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Alan Dixon

Q: When did you begin running and why?
I was 11 years old and got a knee injury playing soccer. The doctor told me to rest for a few months. I heard of the local Harrier club and somehow convinced my mother that running would help my knee. I think anything that would occupy an active 11 year old on Saturday afternoons was a convincing argument.

Q: How did you find out about DCRR and when did you join?
When I moved to DC from London, I searched the internet looking for upcoming local races. At the start of 2019 I came across the Al Lewis 10 Miler and saw all the races DCRR put on so joined up straight away.

Q: What are you training for right now?
I have been building towards Ironman Lake Placid in July and was looking forward to a break after this. However a couple of months ago I received an invite to run in the Marathon Age Group World Champs in London this October. It might be an opportunity I never get again so have extended my training an extra couple of months.

Q: What is the toughest run or race in which you have participated?
A 70 mile ultramarathon called ‘The Wall’ across England from Carlisle to Newcastle. A few years earlier I had cancer and went through radiotherapy at the same time as a mate from New Zealand. We both talked about doing a marathon once we recovered. Sadly he didn’t survive so I ran an ultra to do the marathon for both of us. I was also able to raise money for Cancer Research UK as I wanted to give something back to those that saved me.

Unfortunately 3 months prior to the race I crashed off my bike while I was out on a training ride and fractured my femur. Six weeks without running wasn’t ideal prep, but I simply couldn’t pull out.

I actually ran pretty well for the first 50 miles but at that point the lack of training finally showed and I walked/ shuffled the last 20 miles. It took as long as the first 50 took, but I think it was supposed to be more of a journey than a race anyway.

Q: What is the most important lesson running has taught you?
Life is full of battles and challenges. I think running gives you the mentality to keep going and not give up as soon as it starts to get tough.

Q: What is your favorite route in the area?
I love running trails. The Soapstone trail off Rock Creek with its stream crossings is so amazing you forget you’re in the city They recently closed it for an extended period so I run the Glover Archbold trail a lot now which is great as well, even when you do it uphill!

Q: What race day traditions do you have?
Like most runners I like to get a light breakfast in before longer races followed by standing in long porta potty lines, before a mad dash to make it to the start line as the gun goes off.

Q: What is your favorite post-race meal?
I would love to say something healthy and proper athlete sounding here, but in longer races when I have been taking in sweet high energy drinks and food I like the opposite, some fatty, greasy fast food. It can be a little embarrassing to be sitting in a Taco Bell in your running gear with a marathon medal around your neck.

Q: What is your proudest running moment?
I think last November just past. I ran lifetime bests for half marathon and then marathon on successive weekends just shy of my 50th birthday. I guess you are never too old.

Q: What is your life like outside of running?
After being a school teacher in both New Zealand and the UK I wanted to spend time with my own son as he grew up. So when we moved here when he was one, my wife agreed to let me be a stay at home dad for a while. Post pandemic with him back in school the return to the workforce was imminent, only for our daughter to be born in January. So I have a few more years pushing a stroller around DC yet.

I also work part time for the Washington Nationals in the summer and am a ski instructor at WISP in the winter.