John Cox has pretty much seen it all during the running of the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. over the past 39 years. This year will be his 40th straight race.
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away, and WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people getting ready to take part in what’s known as “The People’s Marathon.”
On Monday, WTOP spoke to a nurse who’s chosen to run the 26.2-mile distance for the first time. But this Virginia man is preparing to run it for the 40th time.
“I’ve run it in rain, I’ve run it in wind, I’ve run it with Oprah,” John Cox told WTOP while sitting at the Caboose Brewing Company & Tavern in Vienna, Virginia.
Cox has pretty much seen it all during the running of the Marine Corps Marathon over the past 39 years.
He started in 1986, running it with his father who was a Marine veteran of World War II and fought in Okinawa. He was a law student at the University of Virginia at the time.
John Cox (right) runs the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. with his father on Nov. 3, 1991.
“It’s funny because that year, when I ran in ’86, my dad was as old as I am now. So he ran his first one at 62 with me,” he said.
The race is a family tradition. Cox’s father and mother would come down for the race every year and stay at a hotel in Arlington. Since that first year, Cox has run with his father, brother, sister and his two daughters. One of his daughters qualified for the Boston Marathon when she was a teenager.
“But overall, I think our family has well over 115 (entries), maybe even higher,” he said. “It’s tradition for me. It’s feels like it’s more like a cleansing experience. When you finish it, you feel like you’ve accomplished something.”
He has seen the race grow from a few thousand runners to now over 40,000. He has also seen the course and preparations for the race change.
“When they had the D.C. sniper, that was scary only because the sniper had been shooting in Maryland and been shooting in D.C. and been shooting in Virginia, and you just didn’t know,” he said. “They definitely amped up security.”
He also ran just a few weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon, describing the massive hole he and other runners saw as they passed by.
Over his 39 races, the conditions have varied dramatically. He’s run in snow, heat, humidity, hurricane-force winds and even gruesome injuries.
“I stepped on a nail and it went into my foot. And I’m sitting there, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this hurts. This hurts a lot,’ but I couldn’t bend down to do anything, so I had to ask a spectator, ‘Hey, can you please take this nail out of my foot?’” Cox said with a laugh.
One of the worst races he participated in on the streets of D.C. was in 2023, when the heat reached the upper 70s and the humidity was extreme.
“The clothes were sticking to me, and then you just started hearing sirens, and people were collapsing. They were running out of water, and they started closing the course because they didn’t have enough medical personnel,” Cox said. “It was the right choice.”
Though each one represents a “cleansing experience” for him, there are just too many medals to hang. Instead, he keeps his 39 medals in a shoe box. He said his favorite thing to do while he’s running the course is to spot a familiar face.
“I always try to see one person that I recognize from just life in general,” Cox said. “That makes my marathon experience.”
His advice to newer runners is to not “go crazy on the first hill, you’ve got 24 miles after that.”
“That first hill can break you. And if you’re at all concerned about it, I would conserve your energy there, knowing that you have a long downhill and then just let the crowd take you,” Cox said.
While his streak may one day break, it won’t be this year. He said he never takes the opportunity to run the race for granted.
“It’s well supported, and it’s a privilege to run with the Marines,” he said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
All it took was 17 months and six marathons for a Boston native to set a world record.
At just 20 years old, James Redding, who’s from the city’s Brighton neighborhood, has become the youngest male to complete all six Abbott World Marathon Majors.
The Boston College junior crossed the finish line in Berlin in September, earning him a Six-Star Medal.
Redding says the Boston Marathon was his favorite, but he actually ran his fastest time in Chicago.
The Boston Athletic Association is bringing big changes to the 2026 race.
He credits all of his supporters along the way who helped him cross every finish line.
“It’s just going to be something I can look back on, and remember that the hard work does pay off, and that I am 100% capable of getting through times that may get tough,” Redding said.
He now has his sights set on the Sydney Marathon, which just joined the Abbott World Marathon Majors. He hopes to earn his Nine-Star Medal when Cape Town and Shanghai are officially added to the series.
RED HOOK, Brooklyn (WABC) — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation kicked off its 24th annual “5K Run and Walk” on Sunday honoring the fallen first responders of 9/11.
Nearly 40,000 people are expected to participate in the event, which takes place each year on the last Sunday of September.
What began with 1,500 people in 2002, one year after the terror attacks, is now considered by many to be one of the top 5K runs in America.
The event retraces the final footsteps of FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller on Sept. 11, 2001, from the foot of the Battery Tunnel in Brooklyn to the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan.
Assigned to FDNY’s First Squad, Siller had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he heard over the radio that a plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center.
Photograph of 9/11 first responder and FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller.
Tunnel to Towers Foundation
In response, he drove his truck to the entrance of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, formerly known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, but found out it had closed. Siller then strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot to the Twin Towers, where he sacrificed his life to save others in the terror attacks.
Ahead of the race, Eyewitness News caught up with his son, Stephen Siller Jr., who described his father’s legacy.
“I feel like I hit the lottery in terms of a dad. You know, I didn’t get much time with him, but he gave me an example of how to live the rest of my life and what my priorities should be,” Siller Jr. said. “To see this and the legacy he left behind with his sacrifice and what he did for other people, it’s motivation to just make sure I’m living for other people too.”
Chantee Lans speaks with Stephen Siller Jr. about the event and his father’s legacy.
Sunday’s run and walk pays homages to more than 340 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers and thousands of civilians who lost their lives on September 11. Proceeds from the event support the foundation’s programs, including those benefitting first responders and service members injured in the line of duty.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Exercise is great for your skin: It promotes healthy blood circulation and delivers nutrients to skin cells (that’s why people often hail the “post-workout glow”), and it soothes your mind and promotes a positive mood—skin and mental health, as we know, are intimately connected.
