Anacostia parkrun, Washington DC
Anacostia is a neighbourhood in Washington DC, easy to get to via metro or bus from other parts of the city. For me, the no. 90 bus would have taken me there, but it was quicker to walk a mile to the green line and ride that. From Anacostia station, there's an exit to the main car park that looks toward the river, and you just have to walk past the park police complex to get to the start. I took the other exit, and walked. It's not far - under the underpass, turn right and you can see the car park ahead. It all looks a bit car-friendly, but there is a walkway.
I was too early, at before 8.30, so strolled along the river in the sun. There are a couple of lookout points near where the parkrun starts, and across the river is the naval district, with the occasional helicopter coming and going. It was a sunny day, warmer than a couple of days before, and the view is wide open and relaxing.
A little later I spotted the parkrun flag had been put up, and volunteers were adding an advertisement to try to pull a passing runner in. A runner coming from the other direction from the one the sign faced was soon called over by the run director, given a flyer and only escaped by promising to come back the next week.
The route could not be simpler. Run out for 2.5km, turn around at a low wall which borders a circular paved area (though you do also run past a couple of those, to the side - the one you want is right in front of you) and run back the same way. Without a GPS you might not be sure when you've got to the halfway point, and there wasn't a turnaround sign this day, but otherwise it's pretty much impossible to go wrong.
Setup is minimal. A flag, a sign, and some small cones to mark the finish, and remind people to finish off the trail. Not that anyone who forgot was refused a finish token. There's a waterproof tarp on the ground for people to leave bags and extra clothes, too.
The route is pretty flat; it felt slightly up on the way back, though that might show my increased effort from lack of fitness. It's a nice run to just switch off and do - no need to ponder turns or twists, and plenty of space for people to spread out on the route after the start.
There's a lay-by a few hundred metres up the road for parking, and the parking garage for the metro is not far away. The metro is the quickest public transport method, but buses go to the junction of Good Hope Road SE and Martin Luther King Junior Avenue SE, which is just a short walk away.
I thoroughly enjoyed my morning; the sun helped, but we got a warm welcome, I bumped into a fellow tourist I knew from the UK, and we all ended up chatting for some time. We were glad to still be there at 10, as a driver stopped to ask us a question. I assumed it would be something we couldn't answer, but no "Is this Anacostia parkrun?" Why yes! He wasn't late, just checking where it was, for whatever reason.
Afterwards I caught the no.90 bus all the way to the other end of its route, and walked to the National Cathedral. It's not close to the parkrun, but here's a photo to show what's waiting for you if you go. It's grand, only without hundreds of years of old building practices, or ancient tombs, to navigate, which makes it a different experience to European cathedrals. The view from the 7th floor, over DC, is worth a look.
Results from Anacostia parkrun event 167, 26/11/2022; 29 finishers.