We did it again. For the 16^th year in a row, Reston Runners have sent a team to Boonsboro, Maryland to compete in the annual 50-mile footrace across hill and dale and then hill again. This group bonds together during repeated potluck strategy sessions and trail runs - we train, scheme, eat, and party together, and then in November we line up at the starting line ready to face the day. [Note: Be sure to read our growing library of JFK50 Experience Articles]

Most Reston Runners are used to this program, having run or crewed at some point over the last couple decades. They’ve seen this event in action, and the average club member knows that 50 miles is a long way, but not an impossible distance. Around 250 Reston Runners have finished this race, and well over 300 Reston Runners have supported the team on race day. And most of those people have done this more than once. Or twice. It’s just that kind of an event.

But the average club member is not really a normal person. This year over 30 volunteers and family members got up before dawn to line the course with their bright smiles and energetic cheer. They hauled bags, served soup, changed muddy shoes, filled water bottles, and paced lagging runners to their finish. And some of those crazy people did this for 16 hours straight.

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