Hyrox is fast becoming one of the more popular ways to stay in shape with training for the race popping up all over the D.C. area.
Hyrox is a global indoor fitness competition with the event drawing more than 4,300 athletes to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center last March. (Courtesy Dhiraj Jagasia)
Hyrox is a global indoor fitness competition with the event drawing more than 4,300 athletes to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center last March. (Courtesy Dhiraj Jagasia)
Dubbed the “World Series” of fitness racing, Hyrox is fast becoming one of the more popular ways to stay in shape with training for the race popping up all over the D.C. area.
Hyrox is a global indoor fitness competition with the event — drawing more than 4,300 athletes to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center last March. It combines running and eight functional workouts in a standardized format. Each running portion of a kilometer is followed by a different exercise, including SkiErg, sled push and pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls.
So why has it been gaining popularity in the fitness world?
The hype surrounding Hyrox
“Number one, it’s fun,” said Graham King, owner of Urban Athletic Club in Shaw. “The movements aren’t so high skill based so we are looking at sled pushes, wall balls and lunges and half the event is running, so if you can run you are halfway done.”
“Also, because the event is confined, your friends can cheer you on at every single station,” King added. “With Hyrox you are running around this track and everyone can see you. You go to your wall ball, you go to your rowing and your friends and family are cheering you on the whole time.”
Urban Athletic is one of many clubs in the D.C. area that holds Hyrox training classes and it offers athletes an alternative way to get and stay motivated. “It’s just the movements and it keeps my body oiled up,” said Urban Athletic Club member Tim Rutherford. “I feel like I am able to push myself more than I can with strict weight lifting.”
“I like the variety and I appreciate workouts where I work most of my body,” said Chad Russell, who also attends Urban Athletic Club. “If there is a moment in the workout where I hate my life but it doesn’t continue within 20 minutes of the workout, it was a perfect workout.”
Collectively getting better
Olga Gorodetsky is a coach at Urban Athletic Club and she is a fan of how training for Hyrox brings people together. “It really isn’t about top-ticking the other person. This really feels like a team-oriented community and it’s all about us collectively getting better,” Gorodetsky said. “I love Hyrox.”
Hyrox is open to all ages and levels and the setup is eight kilometers of running with eight workout stations.
Dhiraj Jagasia, 45, of Falls Church, Virginia, competed in the event last March in D.C. It was a 10 out 10, Jigasia said.
“I got my family out there and my friends cheering me on. It was top notch,” he said.
Jigasia said he did the Hyrox race to help him with other sports.
“I am an avid tennis player, and I moved up in the rankings, so I wanted to hang with the younger guys,” Jigasia said. “No matter what your goals are, this is something you can get better in terms of your overall health, your conditioning, and it will just help you live longer, I think.”
Clearly endurance is a huge part of Hyrox, so monthslong training is vital to any sort of success.
“I think the number one reason a lot of people, when it comes to fitness, may fail or give up, is they try to do it alone,” said Branden Jones, a D.C.-based trainer.
“It’s one of the things you really can’t do alone. You need some accountability, some community and that’s the best way to get this thing done.”
Some movement is always better than none. However, once you get in the habit of exercising regularly, you’ll probably begin to wonder how you can optimize this process to match your goals. If you’re aiming for peak cardiac health, a study finds the “weekend warrior” approach may be for you.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Thousands of runners competed in Sunday’s New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, the most iconic road mile race in the world stretching 20 blocks down Fifth Avenue.
Once a year, Fifth Avenue from East 80th Street to East 60th Street is closed to traffic so runners can see how fast they can cover the one-mile distance.
Running the Mile is not like running a mile on the track. The course is not flat but features small rolling hills that you might not even notice in a longer race.
At the end of the Professional Women’s Mile race, Gracie Morris placed first with a time of 4:15.5, followed by Kayley Delay at 4:17.4 and then Karissa Schweizer at 4:17.6.
On the men’s side, Yared Nuguse finished on top with a time of 3:47.7. Parker Wolfe and Drew Hunter came in second and third, respectively, both finishing with a time of 3:48.1.
Former ‘Bachelor’ lead Matt James was among those participating in this year’s race. James spoke with Eyewitness News Reporter Anthony Johnson about his experience:
Anthony Johnson catches up with Matt James about running the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile Mile.
Sunday morning’s rain couldn’t dampen the spirits and excitement of runners participating in this year’s New Balance 5th Avenue Mile. Race analysts Carrie Tollefson and Alysia Montano, both former professional athletes, are back and will provide live commentary on the race.
Anthony Johnson speaks with race analysts Carrie Tollefson and Alysia Montano ahead of the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile.
New York Road Runners offers inclusive and accessible experiences year-round for people of all ages and abilities to transform their lives. As the shortest distance of any NYRR race, the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile offers the perfect entry point for new runners looking to get into the sport and be part of a community, as well as a chance for experienced runners to clock a personal best.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
It’s Halloween, which means there’s an abundance of candy laying around. I have some sitting on my counter right now, in fact, for guests to munch on—only after I ate all the Almond Joys out of the bowl.
