Tom's Run Relay is a 200-mile team relay from Cumberland, Maryland to Alexandria, Virginia, held in memory of CWO4 Tom Brooks, U.S. Coast Guard. The 29th relay runs June 4-6, 2027. If this is your first year, this guide covers what to expect and how to get your team ready.
It's not a race
Tom's Run is a team-building, memorial fitness event. The point isn't to reach the finish line first. It's to reach it together, as close to 11:00 AM on Sunday as possible.
The real challenge is logistics: choosing your start time and holding your team's pace so you finish on time. A little friendly trash talk between teams is encouraged.
Before race weekend
- Register your team by filling out the team application.
- Plan who runs which legs with the leg planner spreadsheet.
- Study the course map, including directions to each exchange point.
- Check the recommended equipment list.
- Complete the disclaimer form.
- Book a room at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Cumberland at the group rate of $132/night. The deadline is May 5, 2027.
The course
The relay starts in Cumberland, Maryland after midnight on Friday. Runners take turns along the full length of the C&O Canal Towpath to Georgetown in Washington, DC. A bike escort accompanies every runner at all times.
From Georgetown, the course follows the Potomac River waterfront past the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, crosses the river, and picks up the Mount Vernon Trail to Alexandria. The finish is at Fort Hunt Park near Mt. Vernon.
Questions?
Email the organizers at [email protected].