The first annual Reston Youth Splash and Dash will offer kids between the ages of 6 and 15 an introduction to a triathlon with a combination of swimming and running.

The event, presented by CORE Foundation in cooperation with the Reston Association, will take place on August 26 (Saturday) at 8:30 p.m. in the Lake Audubon Pool.

Organizers indicated the purpose of the event is participation rather than competition. An “aquathlon” combines running and swimming.

Participants will receive a goody bag and medals. Snow cones will be provided by Kona Ice. All proceeds from the event will benefit “Kids Helping Kids,” a program that creates opportunities for low-income youth to participate in triathlons. Participants will determine how to fundraise, whether through a personal fundraising company and by creating a lemonade stand.

Children who are five years old will participate in a 50-meter swim and a 1k run. Participants between the age of 6 and 10 will take part in a 100-meter swim and a 1k run while participants between the age of 11 and 15 will take part in the 200-meter swim and 2k run.

Registration is open online.

Photo via USA Triathlon

Things are going to get colorful this weekend at Reston Town Center.

Public Art Reston’s fourth annual ChalkFest kicks off today with professional artists beginning their work, but the big day for the event is Saturday. That’s when, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the event is open to artists of all ages and talents.

Categories for participants are amateur ($15 registration fee), families and kids ($15), and professional ($20). Registration can be done online through today, or at the event Saturday morning.

That’s just one of many events going on around the area this weekend, though. This is officially the last weekend of summer, as the autumnal equinox comes a week from today and brings with it the fall season. The weather forecast calls for plenty of sun and temperatures in the 80s all weekend, though there are chances of a few afternoon showers.

Have fun out there!

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• The JamBrew series continues tonight in Herndon. Aslin Beer Co. will be pouring frosty mugs, Weird Brothers Coffee will be offering tasty drinks, Nordic Knot Pretzels will provide tasty snacks, and there will be much more. Live music will be offered from DJ Ragz, The DuskWhales and JUXT. The free event is slated for 6-10 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.).
• Speaking of Aslin Beer Co., it will be celebrating its two-year anniversary Saturday at 771 Elden St., which will become its permanent home in the coming months. The event, slated for noon to 6 p.m., will feature dozens of guest breweries along with food trucks, live music and much more. General admission is $35, which includes an anniversary glass and five 6-ounce pours.
• There will be an improv show, presented by Reflex Improv, tonight from 8-9:30 p.m. at Café Montmartre (1625 Washington Plaza).
• Traditional music trio Lulu’s Fate will perform Saturday from 4-6 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.). Tickets are $15.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• The Herndon Kids Triathlon is scheduled for Sunday at 8 a.m. at the Herndon Community Center (814 Ferndale Ave.). Registration for the event is full; however, volunteers are still needed to help.
• The Susco 8K and 2K fun run, to promote brain aneurysm and organ donation awareness, will take place Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m. at South Lakes High School. Registration ($40 for the 8K, $25 for the 2K) can be done the morning of the event.
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will host Kevin Patti from Clara Barton National Historic Site (National Parks Service) from 2-4 p.m. Saturday. He will present “Between the Bullet and the Hospital,” using photos from the Civil War era to explore the dangers Barton faced and the accomplishments she achieved.
• Explore the history of Lake Audubon on a guided canoe/kayak exploration from 4-5:30 p.m. Saturday. No experience is necessary, and all equipment (including canoes and kayaks) will be provided. Cost is $10 for RA members and $12 for non-members.
• Curiosity Day at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.), Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include an appearance by Curious George himself, story time, crafts and more.
• Pulitzer Prize-winner display “Disgraced,” exploring Muslim assimilation and identity in America, will be performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) tonight at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; and at a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets range in price from $17.50 to $55. A package experience for the Sunday matinee that includes brunch at PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) is available.
• Floris United Methodist Church (13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon) will present a concert of Christian music through the decades from 5-8 p.m. Sunday. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in an outfit from their favorite decade.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from Rusty Cage tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits during those hours Saturday night.
• Musician Patty Reese will be performing Saturday from 8-11 p.m. at The Tasting Room Wine Bar and Shop (1816 Library St.).

