{"id":39258,"global_id":"whatracetorun.com?id=39258","global_id_lineage":["whatracetorun.com?id=39258"],"author":"2","status":"publish","date":"2026-06-07 15:25:56","date_utc":"2026-06-07 15:25:56","modified":"2026-06-07 15:26:01","modified_utc":"2026-06-07 15:26:01","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_events=cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run","rest_url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/39258","title":"Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run","description":"<p><strong>An iconic spring tradition in Washington, DC, this scenic race takes runners through peak cherry blossoms and past major monuments on a flat, prestigious 10-mile course ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)).<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Course Highlights<\/h3>\n<p>The flat and fast 10-mile course starts at the 555-foot Washington Monument and heads west on Independence Avenue before crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge into Virginia ([Hotel Washington Guide](https:\/\/www.thehotelwashington.com\/washington-dc-travel-guide\/cherry-blossom-10-mile-5k-2026-race-day-tips-viewing-guide)). After a brief loop near the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, runners return to DC to hug the Tidal Basin, offering stunning views of the Jefferson and MLK Jr. Memorials ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). A scenic three-mile stretch follows through Hains Point in East Potomac Park, where runners are surrounded by a canopy of blooming cherry trees ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). The race finishes back on the Washington Monument grounds, providing a dramatic finish line atmosphere against the iconic obelisk ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)).<\/p>\n<h3>Why Runners Love It<\/h3>\n<p>Affectionately known as &#8220;The Runner&#8217;s Rite of Spring\u00ae,&#8221; this race is legendary for its timing with the peak bloom of Washington&#8217;s Yoshino cherry trees ([Hotel Washington Guide](https:\/\/www.thehotelwashington.com\/washington-dc-travel-guide\/cherry-blossom-10-mile-5k-2026-race-day-tips-viewing-guide)). With over 20,000 participants, it is one of the most popular races in the U.S., requiring a lottery entry system due to high demand ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). The event frequently serves as the USATF National 10 Mile Championship, drawing a world-class field of elite athletes ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). Runners love the festive atmosphere, the rare opportunity to race through historic memorials under a pink floral canopy, and the prestige of participating in a cornerstone event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival ([Hotel Washington Guide](https:\/\/www.thehotelwashington.com\/washington-dc-travel-guide\/cherry-blossom-10-mile-5k-2026-race-day-tips-viewing-guide)).<\/p>\n<h3>Race Details<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> Washington, United States<\/li>\n<li><strong>Distances:<\/strong> 10 Mile, 5K Run-Walk, Kids Run<\/li>\n<li><strong>Next Race Date:<\/strong> 2027-04-04<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start Time:<\/strong> 07:30<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Race Weekend Tips<\/h3>\n<p>Arrive early on race morning as road closures begin at 5:00 a.m. around the National Mall ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). Use the Metro&#8217;s Smithsonian station, which opens early for the race, as it is just one block from the 10-mile staging area ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). Bib pickup is exclusive to the Health and Fitness Expo at the National Building Museum on Thursday and Friday; no race-day pickup is available ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). Expect spring temperatures between 44\u00b0F and 66\u00b0F, making layers essential ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)).<\/p>\n<h3>History &amp; Charity<\/h3>\n<p>Founded in 1973 by local trail enthusiasts, the race began as a small training run for the Boston Marathon but quickly evolved into a premier national event ([Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cherry_Blossom_Ten_Mile_Run)). It celebrates the 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). For over 20 years, the event has served as a primary fundraiser for the Children&#8217;s Miracle Network, supporting pediatric hospitals nationwide ([Official site](https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). The race&#8217;s &#8220;Runner&#8217;s Rite of Spring\u00ae&#8221; tagline reflects its decades-long standing as a seasonal marker and beloved tradition in the nation&#8217;s capital ([Hotel Washington Guide](https:\/\/www.thehotelwashington.com\/washington-dc-travel-guide\/cherry-blossom-10-mile-5k-2026-race-day-tips-viewing-guide)).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cherryblossom.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Register at the official race website<\/a>.