Unrequited Love: Road Races and Georgetown

Georgetown offers scenic views, like the C&O Canal and the waterfront, and iconic streets, like M Street and Wisconsin Avenue. But, to some, these very assets are becoming hindrances as more and more sporting events seek to have their courses pass through or take place entirely in the neighborhood. The Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E) is beginning to be less accommodating of the events that close streets and block traffic – cardinal sins in a dense, historic neighborhood.

At the July meeting, Commissioner Tom Birch said there seems to be a "burst of races" this year.

Tuesday, two races requested street closures and accommodations on separate weekends in October. This year, October has five weekends and so far three of those weekends will feature road races in Georgetown.

In November, the ANC that defines the criterion for deciding whether or not a race could pass through Georgetown. The main points focus on the types of road closures (favoring a Whitehurst Freeway closure instead of M Street); timing of the race and length of inconvenience to neighbors; a preference for entirely charitable events; and how far in advance the race approaches the ANC.

Brian Danza, the president of 501c3 DC Road Runners, came prepared for the meeting with the ANC and was quick to offer flexibility when commissioners raised concerns about the starting time of the DC Road Runners 10k on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The 10k race for which Danza was asking for road closure permissions will benefit the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DVLEAP). Any proceeds from the event would go to the nonprofit, said Danza.

Commissioner Bill Starrels, whose constituents would be impacted by the DC Road Runners 10k, said "I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the presentation and that the money goes to a charity. ... It’s refreshing.”

The race received commission approval with the agreement that all streets involved, namely K and Water streets, would re-open by 10 a.m.

The other race seeking road closures was the Best Buddies Challenge bicycle event on Saturday, Oct. 22 – the organization is affiliated with the Special Olympics.

The Best Buddies event was represented by Julie Hanson, who had also worked for the D.C. Triathlon, a.k.a. the race that inspired the commission's November sporting events resolution.

Commissioner Ron Lewis expressed frustration with the bicycle event's intention to close Canal Road and use Clara Barton Parkway, which had also been part of the triathlon's requests.

At one point Lewis suggested Hansen should not push for the closures when she already knew how the commission felt about them. Hansen clarified that she was a race logistics contractor without a direct affiliation with the contentious D.C. Triathlon, which is a for-profit enterprise, and was instead performing similar work for the nonprofit Best Buddies program.

Part of the frustration for the ANC is the restrictions imposed by the National Park Service. Many race representatives, such as Best Buddies, have come to ANC meetings and told the commission that they requested use of park service roads or tow paths, but were pushed to alternate routes or residential streets, such as those in Georgetown.

After several minutes of tense questions and answers, the ANC approved the course for the Oct. 22 race and again stipulated that the roads in Georgetown reopen at 10 a.m. "sharp."