The D.C. CRit - summer 2024
Trials of Miles is excited about the prospect of working with REI to bring a new race to the streets of Washington D.C. in summer 2024. Below we have outlined the vision and goals for this event, as well as some potential event locations. We welcome your questions and look forward to discussing in more detail soon.
"I admire road racing and what it takes to be a top-level road racer.
I just think criterium is more fun.
I think they're more exciting, more dynamic. I think it's better for the crowd,
because they get to watch the race happening. Every lap something is happening.”
Justin Williams
Crit Style Racing
Crit (or criterium) racing is a short-form, multi-lap road race that plays out on a small closed looped course. Long popular in the cycling community, our goal is to create something similar for runners within the confines of Washington D.C.
The Event Vision
Summer Party
The D.C. Crit is designed to be a summer celebration, with a full night of racing taking place in a festival like environment. The event will be scheduled on a Thursday or Friday night in summer (ideally in July or August), with loud music, food trucks, and a beer garden. The goal here is to build out something that looks like more like a block party or music festival, but build it around an exciting night of racing.
Small Looped Course
The D.C. Crit course will be ~800m long, with lots of tight turns, and narrow roadways. The main goal with the design is to create something that maximizes the noise and energy for the runners out on the course. It’s also to create a layout that is extremely spectator friendly, so after you’re done competing you’re excited to hang out, cheer on your friends, and enjoy the rest of the night’s program.
Non-Stop Action
The D.C. Crit will provide a full night of action that welcomes runners of all ages and ability levels, and includes races of different sizes and distances. The schedule will look something like this:
Sub-Elite Men 5k: 7:00 pm
Sub-Elite Women 5k: 7:20pm
Kids Dash (800m Loop): 7:40 pm
Open 5k 7:50pm
Mixed 4x800 Relay: 8:30 pm
The Staggered Start Mile: 8:50pm
Elite Women’s Race 5k: 9:10pm
Elite Men’s Race 5k: 9:30pm
The Final Elimination Race: 9:50pm
A different Kind of Race Experience
The D.C. Crit
Potential Event Locations
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RFK Parking Lots
The parking lots around RFK Stadium provide us with a blank canvas to build our course. There is plenty of space, great lighting. (cutting down on setup costs), and lots of parking/public transportation options. The city also frequently hosts events in this location and have been receptive to our preliminary calls.
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Georgetown Park
Georgetown Park has a natural 800m loop, as well as several paved paths that diagnoally bisect the loop. This unique layout would allow us to create a perfect crit style course, with tight turns and narrow passages. The fact that the park is so close to the bars and restaurants in Georgetown is also a major draw for a Thursday or Friday night event.
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Eckington
Less than 1 mile from the REI Washington D.C. Flagship, the Eckington neighborhood abuts the Metropolitan Bike Path, and has several small streets that the City would likely allow us to close on a Thursday or Friday. We’re confident that we could create an exciting loop in this part of the city. We also been chatting with Lost Generation Brewing Company about using their location for staging the start/finish.
