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Lower Potomac River Marathon Sunday, March 8, 2009 |
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Start/Finish at Paul Hall Center, Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, Piney Point, MD. Enjoy a post-race hot meal and a waterfront view in the well-appointed dining room of the Paul Hall Center, and linger at your table for the awards presentation. Showers available.
Medals to all finishers. Cash prizes ($250, $150, $100) to the top three men and women overall. Awards to the top three finishers in ten-year age groups. Course record bonus for 2009, sponsored by St. Clement's Medical Group. $100 cash bonus to the top male and female runners who set a course record in 2009. The men's record is 2:33:05, set by John Piggott of Williamsburg, VA in 2007. The women's record is 3:19:56, set by Julie Porter of Natrona Heights, PA in 2006. Race Start: 7:15 a.m. Reminder - Daylight Saving Time starts at 2:00 a.m. on March 8, so you'll be losing an hour the night before the race. Don't forget to set your clock AHEAD one hour the night before. Packet pickup will be held on Saturday, March 7, from 2:00 to 6:00 pm at the Paul Hall Center, Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. Pick up a free Clif Bar® compliments of The Good Earth Natural Foods Company. You may pick up your packet at the venue on race morning beginning at 6:30 a.m. Scenic course (course overview map / USATF certification map), mostly flat (see elevation profile), offers wonderful views of the lower Potomac River from charming St. George Island and Piney Point, and a fast out & back route past farms and fields on a rural highway. There will be water/aid stations approximately every two miles, and portable toilets on the course. Boston 2010 Qualifier - USATF Certification Number MD04016JS. Weekend Update: Read the Letter to Runners that the Race Director sent on March 1, 2009. Safety: There are no road closures. Traffic is generally very light on Rte 249, St. George Island, and Lighthouse Road. Rte 249 has 12' wide, paved shoulders to safely accommodate runners. Runners will run on the left side of the roads, facing traffic, throughout the marathon course. St. George Island and Lighthouse Road are residential. The roads are paved, but have no shoulders. Stay to your left at all times. Course marshals will be on hand to direct any traffic to ensure unimpeded passage by the runners. A police officer will be stationed at the north turnaround point to ensure that runners cross Rte 249 unimpeded by traffic. Bicyclists will also patrol the course. Although you head out and back on Rte 249, please consider this segment of the course a loop, and DO NOT CROSS RTE 249 except at the policed crossover at Mile 18.8. There are ample water/aid stations, so you shouldn't need to cross the highway for water or drink. If you absolutely must cross in an emergency, please remember that there are no road closures, and exercise caution - look both ways! Please, no headsets/earbuds or other portable listening devices, pets, strollers, baby joggers, bicycles (other than official bicycle marshals), Sherpas, unregistered runners, or rollerblades/skates on the course. Water/Aid: There will be water/aid stations approximately every two miles, and portable toilets on the course. Ultima Replenisher® is the official hydration beverage. Energy gels will be offered at the aid station at Cedar Cove Lane, approx. at mile 14.6. Special Needs Tables: Do you concoct your own special marathon drink? Do you crave a banana at Mile 15 or (like me) a Diet Coke at Mile 23? We'll indulge you by having your special need available for you at the Cedar Cove Lane aid station, Mile ~14.6, or the one across from it at Mile ~23. You provide the item, and for a small donation, the club or charity in charge of special needs (to be determined) will place it at the designated aid station. Bring your special item(s) to the Special Needs desk on race morning, and we'll do the rest. Time Limit: We have set a time limit of 5 hours and 45 minutes. Our road permit stipulates that the course closes at 1:00 pm, and that the deputy sheriff directing traffic at the Rte 249 crossing may leave his post at 11:30 am. This is to ensure that all runners finish in time to enjoy the post-race hot buffet at the Paul Hall Center's dining room, and to ease the workload on our dedicated volunteers. (The buffet must close at 1:15 pm so the crew can begin preparing the evening meal.) All runners must make the crossing at the Rte 249 turnaround (~18.8 miles) by 11:30 am, and reach the aid station at the corner of Drayden Rd (~21.8 miles) by 12:05 pm. Runners who have not reached these checkpoints by the cutoff times may be 'swept' at the discretion of the Race Director and/or Director of Course Operations, and provided transportation to the finish. Weather: Average temperature for race day is 49° F. Click here for the local forecast.
COURSE SUMMARY: Mile ~8 to ~11, Rte 249 and Lighthouse Road: Continue north on 249 for approximately .9 miles; turn left on Lighthouse Rd. and run approximately 1.1 mile to the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum. Turn around and return to Rte 249. Mile ~11 to ~18.8, Rte 249 and Batman's Head: Run north on Rte 249. There's a gradual climb to around Mile 16, then a gentle downhill (Batman's ear) to the crossover at approximately Mile 18.8. Mile ~18.8 to the finish: Run south on Rte 249, back over Batman's ear. It's a gentle downhill slope from here, and a straight shot back to Harry Lundeberg School. Around Mile 26 you'll sight the course marshal who'll wave you left, back through the same gate where you started, and to the finish line!
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| Entry Fees | |||||||||||
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| $10 discount to Chesapeake Bay Running Club, Pax Velo, So MD Tri, and SIU members. Entry fees are non-refundable. | |||||||||||
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Piney Point is in St. Mary's County, a little over an hour south of the Capital Beltway. St. Mary's County is served by the three airports serving the Washington, DC metro area: Baltimore-Washington International (BWI), Reagan National (DCA), and Washington-Dulles (IAD). Although limo service is available, we recommend renting a car.