Most people would assume that there’s no Venn diagram where candy and running overlap, but “most people” wouldn’t know that ultrarunning GOAT Courtney Dauwalter occasionally munches on Pear-flavored jelly beans during races. She’s a candy fiend, also vocal about her affection for Mike and Ikes, Dots, and Sour Patch Kids. Leadville Trail 100 champ Clare Gallagher buys her mid-run Sour Patch Kids in bulk. But it’s not just ultrarunners who dip into the candy jar. Two-time Olympian and Boston Marathon champ Des Linden has also been known to snack on sweets before a race—let’s not talk about the time she startled the world when she absolutely mutilated—I mean, ate a Kit-Kat…in a totally…normal…way…
Suffice it to say, there are those who swear that popping a few gummy bears during a long run gives them the same energy boost as a gel. While I’ve tested how it feels to fuel with whole foods, I’ve never packed candy in my running vest. To me, it seems too far-fetched that sweet treats can help our running practice, but let’s look at the facts.
This review is based on my own personal taste and experience running on the roads. If Halloween candy is your jam, I highly recommend you test this fueling strategy out for yourself on whatever running surfaces you enjoy
Is All Sugar Created Equally?
American College of Sports Medicine recommends runners consume 30-60 grams of carbs per hour for any run lasting longer than 90 minutes. Popular gels Gu and Hüma both contain 100 calories and 22g of carbs, which isn’t too far off from many candies in my Halloween bucket.
Matthew Kadey, MS, is a Canada-based nutrition registered dietitian and author of Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports+Adventure. He’s also an avid endurance athlete himself.
“Certainly the various types of candy can serve as an effective fuel source for exercise,” he says. “The sugar content can provide the same fast energy source as engineered sports products like gels. Besides, candy is typically much more enjoyable to eat and can help deal with palate fatigue. I think most of us will look more forward to stuffing in a fistful of gummy bears than sucking back a gel.”
Straight from the expert’s mouth. Candy = fuel, right? However, Kadey has some warnings to heed.
“The sugar content of candy varies widely, so you need to know how much you are getting,” he says. “Some candy will provide fewer carb calories than gels, so you need more to get the amount of simple carbs to have a performance benefit. Some candy may provide a dose of carbs that could be problematic to untrained guts that may lead to gastro issues.”
He adds that many products are also lower in sodium compared to sports nutrition products, so you need to make sure you’re getting those electrolytes somewhere else. And if you are going to eat candy on your run, he recommends feasting on candy that’s mostly pure carbs (sugar) like gummy bears, Twizzlers, and Sour Patch Kids.
Eric McIntyre, CPT and certified running coach based in Utah, agrees that sometimes gels and candy aren’t all that different.
“Your body’s preferred energy source is carbohydrates, and when you’re exercising and your body is under that kind of stress, it’s going to be looking for the most easily accessible fuel source, which is going to be simple carbs or sugars,” he says. “I love using candy in training, but in racing, having to eat something like four, five, or six pieces of candy in order to get the same amount of sugar or carbs from one gel is just not going to be convenient and easy.”
He adds that you’re also taking a risk that the additives in candy might mess with your stomach.
“In addition, some gels have a glucose and fructose mix which maximizes the amount of carbohydrates that your body can process.”
Below, I did a nutritional breakdown of a few fan-favorites, as well as my honest thoughts on how they tasted/performed during my long runs.
*Note: I’m not in an aggressive training block, therefore all “long” runs I tested these candies on ranged from 6-12 miles on the roads.
Hüma
Calories: 100
Carbs: 22g
Sugars: 13g
Sodium: 105mg
GU Energy Gels
100 calories
Carbs: 22g
Sugars: 7g
Sodium: 60mg
Swedish Fish
110 calories
Servings: 5 pieces
Carbs: 27g
Sugars: 23g
Sodium: 25mg
Swedish Fish are delicious, but I didn’t love the fact that I had to eat about six pieces to reach 30g of carbs. I want my fuel to be low volume, and it took me a bit to get through this school of snacks. Plus, I found they got stuck in my molars so my tongue was doing backflips for the rest of the run to get stuff unstuck. Maybe most of the candy was left behind in my teeth, because I didn’t feel as energized as I wanted to with these. One bonus: they’re coated in wax, so you can put them directly into your vest pocket without them gumming up and getting melty.
Twizzlers
Twizzlers were surprisingly easy to store in my running belt (just had to bend them up a little). (Photo: Mallory Arnold)
120 calories
Servings: 3 pieces
Carbs: 27g
Sugars: 14g
Sodium: 70mg
Twizzlers are another easy, seemingly unmeltable candy I can stick in my running vest. I had no problem chowing down on three strands of these, and they weren’t overly sweet, so I didn’t get that parched feeling after too much sugar. Plus, they have a decent amount of sodium, so a win for Twizzlers! Pro tip: I held all three in my hand and chomped down at the same time like one Twizzler banana.
Sour Patch Kids
110 calories
Servings: 12 pieces
Carbs: 27g
Sugars: 24g
Sodium: 25mg
Speaking of parched, I should have known Sour Patch Kids were going to be an issue. I’m not a sour-inclined person, so I was puckering up while mowing through 12 pieces. Plus, the little granules of sugar stuck to my sweaty fingers and got me all sticky, which I wasn’t a fan of. I definitely reaped the sugar buzz rewards, though, and felt great on my run.
Three Musketeers Fun Size
Two (slightly smushed) Three Musketeers Fun Size that didn’t agree with my stomach. (Photo: Mallory Arnold)
130 calories
Servings: 2 bars
Carbs: 23g
Sugars: 20g
Sodium: 55mg
Fat: 4g
I was so hoping some kind of chocolate would work for me, but fun size Three Musketeers didn’t provide much fun to my run. While the carb and sugar count line up with a gel, the chocolate itself didn’t sit well with my stomach. I got a cramp shortly after and felt some churning and burning. They were the easiest to eat, however, being perfect bite-sized pieces.
