If you’re wondering why night races are growing in popularity, just think about the advantages. You don’t need to set your alarm clock. You can often get there via Metro rather than car. You’re not in the blazing sun. You can persuade a group of buddies to come along more easily. But the biggest benefit seems to be that people actually like to linger at night and enjoy themselves.
“Usually, it’s run and done. You’ve got to go to the grocery store,” says Kathy Dalby, who manages events for Pacers Running Stores, including July 23’s Crystal City Twilighter. Or you have to mow the lawn, or take the kids to practice or check other errands off your to-do list.
At night, however, you can just party, which is exactly what these races turn into.
There used to be just one Washington area night race: the Rockville Rotary Twilight Runfest. About to enter its 26th year, the 8K was dreamed up by Burt Hall, Rockville’s director of recreation and parks, and the last person you’d expect to start a running trend. “I only run when somebody’s chasing me with a knife,” he says.
But the concept of pairing a sprint and a street party was an immediate hit — and an enduring one. Nearly 2,500 folks finished last year’s race, which, as always, wound through residential streets, where neighbors offered up cheers and sprinklers for passing runners. That number includes John Britton, 58, who credits the event for introducing him to the city 16 years ago. “It opened my eyes to Rockville,” says Britton, who soon moved his family there and now serves as a council member.
Event organizers who’ve participated in the Rockville race have been just as smitten, which is what accounts for the boom in copycats, particularly over the past five years. At all of them, you’ll see similar elements. It’s critical to have not only free beer (Rockville runners who are of age can imbibe four before they’re cut off) but also plenty of kid-friendly activities, since it turns out these events are a huge draw for families.
You might think the late start time, typically around dusk, would discourage children from coming along, but in the summer, there’s no school or homework, so the whole clan is free, explains Pugsley. And unlike many other social options available at night, this is one where running around is encouraged. There’s a reason that the RunStock 5K, the only evening race in the Marine Corps Marathon event series, is also the only race that allows runners on the course with strollers.
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