TWILIGHT 5000: Reflections From DC Runners
Northeast Track Club has based our entire existence around bringing something new to runners in DC. During the height of the pandemic, we pushed barriers and started this absolute movement of a run club. Two years into this dance, we’ve asked for a lot of favors and have received great support from not only our runners, but from organizations in the running world who have paused to say, “hey, this is amazing, keep it going.” It still felt like a dream when we received a note from Tracksmith through our website inquiry form. A national running brand reaching out to us, don’t wake us if it is a dream!
From there, conversations began about a number of great opportunities. We did disagree with them on one point, however. Washington, DC was not on Tracksmith’s radar as a major “running city” and was not being considered for their pop-up Twilight 5000 race series planned for this summer. We asked them to let us prove them wrong. And from there, we set the wheels in motion to bring the DC running community together for the inaugural DC Twilight 5000 race series.
After months of planning, we hosted race #1 on July 29 and race #2 on August 26th—both of which sold out. Local runners poured in from DC, Maryland, Virginia, and some even flew from North Carolina and other states nearby. Run crews and coaches came together to celebrate the effort that goes into preparing for these races. The rain stopped, the sun set, and heat by heat, groups ran fast 5Ks around the track.
It turns out, though, that what stood out most about these events was much less about the DC running community as a whole, which stood entirely on its own to change minds and hearts about DC running. It was the moments. The sweaty faces and bodies falling down after the finish line to take in the effort they had exerted and celebrate. The shared experiences among friends, pacers and pace teams, mothers and their children who were now following in their footsteps (literally) as they completed the kids race. The individual accomplishments.
We’re sharing excerpts below from a few of these individuals who found magic at the Twilight 5000 series. Thank you to Tracksmith, Trials of Miles racing, and to the DC running community for allowing Northeast Track Club to play a small part in these moments. Let’s keep breaking barriers for the sake of miles and memories.
CAROLINE HUTTON
Mom of Cora Hutton who ran the kids race
My running journey began shortly after my daughter, Cora, was born. We had just moved to a house in a new neighborhood, I was eager to explore, and I was eager to get back to my pre-pregnancy physical self as well. So I strapped Cora in to the jogging stroller and pressed play on a couch-to-5k program.
Within a few weeks, I was seeing my goals fall, one after the other. I found community with the Teens Run DC program. I was stepping into my power both physically and by connecting with a meaningful group of runners and young people.
Over the years—the birth of a second baby, two more difficult pregnancies, and a global pandemic—running remained a personal touchstone. Sometimes I was dragging my feet out the door, but it was always the right choice to keep me aligned physically and mentally. A practice that was critical but solitary in the early days of the pandemic was later strengthened with a ride-or-die running partner, and then joined a chorus of [like minded] runners with Northeast Track Club.
Ten years on, as the crisis of the pandemic wanes, Baby Cora is stepping into herself as a young woman. We haven’t built a practice of running together, but I found that the Tracksmith Twilight 5000 offered a kids’ option. Unlike a road race where I would have to leave a companion behind while I was on the course, this was the perfect event and location where we could be together, even if we weren’t running together.
I wasn’t sure how it would go for Cora. As her name suggests, she has the biggest heart and is too sweet to have a competitive spirit. I was bursting with pride as she stepped to the line. Since she was bigger than the other participating kids—and as a testament to her kind nature—she let the other kids start ahead. But as she rounded each bend of the track, I saw her step into HER power. She gave it her all, and she beamed as she crossed the finish into my arms!
I hope that running becomes a passion for Cora. She has it in her blood as the granddaughter of women’s running pioneer and Canadian Masters Hall of Fame runner, Diane Palmason. I would be overjoyed to eat her dust! But whatever direction she takes, my hope for Cora is that she will continue to find her strength and passion within herself.
EDIE WILSON
NETC runner and former high school track athlete
At Okemos High School, track was one of the few sports that didn’t have formal “cuts.” As a result, it accumulated an assortment of athletes—soccer players with lungs of steel from traversing the field for ages, basketball players who soared over the high jump during their off season, football players who could dash down the straightaway with lightning speed, and those of us who never really figured out how to catch or hit a ball—a necessity for the ball sports apparently—but managed to put one foot in front of the other. For me, track was a release, a community, and something to harness my energy into what felt like a very stressful time in life.
It is funny how so much as a teenager feels heavy and permanent while it's happening but feels light and fleeting in retrospect. Running brought me friends across grades and interest groups—track, more than any other sport at my high school, brought together different types of athletes and threw them together around an oval. And it combined effort with joy. We ran hard; then we lounged on the high jump mat, soaking in the sun’s rays.
Track as an adult is different. You’ve (hopefully) recognized that missing fast times and far throws is not self-defining—something that I believe is hard for any teenager, still figuring out who they are, to internalize—and you have more choice and agency over your training, your races, and the pals that become your self-proclaimed rather than assigned teammates—you’ll find yourself surrounded by a lot of teammates, excitedly cheering you on at any Northeast Track Club practice.
The similarity to high school comes in the diversity of the people that show up. Roughly 275 runners signed up for the first DC Tracksmith Twilight 5000 and 300 for the second iteration at the end of August. The event combined people from running “teams” around DC—Track Pack, New Balance Pacers Running Select Team, Pacers GRC, Dojo of Pain, WERC, November Project, and of course, the event co-organizer NETC, to name a few. Runners from beyond DC showed up to run as well, relishing the “away meet.”
Post-college run groups also attract a diversity of athletes. There are athletes who competed in D1 to D3 universities—a few in track, many in other sports. There are high school runners that took a break. There are those who never purchased their first running shoes until far after college. There are young zoomers and older boomers. There are speedsters and those who enjoy smelling the flowers along the way—and you’d be wrong if you thought speed aligns perfectly with age. There are teachers, scientists, researchers, lawyers, waiters, running retail workers, journalists, and other occupations who drop their titles in exchange for a pair of running shorts.
