GW Parkway: Up and Running or Down and Out?

Thousands of runners are eagerly watching the news to see if the government will in fact shutdown, forcing the GW Parkway Classic to be postponed.

With a 26-year history, the GW Parkway Classic has been named the "prettiest run this side of the Potomac" and one of Runner's World's top picks for a 10-mile race. It's a scenic, fast course with historically good weather and without the crowding of other area 10-milers. The event also offers a 5K which covers the last 3.1 miles of the 10-mile course. A point-to-point race starting at Mount Vernon and ending in Old Town Alexandria, thousands have made the Parkway classic a staple in their annual running schedules.

This year's race is at a high risk for being postponed to Sunday, May 1 due to the government shut down. The race relies upon the National Park Service, which would not be operating if a shutdown occurred. This might not seem like a big deal to those folks who don't run races. However, most runners structure their training and race schedules around events such as the Parkway Classic, and not knowing if the race will actually be held is certainly keeping them on edge-- myself included. I had planned to run the 5K race as my first "comeback" race after having two stress fractures. Thankfully, Pacers offers the Crystal City 5K's every Friday in April so I have an alternate. But as I sit here on Friday morning, I still don't know if I will be racing tonight or Sunday.

Others who had planned to use the Parkway 10-miler as a tune-up for a marathon don't have the luxury I do, because timing is critical. Some will not be able to run to race on May 1, due to prior commitments or other planned races.

I'm personally extremely impressed with how well the race organizers are handling this curve ball. They were completely transparent and sent out a message to participants last week, alerting them of the possibility of a shutdown, and informing them of the contingency plan. I didn't even realize the government was on the verge of shutting down until I got the email. Unfortunately, they weren't able to get a "special events" waiver, although they did everything in their power to do so.

Race Director Kathy Dalby speaks out on NBC news in this video. The race is certainly getting a good amount of press due to the potential shutdown, even on a national scale.

I'll continue to monitor the news closely, as I'm sure all the other participants are doing. And if I do end up running the Crystal City 5K race tonight, it will just be great practice for the other Crystal City 5K I was planning to run on April 22. But let's hope the government can get its act together and agree to something ASAP!