Marathon Training Program now open!

Registration is now open for the PGRC Marathon Training Program being led by Coach Yvonne, Paul, and Jason! The Base-building program starts Saturday, June 3, but new sign-ups are welcomed through the month of June. 

This year there are two options to help you reach your marathon goals. Option 1 is a 24-week program that starts slow and easy, but increases intensity over a 6-month period. Option 2 starts in July and will focus on a Run/Walk approach, though all paces are welcome. Participants starting option 2 in July are expected to be able to run at least 10 miles. Therefore, we recommend people to sign-up for Option 1 to help build a base and if needed to switch to Option 2, do so once it gets going in July. More info on both options, including registration, can be found on the website: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Greenbelt/PGRCFallMarathonTraining

The non-refundable training program fee is $85. All participants must be current members or join Prince George’s Running Club during training registration. The club membership fee is $20 individual/$25 family/$10 student. To join the club, please visit our website: http://www.pgrc.org/membership/

Half Marathon Training Registration

Registration is now open for the PGRC Half Marathon Program being led by Coach Dave & Coach D!  This program kicks off August 6th, 2022, so be sure to register soon.

The program will run for 16 weeks leading up the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon, our target graduation race, on November 19th, and is great preparation for any local fall half marathon in your race plans.

The program cost this year is $65 – a $10 inflation relief discount from the program in previous years. Registration is open thru October.

If you are interested in the program please click the link below:

https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/CollegePark/PGRCFallHalfMarathonTraining

We hope you will join us for this fun and comprehensive training program or for the PGRC Fall Marathon/Ultra Training Program as you prepare for your fall races.

Questions?  Contact either of us at the email addresses below.

Coach D: President@pgrc.org
Coach Dave: roeder3909@yahoo.com

Take care and continue to stay safe!!

2022 Springburst 10K Training Program

Prince George’s Running Club’s (PGRC) first training program of 2022 is open, and training starts this week!! 

Need help getting ready for Springburst? Then join PGRC’s 10K training program.

This 8-week program will lead to our goal race, PGRC’s Springburst 10K on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The training program is designed to help you run or walk 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) by building your endurance with a combination of walking, running, speed, and hill workouts.

The cost of the program is $40, and registration is open until Thursday, March 31, 2022. There will be four training days per week (Saturday and Sunday mornings, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings). The program is intended for adults of all ages and abilities (beginner-intermediate) and Coach Andrea Hong will be coaching the program. Detailed training locations and times are listed below. Training will begin on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 6:30 PM at Herbert Well. If you are not able to make tomorrow’s training, don’t worry, there will be plenty more!

You can register for the training program at: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Greenbelt/PGRCSpring10kTraining. If you have any questions about the training program, please contact Coach Andrea at: andreahong15@gmail.com. 

Look forward to seeing you soon. Take care and continue to stay safe!

Training Locations and Times:  

Day         Time       Location            Link

Sunday    8:00 am  Mission BBQ     https://goo.gl/maps/x6s83ktWxbn 

Tuesday   6:30 pm  Ludwig Field     https://goo.gl/maps/Rp957wYP8822 

Thursday  6:30 pm  Herbert Wells   https://goo.gl/maps/co8oVKLg7wn 

Saturday   8:00 am Greenbelt Park https://www.nps.gov/gree/planyourvisit/maps.htm

Andrea Hong

PGRC Coach 

PGRC Reopening

I hope you and your families are doing well.  Thank you so much for completing the survey we sent out a few weeks ago.  The information you provided is extremely beneficial for us to move forward together.  Your health and wellness are always my first priority, with that in mind, I have presented an idea to the board to create a reopening committee.  This committee’s mission/purpose is to help us get back to running in a safe manner. 

As you have seen in the news, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Maryland Governor have loosened COVID restrictions. While we are nearing the end of this trying period, the pandemic will not end suddenly, and we must continue to proceed thoughtfully. 

Based on the latest CDC, state, and local guidance as well as the significantly reduced COVID infections and high vaccination rates, the following policy changes for the club will go into effect starting after our holiday run on July 4th.  Please be on the lookout for more details in the coming weeks.
Fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask, nor observe social distancing, but may choose to do so if they prefer.

If you are not fully vaccinated you are still required to wear masks, and maintain social distancing at all times to help protect yourselves and others. In the spirit of our core value of unquestionable integrity, we will operate on the honor system, and I need to remind everyone to refrain from asking about vaccination status or making assumptions about the reasons why an individual may or may not be wearing a mask.   This is Protected Health Information (PHI) and it falls under medical privacy.  No one is obligated to report when or if they have received the vaccine.  Nor, is anyone obligated to reply to questions pertaining to it.  Some may choose to share and some may not.  Different people have different levels of comfort on this subject. 

Looking ahead, the PGRC Board along with the reopening committee is nearing the completion of a planning effort to determine our post-pandemic posture.  Given the recent changes in CDC, state, and local guidance, as well as the requests by many of you to be able to get back to running more frequently, we are looking at ways we can start transitioning from the running pods back to our normal club runs and in person meetups. The plan right now is to start club runs Thursday July 8th, following Independence Day holiday run on July 5.  We will move back to our normal meet up days and times prior to COVID (as listed below).  We are also looking at ways to bring back training programs, and even having the Wright Stuff race in the fall. 

