• Metro: We have made getting to the race site by Metro easier than ever. We hope to have a large increase in the number of participants and spectators using Metro. The Smithsonian Metro stop (Orange and Blue lines is only ¼ mile from the start and finish line. Therefore there will be no shuttle buses to board after riding Metro this year. In addition, Metro will open at 5 a.m. on race morning providing more time for participants to take Metro from the outlying stops. Don’t forget to factor the 7:50 a.m. start time – five minutes earlier than last year – into your travel plans. If you wish to take a short warm-up to the race site you can exit the Red Line at Metro Center (.9 of a mile to the start), the Yellow and Green Line at Archives/Navy Memorial (.9 of a mile to the start) or the Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green lines to L’Enfant Plaza (.8 of a mile from the start).

Getting to the Race by Other Means

• Shuttle Buses from the Headquarters Hotel: Shuttle bus service will be available from the Crystal Gateway Marriott for guests registered at the official race hotel. Last bus leaves at 7 a.m. sharp from the front of the hotel!

• Driving: The new race course means that there will be no parking south of Constitution Ave., NW. There will be no parking on either Jefferson Dr. or Madison Dr. along the Mall between 7^th St. and 14^th St. If you are determined to drive, suggested parking areas include Constitution Avenue and surrounding side streets. Parking is no longer available at the Pentagon North Parking lot or at the Kennedy Center parking garage. Cars parked on the grass will be towed. Street closings begin as early as 7:00 a.m. Please do not plan to show up at the race site in a vehicle after 7:00 a.m. and expect to find parking anywhere in the vicinity of the start/finish line.

• By bicycle: There are a limited number of bike racks on the Washington Monument Grounds. Do not lock bicycles to any of the race barricades; either the locks will be cut or the bicycles will be stored with the barricades until next spring.

Staging Area

The staging area for the 10-mile run will be on the Washington Monument Grounds nearest the intersection of 15^th St. and Constitution Ave., NW. The staging area for the 5k Run-Walk will be in the square bounded by 15^th St., Independence Ave., SW, 14^th St., and Jefferson Dr. Click Here for a Staging Area Map.

Bag Check (opens at 6:30 a.m.)

There will be a large tent for checking your belongings on the Washington Monument Grounds. Runners must place their belongings in the clear drawstring goodie bags obtained at packet pick-up. These bags will have a place to write your bib number with a marker directly on the bag itself. In addition, there will be a tear off portion on the top of your bib number to affix to your bag in a visible location for additional identification purposes. You must check your bag at the tent no later than 7:30 a.m. and all bags must be retrieved by 11:00 a.m. Please note that we cannot accept backpacks and other large items. All checked items must fit in the clear plastic bag. Your belongings are checked at your own risk. Please do not leave valuables.

Using the Porta-Johns

There will be 130 porta-johns in the staging area. Please do not urinate anywhere else. We are guests in a National Park. Several years ago runners “relieved themselves” on the FDR Memorial which was an embarrassment to the race organizers and nearly caused our permit to be revoked. Please use the porta-johns only! Staff porta-johns are intended to expedite getting volunteers back to their jobs. Please do not attempt to use “Staff” toilets. We ask that spectators and volunteers try to use the porta-johns either before 7:15 a.m. or after 7:50 a.m. so we can keep the race participant lines down to a minimum as the starting time approaches.

Courses

10 Mile: Flat and fast. USATF Certified (DC07001JS). Digital clocks at every mile. Water available at start, water and Gatorade Endurance Formula on the course and at the finish. DrinkMore Water, compliments of Navy Federal Credit Union, also available at the finish. Click Here for a Course Map.

5K Run-Walk: Flat and fast, out-and-back course. USATF Certified (DC07002JS). Click Here for a Course Map.

Runner Bib Number

Pin your bib number on the front of your shirt or shorts. Your bib number must be visible at all times during the race or you may be subject to disqualification. Please complete the important emergency medical and contact information on the back of the bib and make note of the special discount coupon from Metro Run & Walk.

Starting Times

7:40 a.m. - Special start for about 30 of our elite women 10-milers 7:49 a.m. - Wheelchair race start
7:50 a.m. - First wave of the 10-mile race
8:03 a.m. - Final wave of the 10-mile race
8:15 a.m. - Kids' Run Start
8:40 a.m. - 5K Run-Walk Start

Seeding Runners

Runners have been pre-assigned to starting corrals based on your projected finishing times. Click Here for information about the Wave Start.