<\/p>","excerpt":"","slug":"cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run","image":{"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run.png","id":39256,"extension":"png","width":1831,"height":859,"filesize":2813884,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":300,"height":141,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":82235,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-300x141.png"},"large":{"width":1024,"height":480,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":860054,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-1024x480.png"},"thumbnail":{"width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":43600,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-150x150.png"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":360,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":498288,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-768x360.png"},"1536x1536":{"width":1536,"height":721,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":1829841,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-1536x721.png"},"endurer_mikado_square":{"width":550,"height":550,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":519497,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-550x550.png"},"endurer_mikado_landscape":{"width":1100,"height":550,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":1041209,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-1100x550.png"},"endurer_mikado_portrait":{"width":550,"height":859,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":806787,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-550x859.png"},"endurer_mikado_huge":{"width":1100,"height":859,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":1671585,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run-1100x859.png"}}},"all_day":false,"start_date":"2027-04-04 07:30:00","start_date_details":{"year":"2027","month":"04","day":"04","hour":"07","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"end_date":"2027-04-04 13:30:00","end_date_details":{"year":"2027","month":"04","day":"04","hour":"13","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"utc_start_date":"2027-04-04 11:30:00","utc_start_date_details":{"year":"2027","month":"04","day":"04","hour":"11","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"utc_end_date":"2027-04-04 17:30:00","utc_end_date_details":{"year":"2027","month":"04","day":"04","hour":"17","minutes":"30","seconds":"00"},"timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_abbr":"EDT","cost":"","cost_details":{"currency_symbol":"","currency_code":"","currency_position":"","values":[]},"website":"https:\/\/cherryblossom.org","show_map":false,"show_map_link":false,"hide_from_listings":false,"sticky":false,"featured":false,"categories":[{"name":"Road Races","slug":"road-races","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":69,"taxonomy":"tribe_events_cat","description":"","parent":0,"count":459,"filter":"raw","id":69,"urls":{"self":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories\/69","collection":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories"}}],"tags":[{"name":"144","slug":"144","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":147,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":237,"filter":"raw","id":147,"urls":{"self":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/tags\/147","collection":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/tags"}}],"venue":{"id":39257,"author":"2","status":"publish","date":"2026-06-07 15:25:51","date_utc":"2026-06-07 15:25:51","modified":"2026-06-07 15:25:51","modified_utc":"2026-06-07 15:25:51","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_venue=cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run-start","venue":"Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run | Start","slug":"cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run-start","address":"2 15th St NW, Washington Monument Grounds","city":"Washington","country":"United States","state":"DC","zip":"20024","stateprovince":"DC","json_ld":{"@type":"Place","name":"Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run | Start","description":"","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_venue=cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run-start","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2 15th St NW, Washington Monument Grounds","addressLocality":"Washington","addressRegion":"DC","postalCode":"20024","addressCountry":"United States"},"telephone":"","sameAs":""},"show_map":true,"show_map_link":true,"global_id":"whatracetorun.com?id=39257","global_id_lineage":["whatracetorun.com?id=39257"]},"organizer":[],"custom_fields":[],"json_ld":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Event","name":"Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run","description":"An iconic spring tradition in Washington, DC, this scenic race takes runners through peak cherry blossoms and past major monuments on a flat, prestigious 10-mile course ((https:\/\/cherryblossom.org)). Course Highlights The flat and fast 10-mile course starts at the 555-foot Washington Monument and heads west on Independence Avenue before crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge into Virginia ((https:\/\/www.thehotelwashington.com\/washington-dc-travel-guide\/cherry-blossom-10-mile-5k-2026-race-day-t","image":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cherry_blossom_ten_mile_run.png","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_events=cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run","eventAttendanceMode":"https:\/\/schema.org\/OfflineEventAttendanceMode","eventStatus":"https:\/\/schema.org\/EventScheduled","sport":"Running","offers":{"@type":"Offer","url":"https:\/\/cherryblossom.org","availability":"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock","priceCurrency":"USD","price":"0","validFrom":"2026-07-21T23:20:29+00:00"},"startDate":"2027-04-04T07:30:00-04:00","endDate":"2027-04-04T13:30:00-04:00","location":{"@type":"Place","name":"Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run | Start","description":"","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_venue=cherry-blossom-ten-mile-run-start","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2 15th St NW, Washington Monument Grounds","addressLocality":"Washington","addressRegion":"DC","postalCode":"20024","addressCountry":"United States"},"telephone":"","sameAs":""},"organizer":{"@type":"Organization","name":"What Race To Run","url":"https:\/\/migrationwhatracetorun.apexdemosite.com"}},"event_bgcolor":"","event_text_color":"","ticketed":false}