Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler – Race Report

This annual race Washington DC is billed as “The Runner’s Rite of Spring” and is a must as a runner living in the DC Metro area. The race takes place during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival put on by DC in order to celebrate the blooming of the cherry blossoms gifted to DC by the Japanese government.

After two and a half years as a runner, living and running in and around DC, I finally ran the race this year. I actually may not have ever run this race but a good friend of mine who loves 10 milers was running so I decided to run with her.

I had mixed feelings about this race. First, it’s huge, with close to 15,000 runners it makes for a crowded event. There was a 30 minute line to get in to the National Building Museum on Saturday to pick up the race packet. We ended up crossing the start line 15 minutes after the gun because of the line for the porta-potties. Once we finally got underway, the race never thinned out and I spent 99% of the time bobbing and weaving. This is far from my ideal race conditions.

On the other hand, it’s a spring tradition that I am glad I got to partake in and it is always fun to run with a friend. It is a great feeling to be out on the streets of DC, running among the gorgeous cherry blossoms with great views of the Potomac River, historic landmarks like the Washington Monument (where the race starts and ends) and the Jefferson Memorial and famous DC buildings like the Kennedy Center and the Watergate Hotel. The crowd support is fun and everyone is in high spirits (especially with the wonderful spring weather we lucked out with for this year’s race – sunny and in the 50s).

However, I don’t know that I would run this one on my own. It is just so huge! It is mind-boggling to be part of a huge moving mass of people all taking part in a great athletic tradition; however, is it really worth the hassle and bother (and cost!)?

I will continue to run this race as long as my friend signs up for it but I found myself envious of the runners I saw during and after the race who were out on that fine morning enjoying their own run. They seemed so much freer than me being swept along by the moving herd.

Finish time: 1:35:00, 9:30 pace