2013 Race Information

27 BEST

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon was ranked in Runner's World magazine as one of the 27 BEST half marathons in the United States, out of more than 1,500 half marathons in the nation!

But it is more than just the scenery.

We have developed a first-class destination half marathon by engaging people who know running – experienced runners, experienced race managers, experienced journalists, experienced event managers and experienced logistics experts.

We have purposefully limited the size of our field to 5,000 for your safety and enjoyment. There are plenty of races out there with crowds and on-course music, but we are not one of them. Crowds are for general-admission rock concerts and music is best enjoyed at the post-race Finish Line festival.

We have always lined the course with great support – in fact, we have eight pit stops – for refueling and potty breaks – on our 13.1-mile course, all with water and some with our official replacement drink Gatorade and three flavors of Excel Gel – vanilla, chocolate and berry.

We have always offered free parking the day of the race.

We have taken your feedback every year and continued to make the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon better year after year.

It starts with our registration system, which we have worked diligently to make your registration experience simpler. We have included a page on the registration site for our add-ons:

• FedEx
• VIP Awakening Pass
• WWBH University classes
• High-quality cotton mock tee

Our EXPO Keeps Getting Better

WWBH Runners' EXPO & Packet Pickup: Friday, October 4, 2013 - 4p to 8:30p; Saturday, October 5, 2013 – 9a to 5p.

EXPO Venue: Holiday Inn Eisenhower Avenue at Eisenhower Metro (Yellow Line)
There is no race-day packet pickup so if you cannot retrieve your packet at the EXPO, sign up for our FedEx option to delivery your race packet to you prior to race weekend. And there's more!!!

The first 1,500 entrants who opt to park at Eisenhower Avenue will be issued guaranteed bus passes. You will be asked during the registration process to choose your parking – Hoffman Town Center or National Harbor. FREE parking will be available both at Hoffman Town Center and National Harbor. Those runners parking at Hoffman Town Center will be bused to the start at Mount Vernon and then back to Hoffman Town Center after the race. Those who park at National Harbor will be bused to the start and will run back to your vehicle at National Harbor.

OFFICIAL RACE HOTEL: Holiday Inn Hotel Alexandria SW – Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria. Awesome rate - $99 + tax per night during race weekend.

Roll out of bed and right onto a bus to the start line.

Free shuttle to and from Reagan National Airport. The Metro (Yellow Line – Eisenhower Avenue) stops virtually right across a parking lot from the hotel. See other accommodations below.

MEGA Finisher's Medals: At the finish line, you will receive our unique, memorable, awesome finisher's medal, in the same mold as 2010-2012.

OFFICIAL TRAINING PROGRAM: WWBH University was so successful in getting runners to the finish last year that we are doing it again. Sign up for Saturday or Sunday sessions starting late June. And think about joining us this winter/spring. Inquire with WWBH University Professor Lindsay Albert at 571-217-9427 or via email at laces2asphalt@gmail.com.

NIB Visually Impaired National Half Marathon Championships

Special event for all blind and visually impaired athletes. See tab for NIB at top of page. For National Industries for the Blind, this national non-profit located in Alexandria came aboard in 2011 and propelled the Visually Impaired race to 17 participants last year from just three in 2010. We are expecting more than three dozen visually impaired competitors this year. All B1 runners must use our advance start. B2 and B3 athletes have the option to use the advance start or line up with the open field.

Generous prize money

We have hosted running superstars like Fernando Cabada, Kellyn Johnson, Catherine and Samuel Ndereba, Bobby Mack, Moses Kipkosgei (1:02 course record) and Ricky Flynn.

2013 Prize Purse = $10,000+

Overall male/female
1. $1,200
2. $600
3. $450
4. $300
5. $150

American only male/female
1. $600
2. $450
3. $300
4. $200
5. $100

Masters male/female
1. $200
2. $150
3. $100

Potomac Valley Association USATF Championship Open male/female
1. $300
2. $200
3. $100

PVA Masters male/female
1. $250
2. $150
3. $100

Course record bonus $1,000
Men's CR – 1:02:37
Women's CR – 1:12:44

Runners will be awarded prize money in all categories that they qualify so double and triple dipping is encouraged

VIP Awakening Pass

Run the WWBH like a Rock Star! We will take you by comfortable heated passenger van to the start area, where you can discard your runner's bag at the start line right up to the moment the starting gun goes off. Then we will take your belongings to our VIP Awakening Tent at the Finish Festival in National Harbor, where you will be reunited with your runner's bag while enjoying fresh VIP food from McLoone's Restaurant in National Harbor. Includes a special WWBH gift. $75 per runner in addition to registration fee. Very limited number of passes available.

No Refunds

However, we will continue with our liberal exchange/deferral policy. If you register and cannot run on October 6, 2013, we will allow you to exchange your entry with another runner or defer your entry to 2013. The deadline for deferrals is midnight September 15, 2013, and the deadline for exchanges is midnight, September 22, 2013.

No exceptions so please do not ask for these accommodations after their respective deadlines.

Also, do not give your entry to another person without notifying us. If that person has a medical emergency during the race, we will have your emergency medical information instead of theirs, and that could delay treatment. For the safety of everyone, please follow the approved procedure for exchange or transfer of your entry. Also, unauthorized exchanges of bib numbers can lead to incorrect results and could rob an age-group winner of an award and recognition.

Timing is Everything

We will utilize the disposable D-tag/B-tag timing technology from Chronotrack Race System. With a good Internet connection, we will be streaming results live at the event. We will not only issue you your final finishing time but also your 5-mile and 10-mile splits along with visible clocks at all three locations.

We will post results and awards online within hours of event completion. Last year, we posted our results in an extremely timely manner, most likely before you even got home from the race. Typically with a good connection, results are posted onsite and you can check via your iPhone or whatever it is you use to keep you distracted all day.

Of course, timing and scoring of the WWBH will be conducted in a manner conducive to the rules of USATF.

Remember: No chip = no time.

POST-RACE PARTY in the WWBH Finish Line Festival

Did somebody say beer garden? Live rockin tunes? After-race food and drinks? All that and more at the WWBH Finish Line Festival. Food and beverages will be provided at the finish area for runners. Entertainment and an awards ceremony will be held at the Finish Line Festival after the race featuring a beer garden and vendors throughout the finish line village.

Spectacular Memories by Marathonfoto:

We have again chosen Marathonfoto as the official race photographer of the 2013 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon. Make sure you smile throughout the race in case we catch you on camera at some point. We hope you will enjoy your race pictures as a way to remember your race fondly for a long time.

Other Accommodations

Gaylord National Resort & Conventions Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745
Reservations: 301-965-4000
Special Accommodations

Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town/Duke Street
1456 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-548-5474
Special Accommodations

Hoffman Town Center also is home to several fine restaurants, a coffee shop and an ice cream store. And home to the massive AMC Hoffman Center 22, a delightful movie theatre with nearly two dozen film options every day and that movie-quality popcorn which we crave from time to time.

Plus you are just minutes to quaint historic Old Town and its overwhelming number of stellar choices of dining and shopping. Feel like Indian, Greek, Italian, Cajun, Thai, Irish, Southwestern, or just a burger and chili. It's just one stop on the Metro (King Street) or maybe the Holiday Inn shuttle can take you there.