Matthew Centrowitz Jr., whose accomplishments as a runner include a gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Olympic Games, will visit Reston Town Center next week for an event with Potomac River Running.

Centrowitz and his father, fellow Olympian Matthew Centrowitz Sr., will be at the Reston Town Center pavilion Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 6:30 p.m. to share their stories and sign copies of the elder’s new book, “Like Father, Like Son: My Story on Running, Coaching and Parenting.”

Centrowitz Sr. was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1976 and 1980, while he son has done so in 2012 and 2016. The gold medal won by Centrowitz Jr. in Rio de Janeiro last year marked the first time an American had accomplished that feat in the 1,500 meters since 1908.

At Reston Town Center next week, the Centrowitzes will share their Olympic experiences and offer running advice. The event is free, but space is limited. Those who wish to attend should visit www.prraces.com to register.

According to an event schedule released by Potomac River Running:

6:30 p.m: Take your seats in the RTC Pavilion

7 p.m.: The Centrowitz Duo present a comedic, yet informative clinic and share adventures from their Olympic experiences

8 p.m.: See the Gold Medal in person and get your booked signed or photos taken with the legendary father and son team

The South Lakes Seahawks will be well-represented at the conference championship next month after performances in recent days.

At the Northern Virginia Invitational, April 7-8, the following team members hit qualifying marks for postseason competition:

• 400 meters: John Eggeman (junior)
• 3,200 meters: Marissa Banga (freshman), Sean Casey (junior), Isabelle Gulgert (sophomore) and Peter Sepulveda (senior)
• 300-meter hurdles: Abby Wickman (senior)
• discus: Jamie Richard (junior)
• pole vault: Megan Allison (junior) and Abby Wickman (senior)
• shot put: Madie Evans (junior) and Jessica Rice (senior)

Participating at the Arcadia Invitational in California, the sprint medley relay team — Hannah Waller (freshman), Cara Hutson (sophomore), Olivia Beckner (junior) and Devyn Jones (senior) — set a school-record time of 4 minutes, 6.84 seconds. Jones also hit state-qualifying times in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles. Waller did so in 100 and 200 meters.

Also in California, Timiebi Ogobri (senior) ran a state-qualifying time in the 100 meters; while Sophie Halkett (sophomore) and Alex Loukili (junior) both qualified in the 800 meters.

At their final event during spring break, last Thursday, more SLHS athletes qualified at the Leslie Sherman Memorial Invitational.

• 200 meters: Timiebi Ogobri (senior)
• 400 meters: Timiebi Ogobri (senior)
• 800 meters: Olivia Beckner (junior) and Alex Loukili (junior)
• 4×100-meter relay: Devyn Jones (senior), Hannah Waller (freshman), Danielle Spears (sophomore) and Rhema Konadu (freshman)
• 4×800-meter relay: Peter Sepulveda (senior), Sean Casey (junior), Alex Loukili (junior) and Jack Watkins (senior)
• discus: Jamie Richards (junior)
• shot put: Ronak Cuthill (junior)

The Seahawks next compete in a conference meet Wednesday at Langley High School, followed by the Hall of Fame Invitational at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke on Friday and Saturday.

Image of Devyn Jones, Hannah Waller, Cara Hutson and Olivia Beckner at Arcadia Invitational, courtesy South Lakes High School track and field

Today’s Boston Marathon field included numerous local runners.

According to the entry list for the 121st annual event, the following individuals from Reston were registered for the race: William D’Agostino, Emmett Delaney, Marcy Foster, Lisa Johnston, Vince Kelley, Mark Langham, Deedee Loughran, Bin Mu, Douglas Pepelko, Sherri Ranney, Catherine Reen, Bob Reinhold, Rebecca Scott, Jie Zheng and Malissa Zimmerman.

In addition, three runners from Herndon — Pei Han, Mckell Poulton and Kiley Trennepohl — are listed among the registrants.

Local runners’ times, via the event’s Results page, are displayed below.

The men’s and women’s marathon winners, respectively, were Geoffrey Kirui (2 hours, 9 minutes, 37 seconds) and Edna Kiplagat (2 hours, 21 minutes, 52 seconds), both of Kenya.

