C&O Canal Towpath

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal starts in Washington, D.C. near the Kennedy Center. It takes about 15 minutes from my office to reach the start of the canal. The canal travels through Georgetown for maybe a mile and a half and then, as if by magic, it steps out into a much more rustic-feeling dirt towpath surrounded by trees and bushes.

It is a delight to run along. The furthest I've gotten so far is up to Georgetown University, home of the Hoyas. My goal is to increase my speed a little and get up into some of the further locks.

The C&O Canal is a National Historical Park. The canal itself runs 184 miles to Cumberland, Maryland. In the area near Harper's Ferry, the JFK 50-Mile Run uses the C&O Canal towpath for 22 miles.