Included in each session will be instruction on stretching and running techniques so all athletes are prepared for the Long-Distance Running season and competition in local, regional, and state road races.
| Coaches | Head Coach – Susan Fitzgerald Sport Director – Tina Connolly |
| Season Dates & Times | Practices: Sundays, 11 AM to 12 PM, starting August 16, 2026 Qualifiers: State Games: Fall Fest – Sunday, October 17, 2026 at Mount St. Mary’s University (Emmitsburg, MD) Signup Begins: Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 6 PM |
| Athlete & Volunteer Registration Expiration Date | Sport’s State Games competition date: October 17, 2026 All Forms must be up to date before the signup date (first Sunday in July). The expiration date on an Athlete’s Registration form, or a Volunteer’s certification, must be after the above State Games competition date to participate in the upcoming season. |
You can find the official Special Olympics Rules, Fact Sheet, Coaching Guide, and other resources at this link: Special Olympics Athletics.
Athlete needs to provide their own running shoes.
SOMO will provide uniforms for competition
Location: Lake Needwood Park, 15700 Needwood Lake Circle, Rockville, MD 20855 (some maps say Derwood.) Athletes meet at the parking lot near the boat rentals.
Timing: Practice is every Friday evening 5 PM to 6 PM and every Sunday morning 11 AM to 12 PM until Fall Fest in October.
Safety Considerations: During practices, athletes often run out of view of our coaches. We encourage parents to become Unified Partners to run with their athletes and to help with chaperoning during practice. For safety reasons some athletes might be required to have a Unified Partner.
Competition Distances: There are races from 800m (about 1/2 mile), 1500m, 3000m, and a 5K (a little more than 3 miles), so there is something for everyone!
All athletes are welcome to attend practices even if they do not compete in Long Distance Running at Fall Fest.
The Long Distance Running team will participate in two or more qualifiers:
The State Competition for Long Distance Running is held at Special Olympics Maryland’s Fall Fest at Mount St. Mary’s (16300 Old Emmitsburg Rd., Emmitsburg, MD 21727) in Mid-October.
Athletes must attend practice regularly and compete in at least 2 Qualifiers to go to Fall Fest. Athletes may participate in more than 2 qualifiers. Athletes who do not want to go to Fall Fest may still compete in the other qualifiers.
LDR runners can participate in other SOMO sports as long as the athlete can maintain full practice and competition participation in all of their sports.
This is an organizational decision on allowing multi-sport athletes.
