kept Secret" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a modest marathon that goes out of its way to accommodate. I signed up a month previous, but several days before the race I had to cancel due to an infection. No problem. The race director deferred my registration to the following spring (this race is twice per year). Then the day before, I'd healed enough to run it, and he squeezed me back in. Then the morning of the race I was able to change my 9 am start time to an 'early-bird' time of 8 am (enabling me to get a jump on my 9-hour drive home). To top it off, I lost my wallet during the pre-race bib pickup, but someone had found it, turned it in, and the officials were holding it for me (thanks to everyone!). Aside from the friendliness and hospitality, there are some other advantages to this race: it starts in a park on the Potomac River; flat course on a soft gravel towpath between the river and canal; good proximity to hotels and highway; several opportunities for packet pickup, in varied locations around DC; money goes to a good cause (the Safety and Health Foundation); great email updates, immediate race results, finisher's certificate. The negatives (no mile markers or split times, congested finish area, minimal spectators) aren't really negatives, they're just normal for a small, homespun race like this. This run was a memorial to one Dean Schulman, who was a founding member of the board that organized the race. He'd be really proud of how it was conducted.
J. D. from Frederick, MD (11/18/2013) "Small race, big fun!" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Fall Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I went into this race with no expectations, and I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a small race without any of the extra fluff you see in big city races these days, and if you like running solo in a quiet, natural setting without crowds of people cheering you on, then this event is for you. The race was very well-organized, the RD was kind and knowledgeable, and all of the volunteers were extremely friendly and helpful. The course is out & back 6.55 miles two times, and while some might find that boring, I thought that having four parts made the race much more manageable in my head. One of my favorite parts of the race was how personal it felt. Because there weren't too many people (about 350 for both the marathon and the half-marathon, which take place simultaneously), and because you ran past the same places multiple times, you kept seeing the same faces over and over again, and I thought the sense of camaraderie was awesome. There weren't too many spectators, but the few that were there were fantastic. I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a fun, quiet, low-key marathon. I am very much looking forward to doing it again next year (or maybe just the half!)!

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Marathon Details - Potomac River Run Fall Marathon