Almost the Last Race of the Year

While the Tidal Basin runs have been a DC fixture for Capitol area road runners for decades on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, on a gorgeous day 4 races were held Monday afternoon at the Madison Community Center in Arlington, Virginia. The Tidal Basin Run was greeted with 65 degree temperatures and sunshine at Fort Ethan Allen Park. While there are other races on New Years Eve, these were to be Doug Landau’s last events of 2019. Participants could run a 1500m road race and then also do a 3,000m, 5,000m or 8km event on the hilly Stafford & Military Road course.

Doug Landau & Terry McLoughlin after finishing both the 1500m and 3000m Tidal Basin runs at the Madison Community Center in Arlington

Lawyer Landau went out with the leaders in the 1st race, known as the “metric mile,” and managed to finish 2nd behind Mark Walchinsky of the Pacers Elite Racing team. Landau’s friend Terry McLoughlin, of Spotsylvania, Virginia, finished in the top 10. After a short interval, racers lined up for the 3 longer events. In the 3,000m competition, Landau finished 2nd behind his friend and frequent racer Ted Poulos of McLean. McLoughlin was third in this “out & back” event, which was just under 2 miles. McLoughlin is a fixture in the DC and Virginia racing scene, working out of the Butler Road YMCA outside Fredericksburg. Even though he lives over an hour away, Terry makes many of the Tidal Basin events, as well as PVTC track competitions, FARC road races, and indoor meets for all ages. McLoughlin has also been the race director for the popular Colonial Beach Triathlon each summer.

The next regular Tidal Basin Runs will be Wednesday, January 15th, 2020 at noon at Hains Point, East Potomac Park, Washington, D.C. At the regular 3rd Wednesday events, there will be a 1500m, 3000m and 5000m , with FREE on-site registration at 11:50AM When Landau has participated in these fun, free events in the past, there have been anywhere from a dozen to several dozen runners. There is no cost, no t-shirts, no long lines, no hills, no safety pins, but there is a water table, friendly runners and a terrific view of the Nation’s Capitol. Check it out at Tidal Basin Runs.