Starburst
120 calories
6 pieces
Carbs: 24g
Sugars: 16g
Fat: 2.5g
First and foremost—I only eat pink Starburst. Don’t ask me to trade for your yellow or red, I’m not interested. Secondly, these little squares were not great running fuel. You only have to eat six for 24g of carbs and 16g of sugar, but they’re hard. It took me forever to get through just one because I wanted to chew it really well—hello, eating something hard and running is a recipe for a disaster.
Mini Twix
150 calories
Servings: 3 pieces
Carbs: 20g
Sugars: 15g
Sodium: 60mg
Fat: 7g
Talk about scary—have you ever had Mini Twix bars melt in your running vest? Well, I did. It might’ve been due to the day’s heat, which is a factor out of my control, but each of these Mini Twix bars melted through their wrappers, so chocolate got all over my fingers. If they hadn’t melted, however, they would have been decent fuel. I enjoyed the layers of cookies over the nougat in the Three Musketeers, but still got some digestive distress.
Branch’s Mellowcreme Pumpkins
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! (Photo: Mallory Arnold)
120 calories
Servings: 4 pieces
Carbs: 30g
Sugars: 24g
Sodium: 70mg
Full disclosure, I’m obsessed with this Halloween-specific candy. And I loved it even more out on my long run. Initially, I went to the store looking for Candy Corn, but stumbled upon these classic pumpkins instead. I only needed to eat four pieces to get all the carbs, calories, and sugar I need. And they’re delicious.
A Bittersweet Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons to eat Halloween candy, but in my opinion, for the purpose of fueling runs isn’t the best one. There are so many products out there that replicate exactly what we need, while candy just slightly misses the mark. As both experts in this article point out, candy isn’t always easy to consume, the volume isn’t ideal, and depending on the type, you’re not always going to get the right sugar and carb content that digests properly.
If I was going to continue using candy on my long runs, I’d opt for Mellowcreme Pumpkins (which, you’d be hard-pressed to find during a spring marathon training block) or Twizzlers. Both were easy enough to eat, gentle on my stomach, and gave me a heck of a sugar rush.
Thousands of people are running around some of the D.C.-area’s most iconic sights and landmarks this weekend for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
Thousands of people are running around some of the D.C.-area’s most iconic sights and landmarks this weekend for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
Q: What roads will be closed along the race route in DC and Virginia?
At approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, southbound Route 110 will be closed from Washington Boulevard to Route 1 and will reopen at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27.
The following road closures will take place in Arlington County on race day:
From approximately 3 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Fort Myer Drive, from Eastbound Langston Boulevard to N. Meade Street
N. Lynn Street, from 19th Street N. to N. Meade Street
N. Moore Street, from 19th Street N. to Wilson Boulevard
Wilson Boulevard, from N. Oak Street to Southbound Route 110
17th Street N., from Clarendon Boulevard to N. Lynn Street
Northbound lanes of N. Oak Street, from Wilson Boulevard to 18th Street N.
N. Oak Street, from Clarendon Boulevard to 17th Street N.
N. Nash Street, from Wilson Boulevard to 17th Street N.
N. Kent Street, from 1691 N. Kent Street to Wilson Boulevard
Fairfax Drive, from N. Pierce Street to Fort Myer Drive
N. Meade Street, from Fairfax Drive to N. Marshall Drive
N. Marshall Drive, from N. Meade Street to Route 110
Richmond Highway from I-66 to the 1200 block of Richmond Highway
Southbound Route 110, from I-66 to Washington Boulevard
Northbound Route 110, from Route 1 to I-66/Wilson Boulevard
S. Fern Street, from 12th Street S. to Rotary Road
S. Eads Street, from 12th Street S. to Rotary Road
Army Navy Drive, from S. Hayes Street to 12th Street S.
Washington Boulevard, from Route 27/Northbound I-395 split to George Washington Parkway/Boundary Channel
I-395 South exit 8B, ramp to Route 110 North
I-395 North slip ramp into I-395 North HOT lanes
I-395 South HOT lanes at Route 1
I-395 North HOT lanes at Seminary Road
I-395 North Exit 8B to Pentagon/Route 27
I-395 South Exit 8A to Pentagon South Parking
Eastbound Washington Boulevard ramp to Eastbound Route 27
From approximately 6 a.m. until 11 a.m.
19th Street N., from N. Lynn Street to Fort Myer Drive
N. Nash Street from Key Boulevard to Fort Myer Drive
Fort Myer Drive, from Key Bridge to Westbound Langston Boulevard
Fort Myer Drive, from 19th Street N. to Langston Boulevard
N. Moore Street, from 19th Street N. to Langston Boulevard
Langston Boulevard (Eastbound lanes only), from N. Lynn Street to N. Kirkwood Road
Spout Run Parkway (Westbound lanes only), from Langston Boulevard to George Washington Parkway
N. Lorcom Lane, from N. Edgewood Street to Spout Run Parkway
N. Lynn Street, from 19th Street N. to Key Bridge
N. Rhodes Street, from Key Boulevard to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
N. Veitch Street, from 19th Street N. to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
From approximately 6 a.m. until noon
Westbound 15th Street S., from S. Eads Street to S. Bell Street
Ramp from Southbound Richmond Highway to 15th Street S.
Ramp from Northbound Richmond Highway to 15th Street S.
Ramp to Northbound Richmond Highway from 15th Street S.
Southbound Richmond Highway, from Southbound I-395 to the 1200 block of Richmond Highway
From approximately 6 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Fort Myer Drive, from Key Bridge to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
N. Nash Street, from Westbound Langston Boulevard to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
N. Moore Street from Langston Boulevard to 19th Street N.
Long Bridge Drive, from Boundary Drive to 12th Street S.
