The St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Washington DC runs its half marathon and 5K on Saturday, March 20, 2027. A corporate team enters through the Groupies program from 25 people. The discount ladder climbs with the roster: 10 percent off at 25, 15 percent at 50 and 20 percent at 100.
The ladder and the paperwork
Groupies adds four items to the discount. The program waives processing fees on select payment methods, issues one team invoice, prints personalized team bibs and assigns a Groupies lead to the registration.
The bibs need 45 days of lead time before the event. Forty-five days before March 20, 2027 falls on February 3, 2027. A team that confirms its roster after that date misses the personalized bib run.
Payment takes three routes. The organization covers every entry, and processing fees are waived on that method. Each participant pays their own entry. Or the organization pays a share and the participant covers the remainder.
Two start times and a Capitol finish
The 5K starts at 7:30 AM at Constitution Avenue NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The half marathon starts at 8:00 AM at Constitution Avenue and 14th Street NW. Both finish at 4th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in front of the Capitol Building. The half carries a four-hour limit and the 5K a one-hour limit.
The half passes the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Memorial Bridge, Rock Creek Park and Judiciary Square. The finisher concert and finish line festival run from 8:15 AM to 1:30 PM.
The course page lists an average air temperature of 48 degrees Fahrenheit, or 9 Celsius, and names DCA as the airport.
Packet pickup decides the arrival day
The Health & Fitness Expo runs Thursday, March 18 from 12 PM to 7 PM and Friday, March 19 from 10 AM to 7 PM. It occupies Hall C at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW. Every participant must collect a race number, gear bag and shirt at the expo. The expo is free and open to the public. The race week page recommends Thursday pickup, because Friday brings the out-of-town arrivals.
A Thursday arrival and a Saturday departure books two nights. That window covers Thursday packet pickup, a Friday clear of race logistics and the Saturday start.
The expo sits on the Metrorail network. The Red Line stops at Gallery Place-Chinatown, and the Green and Yellow lines stop at Mt. Vernon Square/7th Street-Convention Center. Pay parking runs on nearby streets, and the race recommends reserving a space in advance.
Published room rates for the race
The race lists official hotels with a starting rate and a reservation cut-off. Hotel Washington starts at $169 with a February 18 booking date. Le Meridien Washington DC - The Madison starts at $185 with a February 17 date. Sheraton Pentagon City starts at $189 with a February 22 date. Homewood Suites by Hilton Washington DC Capitol - Navy Yard starts at $189. Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC / US Capitol starts at $199 with a February 15 date. Marriott Marquis Washington DC starts at $369 with a February 18 date.
Those are the race's own starting rates. The District applies 15.95 percent to rooms, lodging or accommodations furnished to transients, and the Office of Tax and Revenue extends that rate through September 30, 2027. A $189 room night carries $30.15 in tax and totals $219.15.
Room count sets the invoice. Twenty-five runners in twenty-five single rooms book 50 room nights over two nights at $189, or $9,450 before tax and $10,957.28 with it. The same twenty-five in thirteen shared rooms book 26 room nights, or $4,914 before tax and $5,697.78 with it.
Before the invoice goes out
Two rules shape the roster. Registration is non-refundable and non-transferrable, so a runner who drops out leaves a paid entry behind. The Groupies discount applies to the entry fee, and the room rate comes from the hotel list. Price both lines against the same confirmed headcount.
A roster of 24 falls below the program minimum. The tiers reward patience on the final count: a team that reaches 50 people moves from 10 percent to 15 percent off.
Team hotel booking takes the room count, and the group rate calculator returns an estimate before the RFP goes to properties.
