The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is an annual 10-mile (16 km) road race in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973 originally as a precursor training run for elite runners planning to compete in the Boston Marathon, the race has evolved over the years into a local race for runners of all abilities. Nevertheless, it still attracts international running stars such as Catherine Ndereba, Bill Rodgers, John Korir, and Olga Romanova.
The race is scheduled for the first Sunday of each April, meant to coincide with the bloom of the cherry blossoms given as a gift in 1912 from the mayor of Tokyo. The race is part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival of late March and early April in the city.
The 2020 in-person edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronaviruspandemic, with all registrants given the option of obtaining a guaranteed non-complimentary entry for 2021 or a full refund.[4] A virtual race was also organized, free and open to all registrants of the cancelled race.[5]