Lexington Park is the commercial center of St. Mary's County, and is an easy 20-minute drive from the race venue. Hotels, chain restaurants, office parks and shopping centers are located on Rte 235, the main thoroughfare, near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
From Points North: From 395: Take 295 South to Suitland Rd. Exit 3A, then take the Branch Ave/Rte 5 South exit just past the Naylor Rd. Metro Station. You'll be about 3 miles north of the Beltway. Continue as above. From Annapolis and North: Take Rte 2/4 south, following signs to Prince Frederick. Continue past Prince Frederick on Rte 4 south. About 20 miles south of Prince Frederick, you'll pass the town of Solomons. Continue on Rte 4 on the Thomas Johnson Bridge across the Patuxent River to St. Mary's County. About five miles later, Rte 4 crosses Rte 235. Stay on Rte 4 (it becomes St. Andrew's Church Rd at this point). Continue about 6 miles, to where it ends at Rte 5. Turn left and take Rte 5 south for about 8 miles to Rte 249 (Shell Station on right); turn right and go 7.3 miles. Turn left on St. George's Avenue. The entrance to Harry Lundeberg school is 1/10 mile on your right.
From Points South: |
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| Relay Details | |||||||||||
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The relay event has been eliminated. If you’d like to run a shorter distance race on the marathon course we offer the Lower Potomac River 10-Mile Run in October. Stay tuned to our website for details.
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Volunteers are needed as course marshals, bicycle escorts, water/aid station crew, and for various duties at the finish line, such as handing out medals and serving "immediate replenishment" food and drink to the finishers. Volunteers will receive a commemorative race t-shirt and effusive thanks from the runners and race organizers, and are welcome to join in the post-race festivities.
Volunteering is a fun and rewarding way for non-runners to get involved in road racing. Runners, if your support crew wants to do more than cheer from the sidelines, we'd love to have them help out. They can staff a water/aid station in the early miles of the course, and return to the finish line in time to give you your finisher's medal. We also need volunteers for pre-race activities such as bag stuffing (bib #'s, t-shirt, and course info) and registration. If you're an EMT, or CPR or Basic First Aid certified, you're especially needed at an aid station on the course, or at the finish line. Volunteers can also win an award without running on race day. A prize will be given to the best water/aid station based on spirit (loud cheering!) and efficiency. We'll provide the water, sports drink, and gels - you provide the cheers, and anything else that runners might like - Gummi Bears, M&M's... This is a great opportunity for sports teams, scout troops, charitable organizations, or any group of friends to show support for our runners and give them a Southern Maryland welcome! We'll train you for your race-day duties. If you're interested in volunteering, contact Liza Recto at lizalasagna@hotmail.com or by phone at (301) 863-8431. We'll put you on the volunteer list and keep you updated. |
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| Sponsors | |||||||||||
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Thank you to our 2008 Gold sponsors:
If your organization would like to sponsor the 2009 CBRC Lower Potomac Marathon, please contact Liza Recto. |
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| Hotels | |||||||||||
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Hampton Inn has blocked no-smoking rooms with king-sized beds for $115/night plus taxes. Ask for the group rate for the Lower Potomac River Marathon. You must make your reservation by January 6, 2009 to take advantage of this rate.
The local address is 22211 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20653. The local phone # is 301-863-3200. Below are other options. These hotels are all (except Sleep Inn) within a 2-mile stretch of Rte 235, the main thoroughfare of Lexington Park, which is the commercial center of St. Mary’s County and an easy 15-20 minute drive from the race venue.
Directions from Hampton Inn to Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship: Turn right from the hotel parking lot onto Rte 235 south. Go about .8 miles to No. Shangri-La Drive and turn right. Go about .2 miles to Great Mills Rd and turn right. Take Great Mills Rd to the end, about 3 miles, and turn right on Rte 5. Go 1.4 miles and turn left at Rte 249 (Shell Station on the left). Go 7.3 miles and turn left at St. George Avenue. The entrance to Harry Lundeberg School is 2/10 mile on your right. |
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| Marathon Weekend Activities | |||||||||||
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Run #4 of our 6-run Trail Series will be held on Saturday, March 7, at Myrtle Point Park in St. Mary’s County (about 7 miles from Hampton Inn). These are low-key informal runs (no t-shirts or awards), but we do time each runner and post results, and serve refreshments. The Myrtle Point run starts at 9:30 a.m. and is a 3K over wooded trails with views of the Patuxent River. Join us - and bring your support crew - for some friendly competition and camaraderie, or just enjoy a scenic and social pre-marathon warmup. Race day entry fee is $5 for marathoners and their support crews. Click here for more details. Join us for our convivial drop-in pasta dinner starting at 6:00 pm Saturday at Nicolletti's Restaurant, on Rte 235 Southbound at Chancellor's Run Road in Lexington Park, about 1-1/2 miles north of Hampton Inn in the Hickory Hills Shopping Center. It's a sit-down restaurant, but order your food at the counter as soon as you enter, and they'll give you a numbered marker to place on your table. Go left to the party room and meet other runners, volunteers and supporters. Pasta dishes are in the $7.95 to $9.95 range, and the menu also includes pizza, calzones, salad bar, etc.
Directions to Nicollettis:
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P.O. Box 635
Solomons, MD 20688