If it isn’t abundantly clear by all the gushing about track above, I love the running community. And I love a good running community event. When I arrived at the August Tracksmith, I dropped the stress of the workday at the gate and walked over to grab my bib from the big Wisconsin tent at the side of the curve. I pinned the bib somewhat crookedly to my front and gabbed with my pals—friends that I’ve made simply through mutually lacing our sneakers and showing up.
For the uninitiated into the cult of track, a 5K is 12.5 laps around Cardozo’s oval. As the heats went on throughout the night, we cheered from the bleachers, the infield near the start line, the infield near the finish line, the infield at the 300 mark… We saw the strategies play out or fall flat. We saw grit; we saw exhaustion; we saw elation.
For my own heat, I felt the normal mixture of nerves and excitement. It was the cheers and “hype” from the sidelines that kept me feeling calm and strong when I got tired. I know this was the case for others as well.
Running in circles still feels like an escape for me at the end of a long day. Track still provides me the opportunity to connect with people across the DC community. I relish the opportunity to move and test my limits a bit more now. I cheer a bit louder as I find my voice more. And I celebrate the efforts that go into track meets—the organizers, the pacers, the timers, the racers, and most importantly, the cheerers.
ANDREW KATZ
NETC Pacer and Twilight 5000 Pacer
They are deeds of service, gestures of kindness, or simple contributions to the cause. In just over a year since my first “Track Tuesday,” I have witnessed the power of these tiny exchanges as friends, family and runners alike give of themselves to one another, resulting in the ever-growing size and scope of Northeast Track Club. However, this summer, through the Twilight 5000 series, we witnessed a spectacle that surpassed the grandeur of even the most well-attended NETC Track session. This web of contributing service within NETC set the stage for a pair of evenings that welcomed runners of all types and sizes to take part in something truly special.
For those who haven’t heard the club’s origin stories, what was once a small group of friends hopping school fences to get their laps in, became the gracious hosts for two of the most memorable nights of running this summer. Runners from across the capital region squared off against their peers, the clock, and themselves, while spectators cheered fervently for friends and strangers alike. Not only did NETC cultivate an environment for hundreds to gather in the spirit of competition, but the “Chaos” Community made its own tiny exchange not only to D.C., but to the Nation’s running community, as Washington’s running scene raced into conversations and headlines alongside running meccas such as Twin Cities, New York, Chicago, LA, Philly, and Boston. While the club aims to create an inclusive community, the true ethos is that “small change can make a big impact.” I’d like to share how a few small changes made a very big impact.
If you’re reading this, there’s a great chance that you have given to this community, be it inadvertent or with intent. Our aforementioned Founders give of themselves constantly in person and behind the scenes, setting and maintaining the vision for this ever-expanding running family. Senior Captains and Captains are tireless workhorses, bringing initiatives and opportunities to life for all to enjoy. Pacers (truly the luckiest of the bunch) attempt to monitor their watches while not tripping over themselves in an effort to create a seamless running environment for athletes of all backgrounds to show up, lace up, and execute. While these groups mentioned above may serve in various roles in the community, the most monumental of inputs and evidence of major growth spawns from the tiny exchanges between the members of Northeast Track Club: the smiles, the high-fives, the conversations, and the consistent string of “You got this,” “let’s go!” and “almost there!” heard throughout the night. These gestures build friendships, connections, and community that spur into runs on the Mall and Rock Creek Park, birthday and other celebratory outings, motivational training crews, and even budding romances.
When Tracksmith chose NETC from among numerous running crews in D.C. to host the Twilight 5000, the blueprints were already sitting in the back pockets of the Founders. Recently coming off the third and largest ‘Better Your Mile’ campaign and mile race finale, this “Friday night lights-esque” event was just what this community has become known for creating.
So how did this inclusive community make an impact that stretched well beyond the spectrum? The NETC faithful began rapidly filling the limited supply of race slots, encouraging track clubs from across the Nation’s capital to sign up in droves. Then came the volunteers. The generous commitments and contributions from each and every social group within NETC enabled the hype-up, setup, and execution of these 5000m runs to flow flawlessly. Everywhere I turned, there were folks willing to lend a hand. As the tents, welcome desks and sound-system began to appear, we witnessed people introducing themselves to one another before offering to assist hang banners, pass out bibs, run to the store for ice, and even assemble the DJ booth. While Mona and Vonks (with her beautifully built-in plus-one) paced to oversee the completion of set up, multi-time marathoners joined hands with novice runners 5K to make the Twilight 5000 more than just some run for-a-cause.
Many may say that the music, bibs, divided heats, and official race timers were some of the visible and auditory highlights of the event, what I felt made the greatest impact was the kindness of lap-counters who patiently and attentively waited for runners to make their 12 rounds. I am grateful for those that pitched in last minute to bring coolers, tubs and other necessary items to ensure runners were hydrated and comfortable. However, what will always stand out as the single greatest gesture of Twilight 5000, were those who willingly showed up to cheer, motivate, and shout the names of the 300+ runners who valiantly stepped onto the track that evening. This act of giving one’s time, one’s patience, and one’s Friday evening created an unforgettable and championship worthy moment for this city’s running community.
Tiny Exchanges. They are shared here often, they are shared with purpose, and they leave lasting impact that are often invisible to the naked eye. NETC regularly harvests these exchanges to create a welcoming feeling that we all hopefully feel each time we come to the track. But on two nights this summer, this harvest yielded something even greater. First it was Better Your Mile, then it was Twilight 5000. What will be next? We’ll surely find out before long, as these continuous tiny exchanges allow the heartbeat of NETC to pump strongly into the future.