Fairlington is a residential neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, and it was the home base of the Fairlington 5K. The archived race site devoted a small section to the community, and this page summarizes what it covered.
The neighborhood association
The Fairlington Citizens Association is described in the archive as having been founded in 1977. It represents households across North and South Fairlington and works with neighboring associations to preserve and improve the quality of life.
Sub-communities
The race site’s menu listed a history page and a set of named areas within the neighborhood: North Fairlington, The Arbor, The Commons, The Green, The Meadows, The Mews and The Glen. These labels are the names residents use for different clusters of homes.
How the 5K fit in
The run was intended to strengthen community bonds. By routing the course through the residential streets and inviting families, schools and businesses to take part, it gave neighbors a chance to meet. The 2014 edition also had its own sponsor page, which thanked local supporters.
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Why a neighborhood race works
Races that start and finish where people live lower the barriers to taking part. There is no long drive, children can walk or ride scooters beside parents and neighbors often cheer from their porches. For an association, the event is a chance to build relationships between sub-communities that might not otherwise cross paths. That is the thinking the archived site reflects, and it is why the community section sat in the main navigation next to the race details.
The list of sub-communities also reminds visitors how large and varied Fairlington is, with distinct groups of homes within a single neighborhood.
Learn about the groups behind the event on the partners page, or see the route for the streets it used.