Families boat and fish along Lake Audubon. Photo by Alex McVeigh.
Reston — As avid outdoorsman, Larry Butler says he spends his vacations getting as far away from civilization as possible. As the director of Parks and Recreation for the Reston Association, he knows places in Reston offer something similar.
"Along the Glade Stream is one of my favorite places in the area, the closest you can get to relative isolation in this area, when the leaves are all up you can‘t see many houses," he said. "When you think of Reston, there’s a lot of variety when it comes to recreation, places, facilities, events, there’s a lot available for almost any age if you’re an active person or not."
Reston to Host First Marathon in March
Reston Runners, a local running club, has announced the Runners Marathon of Reston (RMR). The RMR, which will include options for either a full or half marathon, will be held March 24, 2013 at South Lakes High School. The marathon course, which is a Boston Qualifier, consists of two scenic half-marathon loops around Reston utilizing the roads and Reston's extensive paved paths.
The net proceeds of the event will benefit the Reston Community Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to area high school students. For more information contact info@runnersmaratho….
Reston’s network of pathways features 55 miles of paved and natural surface pathways and 95 bridges. There are five major trails, connecting things like village centers, Reston Town Center and going around lakes. Due to the bridges and overpasses, many paths have a minimal amount of street crossings.
"The route from Lake Anne to Reston Town Center is one of my favorite trips," said Laura de Cuir, of Reston, who lives on North Shore Drive near Lake Anne. "It’s about a mile and a half and takes me all the way to Town Center, and the best part is not having to cross Reston Parkway, there’s an underpass by the Barnes and Noble. It might not sound like a big deal, but I lived in Tysons Corner for a few years, and walking there, even during broad daylight, was taking your life in your hands."
There are 15 RA pools in Reston, and Butler says that each pool has something to offer besides just swimming.
"There’s a variety of things available at our pools, particularly at the ones that have been renovated," he said. "Glade has the large slide, Uplands has a splash fountain, Hunters Woods has volleyball and basketball courts and Dogwood, when the renovation is finished, will have a spray and play fountain."
The Dogwood Pool renovation is expected to be completed at the end of the season.
Reston’s more natural water features, even though they don’t allow swimming, allow for plenty of other aquatic activities.
"Reston’s lakes are a beautiful example of seamless integration of water features into a natural, suburban environment," said Leon Oreja of Reston, who as a native of Minneapolis, Minn., says he knows about taking advantage of lakes. "I personally like Lake Anne, boating on it gives you a great view of the plaza on one end, and some beautiful home scenery on the other end."
Reston also features 52 tennis courts, including six with smaller dimensions meant for youth at the Lake Anne pool.
"Tennis is my favorite thing to do outside in Reston, because I can do it all year, not just summer like the pools," said Charles Eagan, 8, of Reston. "My goal is to be comfortable enough to move to the big courts before I turn 10."