Wearing the Chip

Be sure you have affixed your chip in the laces of your running shoes. You must wear your chip or you will not be scored. Once the race is over, race volunteers will help you remove your chip. Runners who do not turn in their chips will be assessed a $30 lost chip fee. If you arrive home with the rental chip, please return it by mail to Capital Running Company, CUCB Chips, 13710 Ashby Rd., Rockville, MD 20853.

Teams

No team check-in on race day. Teams scored by net time. Unfortunately due to number switching, team results will not be announced on race day.

The Finish Line

There will be a large digital clock at the finish line. When you cross the finish line and the series of mats that determine your chip time, keep moving. This allows room for others to complete their runs. Approximately 30 yards past the finish line you will find volunteers to help you remove your chip. Do not re-enter the course or cross the chip mats at the finish a second time.

Timing and Time Limits – Strictly Enforced This Year!

With the wave start all runners except those finishing among the top 25 men and women will be scored and placed based on net times. All runners must complete the course in less than 2 hours and 20 minutes. Runners not maintaining a 14-minute-per-mile pace at 5 miles will have to leave the course. If you fall behind 14-minute-per-mile pace during the second half of the race you will need to board one of our sweep vehicles. If you have any doubt about your ability to finish 10 miles in less than 2 hours and 20 minutes, please contact Drew Woodrich at office@runwashington.com and transfer to the 5k Run-Walk.

Safety Rules

• No headphones allowed. Running with a dog, baby stroller or racing stroller is prohibited. No skates allowed.

• Remain inside the coned lanes on the course and stay on the roadway at all times. You may be disqualified if you “cut” the race course.

• Race officials reserve the right to remove any runner from the course for medical or any other valid reason.

• We discourage spectators from bringing pets. However, if a spectator accompanying you brings a dog to the race site, please be sure it is leashed at all times and kept well back of the start/finish area.

• Be careful of potholes and the chip mats on the course and at the finish.

Cheating

Video security personnel and scorers will monitor the course at various points to ensure that all finishers run the designated course. Marshals will note persons entering or leaving the course.

Cheaters will be banned from future editions of the race at the discretion of the Race Committee.

Treatment of Volunteers

The race committee will not tolerate inconsiderate behavior toward any of our 1,200 volunteers. Anyone treating a volunteer official in an abusive manner will be immediately disqualified from the race.

Drug Testing

Athletes who participate in this competition may be subject to drug testing in accordance with the IAAF Procedural Guidelines for Doping Control or the Olympic Movement Anti-Doping Code. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) will carry out drug testing, and the adjudication of positive findings. Athletes found to have committed a doping violation will be disciplined according to the USADA Protocol and suspended, if appropriate, according to applicable IAAF rules. Such penalties may result in a period of ineligibility as well as disqualification from the event. Any substance taken by an athlete is at his/her own risk and may result in a positive sample. (This includes cold medicines, nutritional supplements, and some over the counter medicines.) Information on banned drugs and drug testing may be obtained by calling the USADA Drug Reference Hotline at 1-800-233-0393 or at the USADA website, www.usantidoping.org.

5K Run-Walk

Participants in this event will be timed using the chip and will receive all the race amenities. Results will be published in the post-race results publication. The 5K Run-Walk will begin at 8:40 a.m. on 15^th St., SW (also known as Raoul Wallenberg Pl.) about midway between the intersections of 15^th St. and Independence Ave., SW and 15^th St. and Maine Ave., SW. Staging for the 5k will take place in the rectangle bounded by 15^th St., Independence Ave., 14^th St., and Jefferson Dr., SW. No headphones, dogs, baby strollers or racing strollers, or skates are allowed in the 5K.

1K Kids’ Run

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is not just for grown-ups! We offer a non-competitive 1K run for kids ages 6 through 12 on the Washington Monument Grounds on Sunday, April 6, the same day as the ten mile. No pre-registration is required for this event and the event is free. Parents show up with their children, register, sign a waiver and the kids are set to run.

Start Time: The event will start at 8:15 a.m.

Location: The event will start on the Washington Monument Grounds. Signs and announcements will direct children and their parents to the exact location.

Registration: The kids’ run is free but all children must be registered. Registration will be at the race site, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Parents or legal guardians of all participating children must sign a waiver prior to the start.

Awards: No times or places will be kept, but all finishers will receive a medal.

Further Information: Visit www.cherryblossom.org or call the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Hotline at 301-320-3350.