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Be a Runner Groupie: Volunteer for the National Marathon

February 18th, 2011 by Sharee Lawler · 11 Comments · Capitol Hill

Photo by Sharee Lawler

For its sixth year, the Sun Trust National Marathon will start and end at RFK stadium, with runners enjoying several Capitol Hill vistas.  Race organizers are kind enough to map the route so that runners turn the corner right by my house, so I only have to walk a few feet to cheer people on.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my runs down East Cap to the mall, but these legs start getting tired around mile 7 and go into full protest at mile 10.  But I am perhaps one of the best race-day cheerleaders you’ll meet.

If you’re interested in more than professional-level cheering, the National Marathon is looking for volunteers.  And, once again, they’ve made it easy for us.  Next Thursday they’ll be hosting a volunteer social at H Street Country Club.  Here are the details from the Greater Washington Sports Alliance:

NATIONAL MARATHON VOLUNTEERS SOCIAL!

H Street Country Club
1335 H Street, N.E.
Thursday, February 24th starting at 6pm

Very informal: Presentation for about 30-40 minutes regarding expectations, check-ins etc and allow opportunity for questions.

There will be an incentive to bring friends and get them signed up as well to volunteer. Gift Card Raffle for attendees who get friends to sign up and commit.

Light apps will be provided and there will be an open cash bar.

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  • http://twitter.com/dennymayo Denny

    To anyone who volunteers – thank you. It’s greatly appreciated. My wife and I will both be running this year, or we’d be volunteering.

  • sebastian

    Does this group pay for all of the police and other city resources that it uses for this race? I think that I read that the city gave them a million dollar grant and waived nearly a 1/2 million in fees owed to the city.

    Where does the money go that’s raised from the runners? Any capitol hill groups see a dime?

    Is the president of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance (who organizes this race) still making nearly a 1/2 million dollars a year?

    Is this really how we want to spend our tax dollars ?

  • Mark

    Sebastian, you think you read? Maybe think just a bit harder and actually do some research rather than throw out “I think I read”. Took about two seconds to find this list:

    Beneficiaries of the National Marathon

    DetermiNation
    back on my feet
    Girls on the Run (Washington DC)
    The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
    Team of Strength
    Running Brooke
    KIDSAVE

    I’m running the National for the third year straight, it’s a great race and brings thousands of people out doing somerthing that is healthy and brings them to DC neighborhoods they might never see otherwise.

    If my DC tax dollars help support this, no problem with me.

  • Mark

    Here I completed more of your research for you, related CityPaper article http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/39581/the-greater-washington-sports-alliance-ceo-gets-hefty-city-subsidized

    Not sure if he still pulls in that hefty salary, and the fee waivers may or may not have changed with the change in Adminitration

  • sebastian

    I notice that you did not say exactly how much Greater Washington Sports Alliance gave these groups> It’s extremely low compared to overhead paid to staff.

    You may want to read the Aug 13, 2010 City Paper article on this group.

  • Mark

    My comment from 1:23pm today is sitting in limbo but yep, I did check out the article and I tried to post the link to it but it looks like it might not go through. (I think it has to do with including a link in a comment)

    It’s a fair criticism: I’d rather the bulk go to the causes than to some DC sports alliance staff. But I’m still gonna run it!

    • Sharee Lawler

      @ Mark – sorry about the approval delay. Adding links to comments does sometimes trigger manual approval, it just took awhile for me to get the request to approve.

  • Mark

    No worries Sharee, appreciate the community discussion space.

  • sebastian

    Thanks Mark for posting the article.

  • Mark

    Sebastian, no problem…(why I was so hyper active I do not know).

  • C in DC

    So once again Hill East residents get trapped in their neighborhood by this double-looping run.

    Not. Happy.