NoMa Run Club Newsletter: August Edition

Hi runners! Welcome to the sixth edition of the NoMa Run Club (NRC) newsletter!

While everyone in Europe goes on holiday for two months during the summer, there is plenty of summer activity here in DC. After the DC council approved its budget in June, Mayor Bowser returned the budget unsigned (???). Amid ongoing discussions about converting empty office spaces to apartments, DC opened its first such conversion this month, with apartments starting at $2,885 (lol). For Amtrak fans (Emily), Amtrak has taken control of the remaining space at Union Station through eminent domain. This could hopefully lead to improved queuing and boarding and the possible reopening of the long-closed bike parking structure at the station. Additionally, for those that have to navigate Dave Thomas Circle, a new traffic pattern went into effect.

In the sports world, Spain won the Euros, Argentina won the Copa, and of course, the Olympics in Paris. Track & Field (Athletics) has been absolutely electric. Hocker. Lyles. Hall. Thomas. Rooks. Richardson. McLaughlin-Levrone. Too many GOATS to name!

In July, runners stretched their legs at the DC Crit and the Twilight 5000. In August, we hosted a summer salad run with Sweetgreen, we’ll go support the Washington Spirit, and a big group of runners are heading out to Oregon for a relay race.

NoMa MoMA: Monthly Member Awareness

If you didn’t already know, Andrea Ramirez was a pillar of NRC as our social media manager and of course, a lovely friend. She recently moved back to Texas, and we miss her and her positive energy dearly! - Taylor M.

Why did you join NoMa Run Club? 
I moved to DC in the Summer of 2021 and sought ways to build community in the DMV. Run clubs have always been one way I have found friends and community. I wanted to find a run club that was friendly and inviting and I found that in NoMa Run Club. Since joining NRC in the summer of 2022, I felt more connected and found ways to give back to the NoMa community. Also found some dear friends along the way.

Favorite running route in DC?
When I first moved to DC I lived in the Southwest Waterfront area. My favorite long-run route in DC would have to be starting on Maine Ave near the Wharf and going along the trail through Independence Ave, past the Tidal Basin, and eventually, it connects to the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW. I loved stopping at the Georgetown waterfront area and just stopping by a coffee shop (Grace Street and Blue Bottle used to be my go-to).

What was your favorite part about being the NRC social media manager?
Aside from coming up with fun captions, I really enjoyed seeing the level of engagement with our Instagram content and seeing week by week the stories and reposts by runners. Scrolling through the NRC feed, you can visually see the amount of growth NoMa Run Club has undergone in such a short amount of time, and it's inspiring to see. 

What are you most looking forward to in Texas?
Not the heat, but I do look forward to building roots. I grew up in San Antonio, and it is where I taught, so reconnecting with friends and family and plugging back into the education advocacy space is something I look forward to.

Current running goal?
I hope to run the Richmond half marathon in November and not get injured afterward this time. Hitting a sub 1:45 would be nice also :)

What do you do when you’re not running?
I love to travel when I can. I'm also a sucker for finding and trying new coffee shops, restaurants, and cocktail bars to try. The cycle of my life is: caffeinate, run, eat, sleep, travel, repeat. 

Anything else you want to share?
Huge thanks to the entire leadership team who do so much behind-the-scenes work to ensure the safety and inclusivity of all runners and ensure the day-to-day functions of NRC and weekly runs. NRC Texas chapter? 

Recent Events Recap

The DC Crit - July 20
A local race presented by Trials of Miles and sponsored by On, REI, and Lost Generation featured a 5K race around the MBT. We were fortunate enough to give away several free race entries, thanks to Trials of Miles! Congrats to Brendan H., Clara M., Marina R., and Terry T. for participating in this new event.

Twilight 5000 - July 31
The rescheduled Tracksmith Twilight 5000 took place on July 31 at Catholic University. We had several runners line up as part of this event. Congrats to Brendan H., Erik S., Ethan B., Jake K., Mac H., and Taylor M. for participating!

Sweetgreen Summer Salad Run - August 7
Runners joined us for a nice, hilly 5K run and a free salad bowl from Sweetgreen at Union Market. We hope to have more collaborations in the future!

Upcoming August Events

Washington Spirit vs Arsenal - August 18
Join club members to cheer on the Washington Spirit. We’ll plan on meeting before or after the game, so jump over to the Discord for planning. If you’d like to attend, please try to purchase tickets in section 135 in rows 16 and 17 or around that vicinity.

Hood to Coast - August 23 & 24
A large group of runners is traveling to Oregon this month to participate in the Hood to Coast relay race. The twelve runners will tackle 196 miles over the course of two days, with each runner doing 3 segments of the race. Good luck to Adrian V., Allegra D., Anthony S., August B., Carolyn D., Chris B., Diane M., Emily J., Erin C., Haley F., Meryl W., and Mike L.!

Run Club Merchandise

Our merchandise site is live. We have shirts, tanks, race singlets, hats, beanies, and more. Pick your choosing, and it will be shipped straight to you. Also, 10% of the purchase cost will go straight to the club, which we will use to continue to fund all of our fun runs, socials, and events throughout the year. Looking forward to seeing you all in NoMa Run Club gear. Thank you for supporting us!

Newsletter Contributions

Do you have a running related story you would like to share with us? Did you participate in a race and want to send in a race report? Do you want to nominate someone as the member of the month?

Weekly NRC Runs Calendar

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate 🙂