What are you doing this Sunday (April 9)? May I suggest grabbing a cup of coffee and heading down to cheer on the people running in the Runner’s Marathon of Reston? It’s a hard and hilly course (so I’m told), and the runners love the boost from the crowd. Here is a link to the map.

Maybe spending some time along the Reston trails will inspire you to run or walk on them. To me, the 55 miles of footpaths that Reston Association maintains are one of the defining features of Reston.

The trails cover every neighborhood in Reston, and walking, running or biking them is a great way to get to know the community. RA has maps on their website, or you can use the wonderful interactive map Fairfax County has of all the paths. I like this tool because it lets you plan your route before you head out. Here are a few of my favorite walks about town — but don’t stop with these.

• Town Center to Lake Anne, North Reston. This walk is just shy of 1.5 miles and winds through a few of Central Reston’s original neighborhoods — Coleson Cluster and Hickory Woods. It’s fun to start at Lake Anne, grabbing breakfast at the Lake Anne Coffee House and shopping at the Farmers Market (starting in early May and going through December), then walking up to Town Center for lunch.
• Lake Thoreau Loop, South Reston. This loop is just over 2 miles and circles around charming Lake Thoreau and past the Reston Regional Golf Course. Begin and end your loop at South Lakes Village with a coffee or delicious lunch at Red’s Table or Café Sano.
• North Point Loop, North Reston. This is a 4-mile loop for those who want a little more exercise. This trail is great because it really gives you a sense of the North Point community. I recommend starting at Lake Newport pool. These trails take you through several charming neighborhoods, and you’ll notice an abundance of RA pools and tennis courts (in fact, if you do this in the summer, pop into one of the pools for a refreshing dip). After your brisk walk, cross the street over to North Point Village for coffee, ice cream or lunch!
• Walker Nature Education Center and Glade, South Reston. There are many options for a walk from here. From the Center, follow the trailhead and see where it takes you! There is a short loop (probably 1/2 mile), or you can venture off on the RA path that follows Glade. Whatever you choose, you will feel like you are miles from civilization. It’s a wonderful place to recharge.
• Tall Oaks to Lake Fairfax Park, North Reston. I’m not entirely sure how long this walk is, but the park loop takes about half an hour — longer if you’re with a dog who needs to investigate all the great smells. Park at Tall Oaks Village Center, cross under the underpass and head toward the wooden bridge. When you hit a dirt trailhead, take a left and follow the trail into Lake Fairfax Park. You’ll cross a little creek and then the path opens to what is a large loop. Go left or right and just follow it around. It’s a gorgeous walk in the woods! Just be careful — mountain bikers train here. They’re very courteous, but they’re also usually going pretty fast!

What you’ll soon find is you can have any type of walk or run you want in Reston — relaxing and easy, or very challenging. And you can get anywhere you need or want to go on foot. It’s always fun to discover a new trail and see where it takes you.

Olivia Beckner is fast, and she has her name all over the record books to prove it.

The South Lakes High School junior set her second school record of the month recently, eclipsing by nearly four seconds an SLHS top time for the mile that had stood for 29 years.

The record-setting performance came at the Virginia Showcase Invitational indoor track and field meet last weekend at Liberty University in Lynchburg. Her time of 4 minutes, 55.58 seconds beat out the previous mark of 4 minutes, 59.44 seconds set by Anne Evans during the 1987-88 season.

Earlier this month at a meet in New York, Beckner ran the 1,000 meters in 2 minutes, 54.06 seconds. That surpassed the record of 2 minutes, 58.47 seconds she had set last year as a sophomore.

Beckner leads the five-time defending Liberty Conference champion Seahawks into the conference championship, beginning today and concluding Jan. 28 in Landover, Maryland.

The SLHS boys are no slouches either. They enter the championship with eight consecutive titles under their belts.

Photos courtesy South Lakes High School/Mary Ann Magnant

Attention south Reston residents: The Runners Marathon (and Half Marathon) of Reston takes place Sunday, April 10. The course will affect certain streets early Sunday.

Here is what you need to know:

Both races begin at South Lakes High School at 7:30 a.m.

