Lottery Opens for Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile on Thursday, December 1, 2022

First-come, first-served registration for Credit Union Cherry Blossom 5K presented by REI Co-op to follow on Tuesday, December 20.

November 30, 2022, Washington, DC: Prospective entrants in the 50^th Annual Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile will be able to register for the lottery during a 15-day period starting on Thursday, December 1 and extending through 11:59 P.M. on Thursday, December 15 on the event website, www.cherryblossom.org.

As announced previously, the biggest change for the golden anniversary celebration of The Runner’s Rite of Spring® is that the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 5K presented by REI Co-op has been given its own separate day, location and entry process. The 5K will take place on Saturday, April 1, starting and finishing on Freedom Plaza and traversing the “Route of the Inaugurations” down Pennsylvania Avenue, across the National Mall and back. The route features dramatic vistas of the U.S. Capitol Building as participants proceed down “America’s Main Street.”

Entry into the 5K will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and will open on Tuesday, December 20. The 5K is limited to 5,000 entrants, and registration will remain open until February 28, 2023, or until the 5,000-runner limit is reached, whichever comes first.

The 10 Mile course starts and finishes at the Washington Monument Grounds and passes by all of the prime cherry blossom locations and the National Memorials. The 10 Mile will take place on Sunday, April 2.

Ambitious runners who hope to enter both the 10 Mile and 5K — the Double Blossom —must enter the 10 Mile lottery and indicate that they wish to gain entry into both races.

Upcoming milestones for the 50^th Annual Credit Union Cherry Blossom include:

• Registration for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Kids Run presented by REI Co-op will open on Monday, January 2, 2023.

• Virtual Run registration for the 10 Mile and 5K, which will take place during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 20 — April 16, 2023, will also open on January 2, 2023.

The 10 Mile will serve as the 2023 Road Runners Club of America 10 Mile National Championship and the 2022-23 PRRO Circuit Championship.

Thanks to Credit Union Miracle Day’s title sponsorship since 2002, Credit Union Cherry Blossom has raised over $10.2 million for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, including $323,000 in 2022.

About the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile:

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom races, organized by Cherry Blossom, Inc., a 501c(3) chapter of the Road Runners Club of America, are known as “The Runner’s Rite of Spring®” in the Nation’s Capital. The staging area for Sunday’s 10 Mile is on the Washington Monument Grounds, and the course passes in sight of all of the major Washington, DC Memorials. In 2023, the reimagined Saturday 5K will stage on Freedom Plaza and traverse the route of Presidential Inaugurations down Pennsylvania Avenue before crossing the National Mall in the shadow of the Capitol Building and returning by the same route. The Kids Run is staged on the grounds of the National Building Museum. All events serve as a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a consortium of 170 premier children’s hospitals across North America. About one-third of the funds raised support Washington, DC’s own Children’s National (“Children’s Hospital”). The event also funds the Road Runners Club of America’s “Roads Scholar” program designed to support up-and-coming U.S. distance running talent.

Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a consortium of credit unions and credit union suppliers, is the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, 5K, Kids Run and Virtual Run. Current presenting sponsors include ASICS, REI Co-op and Wegmans; supporting sponsors include CACI, Co-op Solutions, CUNA Mutual Group, FinisherPix, MedStar Health, PSCU, Potomac River Running, Gatorade Endurance, Suburban Solutions and UPS.

The 10 Mile is a proud member of the PRRO Circuit (PRRO.org), a series of this country’s classic non- marathon prize money road races with circuit stops in Washington, DC; Spokane, WA; and Utica, NY. The 2023 10 mile will serve as the 2022-2023 PRRO Championship.

In addition to being sanctioned by USA Track & Field and the Road Runners Club of America, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom races have earned Gold Level Inspire Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in recognition of its legacy of commitment to sustainability and thoughtful resource management.

To learn more, visit www.cherryblossom.org and follow the event on social media @CUCB and #CUCB2023.