6th Street S., from Long Bridge Drive to S. Ball Street
S. Ball Street, from 6th Street S. to 10th Street S.
10th Street S., from Long Bridge Drive to S. Ball Street
12th Street S., from S. Eads Street to Crystal Drive
Southbound Richmond Highway from I-395 Southbound to the 1200 block of Richmond Highway
Crystal Drive, from 12th Street S. to 23rd Street S.
15th Street S., from S. Bell Street to Crystal Drive
18th Street S., from S. Bell Street to Crystal Drive
20th Street S., from S. Bell Street to Crystal Drive
I-395 North Exit 10A to Boundary Channel Drive
I-395 South Exit 10A to Boundary Channel Drive
I-395 South Exit 9 to Clark Street
In D.C., the following roads will be closed:
From 3:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jefferson Drive SW from 3rd Street SW to 15th Street SW
7th Street NW from Constitution Avenue NW to Independence Avenue SW
Madison Drive NW from 3rd Street NW to 15th St NW
4th Street NW from Constitution Avenue NW to Independence Avenue NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Foxhall Road NW from MacArthur Boulevard NW to Canal Road NW
Clark Place NW from Q Street NW to Canal Road NW
Reservoir Road NW from MacArthur Boulevard NW to Canal Road NW
Arizona Avenue NW from Carolina Place NW to Canal Road NW
Georgetown Canal Road Entrance
Canal Road NW from M St NW to Chain Bridge Drive
From 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Francis Scott Key Bridge (all lanes)
M Street NW from Canal Road NW to Wisconsin Avenue NW
35th Street NW from Prospect Place NW to M Street NW
34th Street NW from Prospect Place NW to Cady’s Alley
Bank Alley from Prospect Place NW to M Street NW
33rd Street NW from Prospect Place NW to C&O Canal
Potomac Street NW from Prospect Place NW to M Street NW
Wisconsin Avenue from M Street NW to K Street NW
Grace Street NW from Wisconsin Avenue NW to 33rd Street NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
31st Street NW from Washington Harbor to South Street NW
30th Street NW from Washington Harbor to M Street NW
29th Street NW from K Street NW to M Street NW
Whitehurst Freeway from M Street NW to K Street NW
K Street NW from 34th Street NW to 25th Street NW
27th Street NW from K Street NW to I Street NW
I Street NW from 27th Street NW to Virginia Ave NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Waterside Drive NW from Massachusetts Avenue NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW (northbound) to Beach Drive
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW (southbound) from Shoreham Drive NW
Shoreham Drive NW (southbound) from Calvert Street to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
Beach Drive NW from Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW to Calvert Street
Virginia Avenue NW from New Hampshire Ave NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
From 5:30 a.m. to noon
F Street NW from New Hampshire Ave NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
25th Street NW from F Street NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW from Beach and Shoreham Drives NW to Ohio Drive
Parkway Drive closed from Rock Creek Parkway to Lincoln Circle
From 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Independence Avenue SW from Maine Avenue SW to Ohio Drive
From 5:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
East Basin Drive from Maine Ave SW to Ohio Drive SW
Buckeye Drive from I-395 ramps to Ohio Drive SW
From 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
1st Street from Constitution Ave NW to Independence Ave SW
Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 3rd Street NW to 1st Street NW
Maryland Avenue SW from 1st Street SW to 3rd Street SW
Lincoln Circle from 23rd Street NW to 23rd Street SW
West Basin Drive from Independence Ave SW to Ohio Drive SW
17th Street from WWII Memorial to Independence Ave SW
Ohio Drive SW from East Basin Drive SW to 23rd Street NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Independence Avenue from 15th Street SW to 23rd Street SW
Maine Avenue SW from East Basin Drive to Independence Avenue SW
From 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
15th Street from Constitution Ave NW to Maine Avenue SW
Independence Avenue from 4th Street SW to 15th Street SW
12th Street SW from Independence AVE SW to Jefferson Drive SW
12th Street NW from Madison Drive NW to Constitution Ave NW
14th Street NW/SW from Constitution Ave NW to I-395
Q: How will parking be affected in Arlington and DC?
There will be increased police presence in Arlington, and they are urging drivers to be mindful of the closures and to be alert for increased pedestrian traffic.
Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs, Arlington police said in a statement. Illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed or towed.
Q: How to get to the marathon
Race organizers have encouraged runners and spectators to ride on public transit to avoid the road closures.
Metro will open early at 5 a.m. on Sunday and there’s no scheduled track work to slow down trains from transporting runners, according to WMATA.
Riding Metro will cost $2.50 flat for a one-way trip.
The closest Metro station to the starting line is Pentagon station which can be used using the Blue and Yellow lines. To avoid the crowds, you may want to get off in Pentagon City instead.
The Arlington Cemetery station is closed until 8:30 a.m.
The trains will run on their normal weekend schedule.
Some Metrobus routes will be diverted to Pentagon City on Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the race and its related events.
Over the weekend, these Metrobus routes will be impacted: 7A, 10A, 16A, 16C, 16E, 22A.
On Sunday, all Metrobus service will be moved from the Rosslyn bus terminal to North Oak Street between Wilson Boulevard and North 18th Street.
These routes will be detoured Sunday: 4B, 7A, 10A, 22A, 23A, 23B, 16A, 16C, 16E, 38B, 32, 36 42, 43, 52, 64, 70, 74, 79, D6, MW1, P6, S2.
