The beginning of a new year always leads to a rush of registrations as runners begin the process of mapping out their racing calendar.
Truly dedicated runners spend many hours searching for races that meet logistic and athletic goals, and that fit in the delicate balance of home, work, life and exercise.
One of the easiest ways to get a hold on your calendar and have some certainty for the year is to sign up for the Annapolis Striders Championship Series.
Open to members of the nonprofit club, the series features eight races through the year — from 1 mile to 16.3 miles — that offer a fair challenge over multiple distances.
Kicking off the 2024 season is the Valentine’s Day 5K, being held at Kinder Farm Park on Feb. 10. This race is always a sellout as it provides a great test on a fast course for competitors to gauge how they’ve recovered from the holidays and temptations of a winter malaise.
Although the races are open to non-members on an individual basis, those signing up for the series are automatically registered for all eight races at a cost of $35 and do not have to worry about signing up for each one separately.
As a bonus, each race score is accumulated throughout the year and tallied into a total score to determine overall ranking. This series is a great way to have a goal throughout the year and run with a great group of people in an environment that is as competitive as you want it to be.
And with 55.8 miles to be covered over the course of the year, the cost per mile works out to 62 cents — a value that has stood the test on time.
For more information, please visit runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/AnnapolisStridersChampionshipSeriesRaces
Eternal Winter 6-Hour
The Eternal Winter 6 Hour Run, now in its ninth year, will be held Jan. 28 on the trails at Greenbury Point. The EW6 is a low-key affair and is designed to get runners together to see how many miles they can run on a 2.5-mile loop over the span of six hours.
This race is correctly billed as “an exercise in self-help.” That’s because runners must be self-sufficient, which is not a difficulty as they pass their cars every couple miles.
There are no awards and no guarantees of aid, although race director John Curley has promised that there may be hot chocolate and cookies. Sometimes there is even a give-away, although there are no guarantees.
The race is not designed to be a true competition among runners; rather, it is a get together of like-minded persons with personal goals — be it running for one hour, all six hours or simply a mix of walking and running while enjoying what will no doubt be a crisp morning.
The EW6 supports Lighthouse Shelter and registration is free if you bring 10 food items, although organizers do ask for $25 to secure your spot, which is refunded race day or (if the runner chooses) donated to the Lighthouse Shelter.
For more information, visit runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/EternalWinter6HourRun.
Charm City Run Annapolis
After 16 years in Annapolis Town Center, Charm City Run in Annapolis will be moving to its new location across the street in Forest Plaza. The new location will be larger with 4,000-square feet of retail space and ample parking.
Charm City Run founder and CEO Josh Levinson emphasized that the “overwhelming reason to move was space. Our customers deserve more of it and our dedicated staff needs the additional room to effectively serve our customers.”
That sentiment was echoed by Charm City Run president Tom Mansfield, who said the “move will allow us to more effectively serve our customers and present all the best products that Charm City Run has to offer.”
The new location will feature additional fitting stations, more product offerings and additional backroom space to store inventory. It will be overseen by store managers Bill Frazier and local ultra-runner Angus Lane.
Grand opening of the new Charm City Run Annapolis facility will be Feb.10. For more information, visit https://www.charmcityrun.com
Calendar
Jan. 28 (8 a.m.): Eternal Winter 6-Hour Run, Greenbury Point. Information:
https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/EternalWinter6HourRun
January 2024: Annapolis Striders Championship Series Registration. Information:
https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Annapolis/AnnapolisStridersChampionshipSeriesRaces
Feb. 10: Valentine’s Day 5K, Kinder Farm Park, Information:
https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Millersville/Valentines5K
Feb. 24: Hashawha Trails 50K, Westminster, MD. Information:
https://new.vhtrc.org/races/hh
Feb. 25 (8 a.m.): RRCA 10-Mile Club Challenge, Howard Community College.
Information: https://striders.net/rrca-club-challenge/