Thank you for entering 13th annual Potomac River Run Marathon & Half, Sunday, May 1, 2016, with starts at 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM.

We gratefully acknowledge our volunteers from Buy A Brick Foundation, Ethio-American Athletics Association, and DC Capital Striders, who will staff aid stations at Locks 5, 7, and 10.

We offer three packet pick-ups:

• Help us assemble bib numbers and goodie bags and get your bib number, BPA-free water carrier, goodie bag, and t-shirt early on Thursday, April 28, set-up at 6:00 PM, open from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at Whole Foods Market, 2700 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201 (703-527-6596) -- upstairs conference room

• Pick up your bib number, water carrier, goodie bag, and t-shirt on Saturday, April 30, from 3:00 PM to 5:45 PM, at Pacers Running Store, 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201

• Pick up your bib number, water carrier, goodie bag, and t-shirt on race day, Sunday, May 1, from 6:15 AM to 7:45 AM, on-site at Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC

• When you get your number, please be sure the data on the name tag is correct -- name, gender, age, city, start time (7 AM or 8 AM), and distance (half or full marathon). Please do not run wearing another person's number. We make transfers very easy, and we need correct data to present correct awards and Boston Marathon qualifications. If you want to change your start time or distance, please tell your registrar when you pick up your number, or use this handy form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18mLarqnWRRFUyb5UL20Y6W2TB26OKHE8z_RCfbOUwuc/viewform

PRE-RACE EVENTS

• If you fly into National Airport (DCA) and you want to skip the long lines for taxis, call Red Top Cab (703-522-3333) to reserve a taxi in advance.

• Race weekend lodging is still available at Key Bridge Marriott, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington VA (703-524-6400) Identify that you're here for Potomac River Run Marathon, group PRRPRRA. The discount rate period has expired, but you can still get a good price.

• Pre-race dinner tickets are still available for pre-race dinner on Saturday, April 30, 6:30 PM, at Cosi Restaurant, 1801 North Lynn Street, Arlington VA, featuring guest speaker Gib Leonard, Buy A Brick Foundation www.teamafrica.com Come learn about Buy A Brick Foundation's progress building clinics, hospitals, and schools in Zimbabwe. Dinner tickets are $10 all you can eat ($20 at the door) at www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/marathon/20160501.php

• You may reserve in advance for Red Top Cab for $5/person at www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/marathon/20160501.php to ride in style from Key Bridge Marriott to Fletcher's Cove, departing at 6:00 AM for 7:00 AM starters and at 6:30 AM for 8:00 AM starters.

• We have a few t-shirts left from previous Potomac River Runs -- $5 or best offer!

RACE DAY EVENTS

• Race-day parking is limited to 150 cars at Fletcher's Cove. After you descend from Canal Road down the driveway, turn left into the upper parking area for about 50 cars, or turn right, go thru the tunnel, and follow the road to the lower parking area for about 100 cars.

• Once parking at Fletcher's is filled, cars must turn right onto Reservoir Road and park free on-street or at River School, or on W Street, Bending Lane, Hutchins Lane. or MacArthur Boulevard.

• Your best choice is to have a friend drop you off at the entrance to Fletcher's Cove. Then your friend can go to watch you at Chain Bridge or Locks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10. The small parking area west of Chain Bridge is accessible from Clara Barton Parkway both ways, but the locks are accessible only from EASTBOUND Clara Barton Parkway, so to get to Lock 10, you must drive westbound past I-495 Beltway to Carderock to turn around onto eastbound Clara Barton Parkway.

• At 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM, preceding each of the starts, Arlington Laughter Yoga leader Diane Cohen leads the crowd in a laughing warm-up, in commemoration of World Laughter Day. Really! It's a thing! Read all about Diane at http://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/July-August-2014/Interview-Diane-Cohen

• We follow with the National Anthem and pre-race instructions. The course starts at the wooden bridge across C&O Canal Towpath and heads west under Chain Bridge, past Locks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10; also Milestones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10; under I-495 Capital Beltway; to a turnaround point about 400 meters past the Beltway, 200 meters past Milestone 10. Watch for traffic cone and a volunteer there. The volunteer has a clipboard and maintains a list of who made the turnaround. Please play fair.

• Each aid station has water and Gatorade, volunteers to assist you, at least one first-aid certified volunteer in a red SHF jacket, space blankets, ice, and at least two cars. If you must drop out, please go to an aid station so we can cool you if you're too hot, warm you if you're cold, treat minor injuries like scrapes, and evacuate you to safety: to the start / finish or to Sibley Hospital if you're severely injured or ill. All course volunteers know our emergency protocol. If you see a runner down, please stop to render aid -- there's always another race -- and please report the runner's location and bib number to the next aid station.

• At the start / marathon midpoint / finish at Fletcher's Cove, we offer water, Gatorade, and Carb Boom in all six flavors (see www.boomnutrition.com) including caffeinated Orange Vanilla

• Post-race, we have Dunkin' Donuts bagels and tangerines, Mario's Pizza, Whole Foods Bananas, and maybe King Zachary's Royal Barbeque. Massage therapist Jeremy Williams and his students provide post-race recovery massage, and Anna Mwalagho (see www.AnnaMwalagho.com) entertains with international music and singing from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon at Fletcher's Cove.

• As soon as possible as top 3 finishers come in after the 7 AM half and full and the 8 AM half, we present them shatterproof high-tech SHF sunglasses -- the manufacturer says they're also bulletproof, but I don't want to test that theory. As soon as possible as top 3 finishers come in after the 8 AM full marathon, we present cash prizes of $250 for 1st M/F, $150 for second M/F, and $100 for 3rd M/F. Thereafter, we present your choice of SHF sunglasses or gift certificates from Pacers Running Stores (six locations in DC and VA) or Falls Road Running Store in Baltimore to the top 3 in 10-year age groups M/F.

• As soon as possible after the race, we prepare results and publish them at www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/20160501.html The first round of results is sorted in finisher order, not subdivided by start time and distance. After a day's review so you can notify us of any corrections, we subdivide by start time and distance and then send the marathon data to Boston Athletic Association to qualify you for 2017 Boston Marathon.

• Join our Facebook page -- share rides, thoughts, and photos!

Thank you, Jay Jacob Wind, Director, Safety And Health Foundation