Q: Where to watch
Here are some locations where MCM recommended spectators gather to watch the race:
MCM start line on Route 110 in Arlington — get there by Metro using Rosslyn or Pentagon stations
Lincoln Memorial in D.C. to see runners from miles 10-16 — get there by walking across Arlington Memorial Drive
National Mall in D.C. to see runners from miles 11-19 — get there by heading east on Independence Avenue, go past the Washington Monument
Finish line at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington — get there by taking Metro to Rosslyn or by MCM shuttle from 23rd Street
The race starts and ends in Arlington County, Virginia. Runners will race through Rosslyn and the District, including the National Mall. The 20-mile journey ends at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
I tore the top of the Strike LS because I was wearing a slightly thicker pair of socks than normal and was struggling to put them on. I had my toes in, and in the attempt to get the rest of my foot in there, I pushed a little too hard while holding the sprayed-on membrane. The bit I was holding tore. It was the fourth time I’d ever put them on. Oops.
It is generally not a good sign when a product breaks after four uses, especially not when that product costs more than $330. (That’s roughly $82 per run.) But I should note that even after that, I have run in the CloudBoom Strikes for about two months and put more than 100 cumulative miles on them. In all that time and wear, that little tear is basically the exact same size. The bioplastic holds its form and hasn’t ripped further or affected the fit when I run in them. A rip isn’t ideal, and perhaps something bigger might have caused real problems, but in my experience On’s material holds. It just means I felt the need to be a lot more careful putting them on than with normie shoes.
Companies have certainly been pushing this laceless shoe thing. For instance, Nike’s $350 self-lacing Adapt BB could be controlled by an app that has since been shut down. The question, really, is whether the extra 15 seconds you save every day by not tying your laces warrants the extra cost and careful attention.
Elite Athletes Only
The CloudBoom Strike LS are very, very good shoes. They are cool, comfy, and also technical marvels, and all that visionary scientific endeavor is laudable. (Go watch that video again. It’s neat!) Their potential environmental impact is worth remarking on, too. You can probably find more environmentally friendly running shoes, like those made from algae, but On’s additive process for constructing these kicks has the potential to be much more efficient than standard shoe manufacturing—no leftover fabric scraps to toss in the trash.
Photograph: Boone Ashworth
Running in the CloudBoom Strikes is magnificent. They’re lighter than any shoe I’ve worn before, even many barefoot shoes, and they feel so squishy that I can almost fool myself into thinking I’m bouncing in my moon boots. But you know what else makes me feel like that? Other On shoes, and ones that cost considerably less money. If you’re not an elite marathoner for whom every ounce counts, you get just as much squishiness out of On’s Cloud Monster, which, at $180, are nearly half the price of the sprayed-Ons. As a bonus, you don’t have to treat them like delicate sponge cakes when you’re shoving them on to head out on your run.
But boy, if you aren’t worried about the cost, you’ll enjoy these lightweight future shoes. They’re the lightest shoe you’re going to get with the amount of cushion they offer. Once you get them wiggled on, you’re going to have a hard time wanting to ever take them off.
Colorado voters are set to weigh in on ballot questions related to abortion rights, veterinary services, mountain lion trophy hunting and an overhaul of the state’s election system in November.
The deadline to finalize the state’s ballot is coming Friday, but all of the citizen initiatives — meaning ballot questions pursued by members of the public, rather than the legislature — were finalized late last week. State election officials certified that the final ones had received enough petition signatures after clearing earlier regulatory hurdles.
Nine ballot measures from the public have been approved. But two of those — the property tax-related initiatives 50 and 108 — are both set to be withdrawn by sponsors as part of negotiations with the governor’s office and the state legislature, which on Thursday passed another property tax relief bill at the end of a special session.
Rather ambitiously, Shokz promises these sports headphones can deliver clear highs and natural mids and that the new dual air conduction unit design manages to produces pure vocal sound. The air conduction certainly delivers the bass, while the bone conduction handles the rest. In the battle to compete with traffic, wind and the gym stereo, there’s some winners and losers here. The bass is a big improvement, with a noticeable uptick in warmth and punch.
Annoyingly, however, while more power means bigger bass for your buck, the clarity isn’t on a par with the older OpenRun. Similarly, in a sound-off with the uniquely designed Bose Ultra Open, the lack of clarity is exposed too. When I eased off the high tempo drum-and bass-heavy playlists to listen to a podcast, the backward step in clarity remained noticeable. This doesn’t make the OpenRun Pro 2 a bad headphone, they simply offer a shift to a sound that many runners will greatly enjoy, and one that’s a little closer to typical bass-heavy workout headphones.
Winner by a Nose
Photograph: Michael Sawh
You always have to make compromises with open-ear headphones, but with the OpenRun Pro 2, the compromises are actually relatively insignificant. If you’re looking for running headphones with more bass and power, but you still want to be aware of your surroundings, these are the best available.
Other options worth considering include the Suunto Sonic ($149), which offer a very balanced sound profile from a nicely weighted and comfortable neckband design. The premium-priced Bose Ultra Open give better, more detailed sound, but a dubious fit if you’re running fast. The Sivga SO2 ($70) produce a really likable, open-ear sound and secure fit.
It’s not the huge leap in quality I’d hoped for, but Shokz has done just enough for me to recommend the OpenRun Pro 2. That being said, you shouldn’t rule out the OpenRun Pro, which gives you pretty much the same design with solid audio quality and battery performance. You just have to remember where you put that fiddly, archaic, proprietary charging cable.
There’s something undeniably empowering about slipping into fresh activewear and stepping outside your comfort zone. For me, running has always been that elusive fitness goal — something I admired from a distance but never quite managed to embrace. I’d find excuse after excuse to avoid it. But recently, all that changed when I attended a media event in Melbourne hosted by New Balance and the Kic girls, Laura Henshaw and Steph Claire Smith.
