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Mason District Running Festival

Edition 3

Annandale, VA, USA
22 Sep, 2018 (Sat)
Event size: 100 - 999 participants (Max 500 participants)

Running

0.5 mi, 1 mi, 5 km, 10 km, 6 hrs

About the event

Welcome to the Mason District Running Festival!
Third year in a row we invite locals and those from a bit further away to come to this small but beautiful park, share the trails, meet people, raise funds for local non-profit, maybe create some new friendships and ways to support each other, and finally, to have some fun.
Mason District Running Festival is not a single race but a multi-event running celebration, which starts at 8 am and last till 2 pm. It gives people a chance to participate at one or more events (sorry 6-hour runner, not you:). The Festival offers 5K, 6-hour and 3-hour run, Kids Fun Run for the youngest, and half a marathon.
Here is basic outline of the festival:
Running Component
Every hour a run of different distance starts.
8 am: 6-hour and 3-hour run
9 am: 5K
10 am: Kids Fun Run (Approximately 0.5 mile)
11 am: 1/2 marathon
By offering such variety of options we hope to appeal to those still on a couch as well as complete novice runners but also to seasoned long distance champions and everyone in between; we’d like to see young and less young families, retirees, school kids and their teachers, walkers and ultra marathoners.
Logistics:
1. Check in: 30 minutes before the start of a run for all events.
2. Registration: online and at the Festival at least half an hour before an event. Each runner/walker must register and sign a waiver.
3. Admission Fee: NO fees. The festival is a gift: event itself, with marked courses, water, snacks, coffee in the morning, time tracking etc. However, there are also no shirts, no hats, or other fancy giveaways. (You may win a raffle prize – read more about that below).
We do accept gifts and thank you for all those that have been sent our way already as well as for the ones that are still coming. Gifts are being accepted before, during and after the festival, until October 1, 2018. You can gift us right here (click Gift Us button) or or at the Festival in person. Suggested gift amount is between $5 and $50. Click here to learn more about principles of gift economy.
4. Course(s) and Course Markings: Course will be marked by arrows spray-painted on the ground. Besides the arrows there may also be some streamers and and other signs along the course. Although the 5K course may be a bit confusing, with great markings you should be able to stay on it without a trouble. If for some reason you miss a turn look at it as bonus miles (like getting a holiday bonus, which is not taxable.)
5. Course Surface: The course is over 80% shaded and 97% on trails, fire or gravel roads, or grass, which means lots of roots, rocks, leaves etc. There are couple of bridge crossings and stream crossings. Runners may need to cross/jump over tree logs and climb some steep hills (Approximately 150 feet of elevation gain on 5K course most during the second half of it). Start and finish for all distances will be the same - on a grassy field right from the upper parking lot near tennis courts.
6. Aid Station(s): main aid station will be at the start/finish line and will offer water and some snacks. Cups may be available but we encourage you to bring your own bottle to help reduce waste.
7. Timing: No chips or any of that modern stuff. We will do it the old fashion way with some help of modern technology. So, it certainly won’t be to a one hundredth of a second correct, heck, it may even not be to a second correct but in general, you will have pretty good idea about the time in which you finished your run.
8. Parking: is available on the upper level near tennis courts (approximately 50 parking spots). If there is no space at this parking lot, there are more parking spots available at the lower level near soccer fields, which would require participants to walk to the start area (< 0.5 mile). All participants are asked to respect all park rules and regulations including parking.
9. Be Green: in an effort to reduce amount of trash we encourage participants to bring their own water bottles or reusable cups.
10. Refunds: Since there are no fees, there are no refunds. Your gifts and donations are just that – gifts and donations and we thank you for them.
11. Food: There may be some snacks (bananas, bars, chips etc.) available for all events.
12. Restrooms: There are restrooms (with concrete walls and all, not port-a-potty) with sinks but NO showers just 50 steps away from the start/finish line. There are also water fountains there.
14. Driving Directions: Park is called Mason District Park. Address is: 6621 Columbia Pike,
Annandale, VA US 22003. Once you turn from Columbia Pike into the park you will have immediate split: turn RIGHT and drive up a hill and after 1/8 of a mile there is a parking area with approximately 50-60 spots. From parking area you will see start/finish line on your right.
15. Dogs: this is a dog friendly park. On the other side there is literally a dog park but even on trails it is fine to walk/run with dogs. If they are behaved they don’t have to be on leash. So, feel free to bring your dog(s) with you.
16. Kids: are welcome to join you. If you want them to officially participate that is fine as long as you sign a waiver on their behalf. If they will join you unofficially that’s perfectly fine.
17. Strollers: NO. Neither the 5K nor the RDS course is stroller friendly. Too many roots, rocks, tree trunks, loose gravel. Simply not safe. Safety first.

Gifting, Raffle, and Community Service Components
a. Gifting: The festival is brought to the community and its people as a gift. Everybody may participate whether they have money or not, whether they sign up in advance or on the spot. Participants are asked, though, to gift us back/donate, if they are in situation to do so. That is completely up to them as well as the size of their gift. If not, they may still participate in as many events as they desire and are able to. Suggested gift amount is between $5 and $50. Gifts are being accepted before, during and after the festival, until October 1, 2018. Participants will be able to gift/donate via the event’s website, by using credit card, all the time up to October 1, 2018 by sending a check to us or at the event itself, where cash and checks as well as credit cards will also be accepted.
b. Raffle: Each participant will receive one free raffle ticket. Kids Fun Run yields NO tickets as each participant will receive their own price
There will be raffle drawings at 11:15 am and at 2 pm or immediately after last runner finishes 6h run, but number of prizes at each drawing depends on number of items businesses/organizations/individuals will donate to the festival.
c. Community Service: We want to help a local non-profit organization with a donation and that is one of the main reason for the entire event. We have partnered with Shelter House and 100% of net profits from funds raised will benefit the organization and the clients they serve.

Shelter House, Inc. is a community-based, non-profit organization serving homeless families in Fairfax County, Virginia. Our organization was formed in 1981, when several ecumenical groups came together to better serve Fairfax County’s low-income population. In 1985, Shelter House’s facility was moved to its current location in Falls Church. In 2007, Shelter House was awarded Fairfax County’s contract to operate the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax. In 2010, Shelter House became the first non-profit to operate Artemis House, Fairfax County’s only 24 hour Domestic Violence Shelter.

Races offered by this event

Mason District 6-hour solo and relay

22 Sep, 2018 (Sat) - 08:00
Running
6 hrs
150 ft of elevation gain
Race size: 0 - 99 participants

Mason District 5K

22 Sep, 2018 (Sat) - 09:00
Running
5 km
150 ft of elevation gain
Race size: 0 - 99 participants

Mason District Kids Fun Run

22 Sep, 2018 (Sat) - 10:00
Running
0.5 mi
Race size: 0 - 99 participants

Mason District Mile

22 Sep, 2018 (Sat) - 11:00
Running
1 mi
30 ft of elevation gain
Race size: 0 - 99 participants

Mason District 10K

22 Sep, 2018 (Sat) - 12:00
Running
10 km
300 ft of elevation gain
Race size: 0 - 99 participants

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