Frederick Women’s Distance Festival

In 1979, the RRCA started the Women’s Distance Festival in response to the lack of distance running events in the Olympics Games for women. The first Women’s Distance Festival events were held on July 13, 1980, the date of the men’s marathon at the Moscow Olympics. Today, the Women’s Distance Festival celebrates the history of women’s rights to participate in running events at any distance and at any age. While women’s participation in distance running nearly matches that of men, the Women’s Distance Festival continues to serve as a celebration of the determination and dedication of women runners across the country.

The Maryland Women’s Distance Festival Series is sponsored by the Maryland/DC RRCA and its participating clubs. Women who complete four or more of the races in the series are eligible to receive the WDF Participation Award at the annual WDF celebration. Runners must fill out the participation form at the end of the season in order to be considered for the award.

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