Kic started as a simple idea to make health and wellness accessible to everyone. Today, it’s a thriving community of more than 2.5 million people who are all about embracing fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness in a way that fits into real life. What I’ve always admired about Kic is its focus on inclusivity and self-compassion. They encourage you to move your body in a way that feels good, rather than chasing unrealistic standards.
The event was part of New Balance’s ‘Run Your Way’ initiative, which aims to break down barriers and redefine what it means to be a runner. Naturally, it included a 4km run led by the Kic girls. As someone who has always felt daunted by running, I was both intrigued and nervous.
My immediate thoughts were, ‘What if I couldn’t keep up with the group?’ and ‘Everyone probably runs every other day; there’s no way I’ll get through this’.
Let’s be honest: there’s a stigma around the term “runner”. I used to think that unless you were clocking half marathons every other weekend, you didn’t qualify for the title. But here’s the truth: if you can run, you’re a runner. It took me a long time to realise that, and the turning point came during this Kic run. For years, I avoided running outside. I worried about looking awkward, feared the judgment of passersby, and convinced myself that wearing shorts in daylight was somehow off-limits. Treadmill running felt safer, but it never sparked the same joy. That was until I discovered the magic of run clubs.
Run clubs aren’t exactly new — they’ve even become a hotspot for singles — but for me, they were a revelation. They transformed my entire outlook on running, and I found that I actually enjoyed it. One of the most surprising things I learned is that you can go at your own pace. Shocking, right?
During the run, we split into three groups: faster runners, those who wanted a steady, slower pace, and those who preferred to mix walking with running. This meant that no matter your fitness level, you could participate and feel comfortable.
The Magic of Run Clubs
Laura and Steph made sure the whole experience was relaxed and encouraging. They were all about celebrating personal milestones, not comparing ourselves to others. Their enthusiasm was contagious and made the run feel less like a test and more like a fun adventure.
The route through Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens was a great distraction from any nerves. With every step, I felt more at ease, and the whole experience became a lot less about “I can’t” and more about “Wow, I’m actually doing this”.
By the end of the run, I realised something pretty amazing: I actually enjoyed it. The fear I once had was replaced by a sense of accomplishment and excitement. It turns out that sometimes, all you need to overcome a fear is a positive environment. A little encouragement from people who genuinely want to see you succeed can make all the difference.
For someone like me, who once thought that 4km was unattainable — seriously, I believed there was no way I could run that distance without stopping — this approach was a game-changer. What I discovered during the run was that I wasn’t constantly checking the time or distance, and I wasn’t fixated on whether I could finish. Instead, I found myself just running and chatting with people I had met only half an hour earlier. The conversation flowed, and before I knew it, half an hour had passed, and we were at the finish line. It was a revelation — I had just completed a 4km run without the usual mental barriers.
So, here I am, embracing the title of “runner” and realising that it’s not about distance, speed, or how you look while doing it. It’s about the act itself — the simple, powerful act of running. So if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of running or any other challenge, consider joining a run club. Stepping out of your comfort zone and surrounding yourself with encouraging people can make all the difference.
If you’re doing summer right, you’re busy hunting swimming holes, hiking new trails, and making the most of the long days and warm weather. You’ll need proper nutrition for all of these adventures. Fortunately, eating healthy, even on the move, doesn’t have to be complicated.
“There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there, which makes it hard for people to know what’s truly healthy,” says Becky LaChance, a registered nurse, fitness coach, and nutritionist who specializes in delivering straightforward advice to an active audience. “I don’t believe in restriction or fad diets. Instead, it’s about making small, one percent better choices daily and fueling yourself effectively for workouts or long days at work. I love easy-to-make, nutritious recipes with minimal ingredients.”
That’s where Isopure protein powders come in handy. They contain 100 percent pure whey protein isolate, which helps support daily protein needs for a well-balanced life. Isopure Infusions, with its refreshing fruity flavor, is great for hot summer days. It packs 20 grams of whey protein isolate into each scoop and contains no fat, artificial flavors, or added sugar. LaChance also likes Isopure Zero/Low Carb Protein—with 25 grams of whey protein isolate per serving, it’s a great addition to smoothies and other recipes.
“I work with so many health care workers who need quick, healthy options to fuel their demanding shifts,” LaChance says. “That’s why Isopure is perfect. With minimal ingredients and high protein, it’s easy to pack in a work bag and makes a great midmorning or late-afternoon snack to get protein on the go.”
Try these two smoothie recipes that include Isopure Infusions (Citrus Raspberry Protein Smoothie) and Zero/Low Carb Protein (Straw-Nana Split Smoothie) for a delicious and easy-to-make drink, and get a boost for all the adventures ahead.
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Part of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Isopure features a wide range of products to address all kinds of nutritional needs, with offerings such as Zero/Low Carb Protein Powder, Zero Carb Unflavored Protein Powder, Infusions Protein Powder, and Collagen Powder. Isopure aims for the highest standards of protein, made with simple ingredients—all without sacrificing taste. Isopure products can be found nationwide in specialty and mass retail stores, gyms and fitness centers, and most online retailers. To learn more, visit theisopurecompany.com and follow the brand onFacebook,Instagram, andYouTube.
You were born barefoot, and a growing body of evidence suggests you should have stayed that way. The technology and padding of the modern shoe protect your feet, but protection isn’t always what you want. Feet were made to stretch, flex, roll, and bend, and letting them do what they evolved to do can reduce impact injuries and provide a host of other benefits.
