It RUNS in the Family: RDP + VA 10 Miler

The Raleigh Distance Project was born last September, on the weekend of the 2017 Genworth Virginia 10 Miler. The hype, the social media accounts, and the loving nickname RDP all seemed to stick.

A newborn child cannot grow or develop without a family to support them. If you think about it... the encouragement, positive reinforcement, and enthusiasm a parent provides for their child is what allows them to improve, ultimately to their full potential. In our team's case, the team of people who make the Virginia 10 Miler possible have supported us since day one.

We couldn’t be more excited to become the first elite team to partner with the Virginia 10 Miler! The support from their sponsorship is much deeper than financial. It feels like we have been adopted into a family that has raised us from the beginning.

Each year, Bret Boman, the elite athlete coordinator and his wife, Lisa, open their home up to elite athletes for the weekend of the race. They cook a pre-race lasagna dinner, buy snacks and gatorades, provide sleeping arrangements, the whole nine yards. Sarah raved about her time with them at the 10 Miler in 2016. One year later for the 2017 race, she recruited Tristin to come.

“Hi Bret! Is it cool if Tristin also stays with us?”
“Of course.”

It wasn’t much longer until Andie decided to add it to her racing schedule. Then Rita.

“Hey Bret… so... we’ve got two more Raleigh girls who want to run. Can they come and stay with us at your house?”
“We can manage that…no problem”

The more the merrier. We convinced Erin and Tereza (former RDP member) to come as well.
“You are telling me, six Raleigh girls are going to come take over our house?”
Believe it or not, he was cool with this.

So was it the hospitality that made us feel so at home? The volunteers and staff cheering along the way? The photographer who doubled as a hype man? The feeling of accomplishment on a challenging course? The beautiful fall Virginia weather? The post-race pool party? We’d love for you to come find out and be a part of our history, and experience the 45th Annual Virginia 10 Miler with us. 

Stay tuned for race entry giveaway opportunities and travel plans! If you would like to be considered for elite entry, please contact us so we can get you involved!