Endurance Enterprises LLC announced the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, set for Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010.
The destination half marathon will begin at the historic Mount Vernon home of George Washington in Alexandria, and will end at the new luxurious National Harbor resort in Maryland. The 13.1-mile course will be USATF certified.
Registration can be found at www.wilsonbridgehalf.com. Entries will be limited to 4,000 starters for the inaugural running. The race is being presented by Burke & Herbert Bank.
The half marathon is the first organized race ever across the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Completed in 2008, the wider new bridge removed an infamous I-95 bottleneck that had been the bane of frustration for Beltway motorists for decades.
As runners approach Alexandria, they will catch several glimpses of the graceful new Wilson Bridge, inviting them across the Potomac River and to the finish line at National Harbor.
"Runners love bridges, and until you actually run up and over the Wilson Bridge, you cannot believe what a cool feeling that is," said Steve Nearman, founder of Endurance Enterprises and event director of Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. "You are right there with the vehicles and the view of Washington’s monuments is spectacular."
Runners will be transported from National Harbor by bus to the start line at Mount Vernon. From there, the scenic course rolls along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and over the Potomac River via the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The Awakening statue will greet the runners at the finish line at National Harbor.
Pacers Events, the race director for the highly successful GW Parkway Classic 10-Miler and other quality Washington area running events, will serve as race director for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. See runpacers.com.
The race will benefit six charity partners: the American Heart Association, Autism Speaks, Alice Ferguson Foundation, Child & Family Network Centers of Alexandria, Washington Area Women’s Foundation and Back on My Feet - DC.
Training programs associated with the half marathon will be announced soon. Age group awards and prize money will be announced as well.
Hotel packages are being arranged for those athletes and their families interested in a weekend sight-seeing visit to Washington’s plethora of attractions.
For information, visit wilsonbridgehalf.com or call Steve Nearman at 703-587-4321.