That said, please do not buy a pair of these barely-there shoes and start walking or running the way you always have. That won’t work, and it can lead to injuries. You need to ease into all things barefoot-related, and to some degree you need to relearn how to walk and run. In this guide, we’ve got advice on making the transition from padded shoes to “barefoot shoes” (also known as minimalist shoes or zero-drop shoes), and we’ve rounded up our favorites. They’re as close as you can get to achieving that barefoot sensation without running afoul of “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service” signs.
Updated July 2024: We’ve added Lem’s Boulder boots, Vivobarefoot’s Tracker FG boot, and Xero’s scrambler mid shoes. We’ve also updated prices and links throughout.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.
French Olympic sprinter Sounkamba Sylla took to social media days before the 2024 Olympic Games began, saying she would not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony because of her hijab.
“You are selected for the Olympics, organized in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” Sylla wrote on her private Instagram, according to The Associated Press.
The criticism was the latest in an ongoing controversy over France’s rule prohibiting female Muslim athletes from wearing the hijab, or headscarves, during the Olympics. The athletes, while competing for France, are considering civil servants and must adhere to principles of secularism, according to the country’s rules.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra later said she’d be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony and the Games by covering her hair in a way that did not appear religious.
An overview of the Trocadero venue with the Eiffel Tower in the background, in Paris, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024.
Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool Photo via AP
Bans on hijab in French sports
Bans on wearing hijab in French sports have applied at all levels, including amateur and youth levels, even outside the Olympics, according to Amnesty International.
There isn’t a national law or policy banning hijabs in sports, but individual sports federations have their own regulations prohibiting the headscarf. Football (soccer), basketball and volleyball are some of the team sports banning them, Anna Blus, a women’s rights and gender justice researcher at Amnesty International, told ABC News.
A ban against wearing the hijab in football was instituted in 2006. In basketball, it began in 2022 and in volleyball in 2023.
“We have documented over the years — (for) around 20 years — measures are being introduced constantly to limit Muslim women’s rights,” Blus said of France.
“There’s definitely been an increase in these types of measures in different areas of life over the past 20 years,” Blus said.
Ibtihaj Muhammad, from United States, waits for match against Olena Kravatska from Ukraine, in the women’s saber individual fencing event at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File
In 2023, France’s highest administrative court sided with the French Football Federation allowing its hijab ban in the sport.
“The reasoning it gave was very, very problematic, because it said that these types of bans like the one in the Football Federation, were legitimate — the justification could be to avoid clashes or confrontation,” Blus said.
“It’s suggesting that clashes or confrontations might occur if someone wears a hijab, and that in order to protect that athlete, she can be banned, and she should be banned from wearing it. It’s extremely problematic,” Blus said.
Basket Pour Toutes, a collective that says it is fighting against discrimination in basketball, said the argument the ban seeks to maintain public order “tends to stigmatize a part of the population which is already the subject of numerous prejudices,” the group said on its website.
Basket Pour Toutes, which translate to “Basketball for all” in English, also said “secularism is not above fundamental freedoms.”
“The (French Federation of Basketball) maintains that the ban on equipment with religious connotations is based on the principle of neutrality which itself derives from the principle of secularism. But this duty of neutrality only applies to public service agents and not to its users,” Basket Pour Toutes wrote.
Since the court decision came out, the Hijabeuses — a collective of female athletes who wear the hijab and had brought the complaint against the Football Federation — have made an application to the European Court of Human rights, which has jurisdiction over France.
Egypt’s Dina Meshref in action at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
Their application is still pending and could likely take a couple of years, Blus said.
“Litigation is only one kind of tool that can be used and it takes many years sometimes,” Blus said. “I think there is much more that we can do as human rights organizations and as campaigners to stand against these types of discriminatory measures.”
Human rights groups criticize bans
Human rights groups have called on the International Olympic Committee to publicly ask sporting authorities in France to overturn bans on wearing the hijab in the Olympic Games and at all levels of sport, saying prohibitions are in place across at least six sports.
“The country’s discrimination against women and girls wearing the hijab is particularly concerning given the IOC’s celebration of Paris 2024 as the first ‘Gender Equal Olympics,’” the groups — including Human Rights Watch, Basket Pour Toutes and the World Players Association — wrote in a joint letter to the IOC.
“Women and girls in France who wear the hijab have been and are being prevented from playing multiple sports including football, basketball, judo, boxing, volleyball and badminton — even at youth and amateur levels. The hijab bans in sports have resulted in many Muslim athletes being discriminated against, invisibilised, excluded and humiliated, causing trauma and social isolation — some have left or are considering leaving the country to seek playing opportunities elsewhere,” the letter said.
Gold medalist Feryal Abdelaziz of Egypt poses during the medal ceremony for women’s kumite +61kg karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
AP Photo/Vincent Thian
Other athletes, including Diaba Konate, a French basketball player who played for Idaho State and University of California, Irvine up until this past April, have also criticized the ban. Konate said she was kept from being able to play for the French National Team again. She’s not on the French team playing in the Olympics.
“I love basketball, my family, and my faith,” Konate said in an open letter. “It would break my heart to give up any one of those, and yet that is what the current French Federation of Basketball guidelines are forcing me to do.”
Blus said activism among Muslim athletes and activists in France is growing in a very difficult environment.
“It’s really important that big international organizations, such as ours, express their solidarity with Muslim women, because they have very often — really particularly in France, but also in other countries — (been) subject to negative stereotypes, demonization, homogenization of what it might mean to them to wear hijab,” Blus said.
“It’s really a matter of feminist solidarity and of women’s rights and human rights,” Blus said.