Throughout this crisis, you all have demonstrated your care, compassion, and dedication to each other and to PGRC. We will need your empathy and dedication over the summer and possibly the rest of the year too, as the unique constraints imposed by COVID-19 will linger for a while longer.  Not all individuals or families are vaccinated or can be vaccinated.  Keeping these sorts of personal constraints in mind, let us continue to be respectful towards each other, whether in masks or not.

I really appreciate everyone for being so flexible with our scheduling and hybrid ways of staying connected and running.  I hope that everyone continues to stay safe, and mindfully practice safe habits. 

We look forward to seeing you on the trails again soon!

Respectfully yours,

Ndegwa R. Kamau
PGRC Board President

Long Run Sunday at 7:00 am – Mission BBQ https://goo.gl/maps/x6s83ktWxbn

Easy Tuesday at 6:45 pm – Herbert Wells  https://goo.gl/maps/co8oVKLg7wn

Easy Thursday at 6:30 pm – Herbert Wells https://goo.gl/maps/co8oVKLg7wn

Easy/Hills Saturday at 7:00 am Herbert Wells https://goo.gl/maps/co8oVKLg7wn

Important PGRC Update Regarding COVID-19

Dear PGRC Community,

Thank you all for what you are doing in the midst of this pandemic. All our efforts to help stop the spread of the virus – from staying at home, to maintaining social distancing while running during club runs and training programs – are having an important impact for our club and the broader running community.  In particular, I would like to thank you for adapting to this new way of running and for doing so with a positive outlook. It is very important that we remain calm during this turbulent time, with so much uncertainty swirling around us.

The PGRC Board continues to prioritize your health and wellness in all our decisions. We are also working diligently to ensure that PGRC continues in its important missions to our club members and to our local community. With this in mind, I wanted to share some news and guidance:

As I mentioned last week, we have been carefully monitoring information from our public officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), and various news outlets regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.  This information is constantly changing, and we have been doing our best to keep everyone informed.

As of yesterday, with the new guidelines from our Governor, and also from the RRCA, it is with my deepest regret that, effective immediately, our club meetups, weekly runs, and training programs are cancelled until further notice.  

Our PGRC community is strong and tight-knit.  Some people from the club will continue to meet up for personal runs, but, unfortunately, these cannot be under the PGRC umbrella.  There are also many virtual options.   We encourage you to remain active, as best you can, while also taking the necessary precautions to maintain your mental and physical well-being. During your personal runs please be sure to follow the guidelines of the CDC by keeping them at a max of 10 people, and staying 6ft apart.  Also, be sure to share your spirit by continuing to post your running photos on our various social media sites!  #PGRCSelfieLoveNotWar

I truly believe that we still need to take time for our own physical and mental health as we continue to adjust to this current situation. Parks and trails are still open; so, if you have some extra time during the day, try to get outside and go for a walk or run.  Visit a park, or simply take a walk through your neighborhood.  Exercising, eating well, and getting plenty of sleep, are all-necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Please stay in communication with the club so that you are aware of any developments.  

Thank you so much for your continuous support of our club. 

I hope that everyone stays healthy and continues to practice safe habits.  We are all in this together, and it is an honor for me to be in this with the best running club in the county! 

If there is anything that we can do to continue to make running an enjoyable and beneficial experience please let us know.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or issues. I am here for you!! 

Respectfully yours, 

Ndegwa R. Kamau 

PGRC Board President 

Join us for Wine & Dine Wednesday – February 27th

Come and celebrate our one year anniversary “Wine and Dine” fun run. Hope all can make it out for some good running, fellowship, and wine afterwards. The weather will be chilly, but dry. Still good for running, but do wear reflective gear or headlights AND some PGRC paraphernalia. The route is at the end of this email, but may be adjusted.

We’ll meet at Riverdale Towne Center Market at 7:00 pm for an easy loop run (route below) AND enjoy some wine afterwards at the market. BTW, their wine is on tap so bring your wine card if you bought one before or money for your wine.

The Towne Center Market isn’t a bar that serves food, but you can order food like pizza and sandwiches from next door  – Dumm’s Pizza.  It is literally a few steps  from Towne Center, and they deliver food to the market so bring some money for pizza.

Bring a friend or — better yet — a former PGRC’er!  Let’s get our former members together, and what better way than over a glass of wine!

Riverdale Towne Center Market is located at:
4705 Queensbury Rd
Riverdale Park, MD 20737
(301) 277-9271
https://www.towncentermarket.net/

Hope to see everyone  February 27th 7:00 pm. 

Running Route (2 1/2 – 3-ish miles):

From the Town Market, start on Queensbury Rd. Continue running on Queensbury passing the Rite Aid and continuing to 39th St/place. Make a left here. Run to Oliver Street and make a right onto Oliver. Continue on Oliver making a right onto Queens Chapel Road. Continue on Queens Chapel road and then make a right onto Queensbury, finishing at the market.