Run! Geek! Run! Returns to Alexandria For Its 18th Year
This September, Run! Geek! Run! returns for its 18th year on Sunday, September 28. The race kicks off at 8:30am with the 5K, followed by the one-miler at 8:35am. I caught up with Rita Foss, Race Director of Run Geek Run and Co-Founder and Advisor to Ironistic, to hear how the race has grown and what to expect this year.
RUN! GEEK! RUN! 2024 Beneficiary: Life With Cancer at Inova Schar Center
“We started in 2008; a neighbor launched it,” Rita explains. “In 2016, Ironistic took it over and brought it to Alexandria, after beginning in D.C. at MacArthur Park. Back then, we had around 250 participants, and most recently we had 700. We raised about $5,000 in the early years, and in 2024, we raised $48,000.”
Since then, the impact has been remarkable. Each year, the race supports a different Alexandria nonprofit. Past beneficiaries include Inova’s Life with Cancer program, which received $45,000 last year. This year’s funds will go to Senior Services of Alexandria, an organization that has been cheering and running alongside participants for years. Altogether, RUN! GEEK! RUN! has raised more than $230,000 since 2016.
Beyond the numbers, Rita says it’s all about fun and community. “We make it an event. The Alexandria City High School Junior ROTC presents the colors, students sing the national anthem, and a local DJ gets everyone hyped at the starting line.” New this year: local band The Hip Replacements will perform at the turnaround point.
The main event is the 5K, but a one-mile option was added for kids or anyone looking for a shorter course (at the suggestion of previous beneficiary Move2Learn). Both races start and finish on Main Line Boulevard near Braddock Metro. The one-mile turns at Potomac Avenue, while the 5K turnaround is at the Virginia Innovation Campus.
“All are welcome: runners, walkers, even dogs. It’s stroller-friendly and very safe. It’s about community and family.”
And then there’s Eugene (“the epitome of a geek”), the race mascot, and the coveted prizes: over 90 bobbleheads given out to winners. “People always ask if they can buy one,” Rita laughs. “Nope—you have to earn it in the 5K. In the one-mile, we reward the first boy and girl to finish.”
For Rita, running has always been about more than competition. “I’ve completed 22 marathons, one in each state. But as I get older, I realize speed doesn’t matter. Being connected to your community by foot—that’s what matters. Running relieves my stress, and you build this community of like-minded people just by sharing the same paths. One of my neighbors even started running at 60, won a bobblehead, and now she’s hooked. Keep moving!”
Run Geek Run is always looking for participants and volunteers. Visit RunGeekRun.org to register, volunteer, or become a sponsor.
We hope to see you on the course!
SEE ALSO: Best Things to Do in Alexandria: Local Favorites for Visitors and Staycations
