Sunday Strides Races

The Sunday Strides (formerly “weekly series”) races are conducted at various locations around Howard County. Separate races ranging in distance from 1 mile to 15 kilometers are scheduled for throughout the spring, fall, and winter seasons. Each series culminates in the distribution of series awards. While these races emphasize participation, we also reward performance.

General Information
  • All races begin at 2pm unless otherwise noted
  • Show up no more than 30 minutes before the race to register.
  • Runners of all abilities and ages are welcome, including non-Striders!
  • Sorry, no bathroom facilities will be available
  • Course finding is your responsibility! Minimal markings will be provided, but races are on open roads or paths and there may be few or no course marshals.
  • Water will be available on longer courses.
Schedule

Winter 2026 (Operation Iceberg)

DateSeriesDistance 1Distance 2Location
01/04/2026Operation Iceberg #11 Mile5kHammond Middle School
01/18/2026Operation Iceberg #22 Mile5 MileBurleigh Manor Middle School
02/08/2026Operation Iceberg #31 Mile5kOakland Mills Middle School
02/22/2026Operation Iceberg #45k10kHammond High School
03/01/2026Operation Iceberg #55k Northfield Elementary School
03/15/2026Operation Iceberg #65k10kPatuxent Valley Middle School
03/29/2026Operation Iceberg #71 Mile5kSwansfield Elementary

Spring 2026 (Vernal Velocity)

DateSeriesDistance 1Distance 2Location
04/12/2026Vernal Velocity #12 Mile10kJeffers Hill Elementary School
04/26/2026Vernal Velocity #22 Mile10kLongfellow Elementary School
05/10/2026Vernal Velocity #32 Mile5 MileBurleigh Manor Middle School
05/24/2026Vernal Velocity #4All Fruit RelayAll Fruit RelayOakland Mills Middle School
05/31/2026Vernal Velocity #55k 8kMeadowbrook Park
06/14/2026Vernal Velocity #62 Mile4 MileClemens Crossing Elementary School

Fall 2026 (Legends of the Fall)

TBD

Course Maps

Burleigh Manor Middle School
4200 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, MD 21042
2 mile
5k
5 mile
Clarksville Elementary School
12041 MD-108, Clarksville, MD 21029
2 mile
5 mile
Hammond Middle School
8110 Aladdin Dr, Laurel, MD
1 mile
5k
Not to be confused with Hammond High!
Hammond High School
8800 Guilford Rd, Columbia, MD 21046
• 5k
Jeffers Hill Elementary School
6001 Tamar Drive, Columbia, MD 21045
2 mile road
2 mile
10k
15k

Parking available at the elementary school, less than 1/4 mile from the start line on Old Montgomery Road.
Lake Elkhorn Loop
9894-9898 Patuxent Woods Dr, Columbia, MD 21046
5k
Longfellow Elementary School
5470 Hesperus Drive, Columbia, MD 21044
2 mile
10k
15k
10k road
Meadowbrook Athletic Center
5001 Meadowbrook Ln, Ellicott City, MD 21043
5k
10k
Park in back of the athletic center.
Mt. Hebron High School
9440 Old Frederick Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21042
2 mile
5 mile
Northfield Elementary School
9125 Northfield Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042
• 5k
Oakland Mills Middle School
9540 Kilimanjaro Rd, Columbia, MD 21045
1 mile
5k
Patuxent Branch Trail
Lakeview Office Building Parking Lot2-mile
2 mile
5k
10k
Swansfield Elementary School
5610 Cedar Ln, Columbia, MD 21044
1-mile
5k
Thunder Hill Elementary School
9357 Mellenbrook Road, Columbia, MD 210452 mile
2 mile
10k
15k

Registration

All registration takes place on the day of the race. Fees are CASH ONLY (exact change). No credit card reader on site.

DateRegistration Fee: HCS MemberRegistration Fee: Non-HCS Member
RACE DAY (Walk-up before race starts)Individual: $1
Family: $2
Individual: $3
Family: $5

Results

2026 Sunday Strides Vernal Velocity #3
20 runners came out on a warm Mother's Day afternoon for the Howard County …
2026 Sunday Strides Vernal Velocity #2
19 runners came out for the Howard County strides race at Longfellow Elementary School.  …
2026 Sunday Strides Vernal Velocity #1
17 runners came out for the 1st spring Howard County Strides race at Jeffers …

Volunteering

Sunday Race Lead Officials
The Sunday Strides Lead Race Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that a complete team of officials is available for the event and notifying other officials at least five days in advance of the race. The Lead is responsible for assigning race tasks and for a safe run.

Sunday Strides Race Officials
Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled race. Responsibilities include assisting with equipment set-up, performing race day activities (such as start, finish and water stops) and post-race clean-up. If officials switch from the assigned schedule, they are expected to contact the Sunday Strides Race Officials who will be impacted. Note: failure to work or provide a substitute will result in disqualification from the point standings. Officials assigned to work may not find a substitute and then run in an event the week he/she was assigned to officiate.

Email sundaystrides@striders.net if you are interested in being a lead official! Regular volunteer signups can be done through SignUp.com

Safety

Although the courses are designed to be as safe as possible, you run at your own risk. Runs take place on public roads and pathways with little or no traffic control. Neither medical assistance nor police assistance is available at weekly events. Officials reserve the right to eliminate bonus points and/or cancel any event due to inclement weather or other unsafe conditions.

Officials have the right and responsibility to disqualify any runner who doesn’t complete the course. For safety reasons, strollers, dogs and headphones are not allowed at any Striders events.

Scoring

Racers accumulate points throughout each race of the series. Each person scores a minimum of 10 points and a maximum of 22 points for completing a race. Volunteers score 22 points for their first time volunteering in a series, and 10 points for each additional race in the series for which they volunteer.

Series awards are presented to male and female finishers accumulating minimum points in either a long distance (10K, 15K, 6M, etc.) or short distance (3M or less) series of races. Minimum series points are calculated based on total number of races minus one (1) race. The resulting number is multiplied by 10 to determine the minimum total points to qualify for awards. So for a race series with six races, the minimum number of points is 50.

PlacePoints
122
221
320
419
518
617
716
815
914
1013
1112
1211
13+10
Volunteers22/10

PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO BATHROOMS AVAILABLE (sorry!)