Thank you for your support! Here is my pre-race letter to participants, including a thank-you to you! Thank you for entering Potomac River Run Marathon & Half, Sunday, May 7, with starts at 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM at Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC For complete information, please read our web page http://www.safetyandhealthfoundation.org/marathon/20170507.php We try to cover all necessary information on the web page, but I want to emphasize a few points: o If you fly into Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), you can avert the long waiting line for taxis by calling Red Top Cab (www.redtopcab.com) in advance at 703-522-3333. Then your taxi will be waiting for you when you arrive o Same for other local travel -- we are grateful for Red Top Cab's sponsorship, and we are delighted to recommend them o Your bib number is just a little bit smart. If you ordered a Red Top Cab taxi ride from Key Bridge Marriott to Fletcher's Cove on race day, Sunday, May 7, the name tag at the bottom of your bib number says "TAXI=1" if you ordered one ride, "TAXI=2" if you ordered two. If you ordered dinner on Saturday night, the name tag says "DINNER=1" if you ordered one ticket, "DINNER=2" if you ordered two. Smart, yes? When you pick up your bib number, please check all the data -- name, gender, age, city, start time, half / full -- and please let us know immediately if you require any changes. Please DO NOT REMOVE the name tag -- we collect the name tags after the race to ascertain the order of finish. Please do wear your bib number on the FRONT of your shirt, not the side, not the back, so we can read it clearly at all times during the race o Our adventure begins with goodie bag assembly and early packet pick-up on Thursday, May 4, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th Street South, Arlington VA. We always get a dozen volunteers from among our entrants, and goodie bag assembly is always great fun. We are grateful to Trader Joe's (www.traderjoes.com) for providing re-usable shopping bags for our goodies. Get your bib number, goodie bag, and breathable moisture-wicking t-shirt specially printed for us by Sport Science > ® (www.sportsciencewear.com) o Our adventure continues with pre-race packet pick-up on Saturday, May 6, from 3:00 PM to 5:45 PM at Pacers Running Store, 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington VA. You may park for up to 90 minutes for free at Trader Joe's, 1109 North Highland Street, Arlington VA. The entrance to Trader Joe's parking is approximately 1200 North Garfield Street, Arlington VA, across from 12th Street North, between 11th Street North and Clarendon Boulevard. Punch the button at the entry gate for a parking receipt when you enter, go upstairs, buy something if you want, get your parking receipt validated, and walk out the front entrance, turn right on North Highland Street, and cross at the walk-light to Pacers Running Store across Highland Street. When you return to your car, approach the parking exit and insert your validated receipt into the exit gate. Also, Pacers Running Store is across Clarendon Boulevard from Clarendon Metro Station o Meet us on Saturday, May 6, at 6:30 PM at Cost Restaurant, 1801 North Lynn Street Arlington VA, to watch Kentucky Derby on the small screen, then meet Gib Leonard of Buy A Brick Foundation to learn about their work building Leonah Clinic in Zimbabwe and their efforts to stomp out malaria by providing mosquito-proof netting and harvesting Artemisia annua, an anti-malarial crop. The story is fascinating and inspiring. You may order pay for dinner tickets on-line or at packet pickup for just $10 -- all you can eat -- or $15 at the door at Cosi o Our adventure concludes on Sunday morning, May 7, with the 14th annual Potomac River Run Marathon & Half, with starts at 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM. Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road NW, Washington DC, is the only break in the fieldstone wall between Key Bridge and Chain Bridge, about two miles west of Key Bridge, about one mile east of Chain Bridge, where Reservoir Road intersects Canal Road. BTW, west of Chain Bridge, Canal Road becomes Clara Barton Parkway, and east of Foxhall Road, Canal Road becomes M Street. Only in Washington DC ... o Before the race, enjoy a session of Laughter Yoga at 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM, led by Diane Cohen (arlingtonlaughteryoga@yahoo.com) in celebration of World Laughter Day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Laughter_Day) o Also enjoy pre-race jokes and encouragement and post-race announcing by "Showtime Mike" Mebreahtu (http://mmebra2.wix.com/showtimemike) o We score both races half / full, and both starts 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, as distinct races, with four sets of results. In the first printing on race day, the draft results will be in order of finish, pending any late changes to distance or start time; then a day or two later, we subdivide the results into the four race. We try our best to present awards on race day. For awards, we have store certificates from Pacers Running Stores (www.runpacers.com) in the DC area and Princeton NJ and Falls Road Running Store in Baltimore (www.baltimorerunning.com); restaurant certificates from Great American Restaurants and Metro 29 Diner; SHF shatterproof UV-protective sunglasses; and SHF multi-colored desk lamps, both from Trillium (www.trilliumlifestyle.com). You get your choice. For the top 3 males and females in the 9:00 AM full marathon, we offer cash prizes of $250, $150, and $100. The marathon course is out'n'back twice, and we do keep track of all runners who make the turnarounds, so we can verify award-winning performances. We also have one special award -- $500 towards the purchase of a $1000+ bicycle at Big Wheel Bikes (www.BigWheelBikes.com) We thank our aid station volunteers: o New York College of Podiatric Medicine (www.nycpm.edu) at the start / finish o Ethio-American Athletic Association (www.ethamaa.org) at Lock 5 o Buy A Brick Foundation (www.buyabrickfoundation.org) at Lock 7 o DC Capital Striders (www.DCCapitalStriders.com) at Lock 10 The USATF-certified C&O Canal Towpath half / full marathon course (http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=DC09005RT) is 100% off-road, 100% gravel path with only two short paved sections to prevent hillside erosion, no hills except those two short rises, no road crossings. Spectator access is at the locks -- all accessible ONLY from EASTBOUND Clara Barton Parkway -- Lock 10, Lock 9, Lock 8, Lock 7, Lock 6, and Lock 5 -- and at Chain Bridge, about one mile west of the start / finish, accessible from both eastbound and westbound Clara Barton Parkway. Please pace yourself wisely. The half marathon is 6.55 miles west, turnaround, and 6.55 mile east. The full marathon follows the same course, then do it again. We offer a complete aid station in the middle of the Towpath for marathoners at their midpoint. When you finish, receive your medal from Dan Kain Trophies (www.dankain.com), listen for your name if you're an immediate award winner, and walk down the stairs to refreshments and music. If you must stop during the race before the finish, PLEASE stop at one of the aid stations at Lock 5, Lock 7, or Lock 10, so we can provide assistance and drive you back to the finish line. We expect nice weather, but take fluids (Gatorade and water) at each aid station; and Simone Super Energy (www.SimoneSuperEnergy.com) before and after, Carb Boom! (www.boomnutrition.com) before the race and at the marathon midpoint, and Honest Sport Drink (www.honesttea.com) before, at midpoint, and after. Post race, enjoy Anna Mwalagho's live music (www.annamwalagho.com) from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon at Fletcher's Cove. You can buy her CDs post-race. Also, we offer Dunkin Donuts bagels, Mario's Pizza House pizza (cheese and vegan), Trader Joe's bananas and clementines. and King Zachary's Royal Barbeque, all at Fletcher's Cove after you finish. We welcome you! Thank you, Jay Jacob Wind, director Safety And Health Foundation -- Thank you -- Jay Jacob Wind, Secretary, SHF -- racedirector@att.net -- Safety And Health Foundation -- www.SafetyAndHealthFoundation.org -- 703-505-3567 (my cell phone) -- 703-927-4833 (recorded message) -- 703-521-6157 (my fax machine)