Living right outside of DC, I am the first to admit that I often take the beauty and importance of our city for granted. I rarely run in DC proper and tend to do most of my runs in Virginia out of convenience.
I’ve been wanting to do the Holiday Lights Run for a few years now and this year, it fit perfectly into my schedule. The Holiday Lights run is organized by the DC Capital Striders running group each year and benefits Toys for Tots and a few of the local DC charities.
It is not a race, but a 4.5 mile ish run through downtown DC past The Washington Monument, National Christmas Tree, The Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial to name a few. The run included organized stops along the way where we were encouraged to sing carols and take pictures. Sure I drive by all the these buildings often, but rarely take the time to stop and admire the beauty and importance of each.
On an unseasonably warm Tuesday night this week, about 400 other runners of varying paces gathered to do just that. Each runner was asked to bring a toy for toys for tots and they collected quite a nice stack. We gathered at the Renaissance Hotel and set out to enjoy the lights and the sights.
Here are a few of the sights we took in. Incredible isn’t it? I honestly forget how beautiful DC is and I am thankful that I had the chance to run and take it all in this year.
As this time of year is also about charity, a little shout out to my MRTT chapter. We “adopted” a less fortunate family this year to provide some holiday help. I put a call out to our mother runners for donations and was overwhelmed by their generosity. We collected huge bags full of clothing and toys for each child as well as over $200 in grocery cards. Thank you all so much ladies! I delivered the gifts to a very thankful family last night.
I also had the opportunity to participate in the Christmas with the Redskins event this week. Hundreds of children in need were paired with donors in advance who purchased sneakers and winter clothes for them. We then had the opportunity to spend the evening with the kids having dinner, playing games and getting autographs from some of the Redskins players. The highlight of the night was accompanying the kids into a “present room” where they could pick out a few more gifts. This was really such a fabulous experience and the look on the kids’ faces was priceless.
This week really showed me first hand what the Holiday Spirit is all about.
Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy & Thankful Holiday Season!
Linking up with Jill for Fitness Friday
This run sounds like a lovely way to spend a Tuesday night! We have a night run here with lights that I’ve been toying signing up for and now I think I just might!
It was fun to do for a change!
Sounds like you’ve had a busy but fun week!
Crazy busy yes bu fun!
I really want to do a holiday light run, looks amazing and beautiful!
It was lots of fun I am glad I finally had the chance to go this year
what a great week of holiday spirit! that is what it is all about! Your run sounds so nice! No times just taking in all the beauty 🙂 We need more of those!
We do! Crazy busy week for sure
Looks like a very fun and meaningful holiday season week! I’d be all over that holiday lights run. So festive!
It was! I’m glad I had the chance to go
You definitely had some very lovely, unseasonably warm weather for it! I love it! I hope it’s still warm for Christmas
We sure did! I wonder if we are going to have any snow this year? I like at least one big snow a year
That sounds like such a fun run! I usualyl run in the suburbs too and rarely get to run in the city. I hadn’t heard of this before but I’ll have to look for it next year.
Oh yea. Hope you do it was a great change of pace and always fun to run somewhere new
What a fantastic idea…running with holiday lights… bringing a toy…. I love this….now I want to find out if LA by any chance has something like this!
Oh they must! I hope you find one too it was really nice
Christmas lights are my jam. In fact, they are the only decorations that are currently up for us!
They are really pretty and look so cool all lit up all over town
Sounds like such a fun Holiday run and to see all those great places at night! Awesome! Great job of getting in the holiday spirit!
I can’t believe I have never run through town this time of year before
Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing. Its nice when we can take our love for fitness and help someone else with it. 🙂
It really is! Happy Holidays
So many different kinds of races in DC, you are lucky. And this sounds like a wonderful event ! Happy holidays to you !
Thanks you too friend! We do have some real great events around here. I’m glad I had the chance to run it this year
So glad you are in the Holiday spirit, I sure wish it would rub off on me a bit more. This fun run looks amazing, I’m so jealous you have so many groups and organizations to run with.
We do have lots of running groups around here for sure!
Happy holidays to YOU friend. I am so happy and proud of all that you have accomplished this year. The new blog format looks great!!! Can’t wait to continue reading about all of your adventures.
Thanks so much! It’s been wonderful connecting with you more. Have a wonderful holiday!
This is wonderful Deb! So much good will spread around. Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much Mary And Merry Christmas to you
That sounds like such a fun and festive race!!
It was very different to see the city at night and so pretty
It is so beautfiul! I don’t think I ever got into the city to see the lights when I lived in MD, which was just one year anyway.
Sounds like you’ve been a very good girl, indeed.
I can’t believe I’ve never run through town during this time of year before. It’s so beautiful and our warm weather made it perfect
How lovely. A night run through the lights would be so much fun!
It really was fun to do something different
I love that this wasn’t a race, but just a fun run with friends. More importantly for a great cause!! What a wonderful night and DC looks so pretty with all the lights and Christmas trees. Love that you guys adopted a family. This is really what the holidays are all about. Have a wonderful weekend!! xx
I think so too! Thanks and hope you have a lovely weekend
LOVE the Moms Jingle This Town top!
It’s so fun isn’t it? I got to wear it twice this year so bonus 🙂
That’s great Deborah! I’ve never done a lights run, but we like going to the lights displays. I used to do Meadowlark gardens when we lived down there. And so fantastic about the MRTT chapter charitable outreach! So important to remember that spirit of giving this season!
It is! Busy but great week around here!
What a pretty place to run! I can’t believe I haven’t been to DC. I think I might need to visit at Christmas time!
ooh you have to come do a race here!
The Holiday Lights Run sounds amazing! How cool that they encourage you to stop and do things along the way 🙂
It was a different way to see the city for sure
The run sounds like fun. I am trying to get a mom’s run this town in my town. Was it hard to start it? Would love to talk to you about it some times. Maybe give me some pointers.
I would be happy to help you out with MRTT in any way that I can. Email me after the new year and we can set up a time to talk
I love the idea of that light run! I love that everyone dresses festive too!
I know it makes it so much more fun!
The holiday lights run sounds wonderful. I bet DC is beautiful when during the holidays. I think it’s been unseasonably warm everywhere. No complaints here.
It has been so warm I think we will really have a hard time once winter really comes
What a great event. The holiday lights look great and the weather looks wonderful for a run 🙂
A great change of pace for me lots of fun
Those Christmas light runs look so much fun.I wish they had one in our area. How cool you got to meet a Redskins player.
Meeting the Redskins was fun for the kids and me!
I bet that was a spectacular run! There’s nothing better than giving back at this time of year. That is the Spirit of the Season.
Absolutely! I am so glad that I got to help out
I’d love to do a holiday lights run – how fun! Although living near DC, you get the views, lights and holiday spirit. So nice of you to give back, love hearing that. Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much! It was a fun and busy week indeed
What a cool couple of events! DC looks beautiful with all those lights – and meeting NFL players? So neat!
A festive fun week indeed!
What fun, festive events! I’d love a run like that. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Thanks so much you too!
What a perfect holiday run to view the city lights in DC! Even better that it benefited various charities. Great to hear you had the opportunity to do it.
Me too always fun to run for a good cause!
That looks like such a fun event! I was working on overdrive before Christmas and couldn’t get away.
I know you run downtown all the time but you would have loved it!