The race starts and ends on the SLHS track and will utilize some Reston Association trails.

Affected streets:

• South Lakes Drive
• Ridge Heights Road
• Sunrise Valley Drive
• Twin Branches Drive
• Soapstone Drive
• Lawyers Road
• Colts Neck Road
• Steeplechase Drive

Note: There are already signs warning there is no parking on Ridge Heights from Sunday at 1 a.m. to Sunday at 1 p.m. You could be ticketed or towed.

Streets will not be completely closed, but lanes will be blocked and traffic could be slowed.

All roads will reopen by 1:30 p.m., race officials said.

For more race information, visit the Runners Marathon website.

Photo: Runners Marathon 2015/file photo

Spring running season gets going on Sunday with PR Racing’s Reston 10 Miler.

The race begins at 8 a.m. at South Lakes High School. The finish line and post-race fun is also at SLHS.

Here is what you need to know:

Online registration closes Thursday at 8 p.m. Cost: $45.

In-person registration available at packet pickup at Potomac River Running Store at Reston Town Center Friday and Saturday. Cost: $50.

All participants receive an official Commemorative Reston 10 Miler technical race T-shirt, as well as a finisher medal.

Runners must maintain 13:30 minute miles, or complete the race in 2 hours, 15 minutes. There are water stations at mile 3, 6, and 8.5.

The course affects Ridge Heights Road, South Lakes Drive, Twin Branches Road, Sunrise Valley Drive, Soapstone Drive, Colts Neck Road and Glade Drive. Roads will not be closed, but lanes will be blocked off, which may affect traffic patterns. See the course map on PR Racing’s website.

Net proceeds benefit South Lakes High School’s track and field programs.

Photo: 2015 Reston 10 Miler/Credit: PR Races via Flickr

Runners have a new Reston race to add to their calendar: The For the Love of It 10K will take place Feb. 14 at 8 a.m.

The race, sponsored by Potomac River Running, will start and end at South Lakes High School.

Here is what else you need to know:

Entry is $35 ($40 day of race). Register online through Feb. 12.

The course starts and ends at SLHS and takes runners on a two-lap course on nearby streets such as South Lakes Drive, Sunrise Valley Drive, Colts Neck Drive, Ridge Heights Road and Soapstone Drive. See the course map on the race’s website. Streets will not be fully closed but traffic may be affected and lanes may be closed.

All pre-registered runners will receive a For the Love of It 10K commemorative technical shirt. The first 400 runners to arrive at packet pickup will receive a For the Love of It 10k pin.

There will be awards for the top three finishers overall and in age groups.

The whole family is invited to burn before the bird on Thursday at the Turkey Day 5K at South Lakes High School in Reston.

There is an event for everyone — a 5K race, a 1-mile fun run, even a tot trot.

Here is what you need to know:

The 5K begins at 8 a.m.; The fun run/walk at 8:50 a.m.; the 100-yard tot trot is at 9 a.m.

Race proceeds will go benefit the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. A contribution will also be made to the South Lakes High School Track and Field team for track upgrades.

There will be prizes. Overall awards will be $300-$200-$100 for the top three men and top three women. In addition, the top 3 in the following age groups will be awarded: 14 & Under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and 75 & over.

Entry fees: Adults — $40 at the packet pickup Wednesday or at the race Thursday (online registration closed Monday). Visit race site to see fees for kids and for fun run. Advance packet pickup is Tuesday and Wednesday at Potomac River Running at Reston Town Center.

The course will start and finish on South Lakes’ track, as well as go through the woods on Reston Association paths.

Photo: Racing on Reston trails/file photo

Have somewhere you need to be in Reston Sunday morning?

Pay attention to where the Reston 1o Miler Road Race will be happening. Roads will not be closed, but lanes will be blocked so runners can get through the course, which will mostly go through South Reston.

The race, sponsored by Potomac River Running, will start at end at South Lakes High School and go through nearby streets such as Ridge Heights Road, South Lakes Drive, Colts Neck Road, Sunrise Valley Drive and Twin Branches Road.

See attached map for complete course.

The race begins at 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 2. Registration is full, but feel free to come out and cheer on your favorite runner.