Member Profile – Alex Bailor
Preferred Name: Alex
Profession: Urban Planner
Education: University of Maryland- Masters ; University of Pittsburgh- Bachelors
Member Since: 2018
Favorite Route: Iwo Jima
Bet You Didn’t Know: I’m a football fanatic—“Let’s Go Pitt!”, “Here We Go Steelers!” And, that I’m not actually from Pittsburgh, it’s just my adopted adult hometown.
Meet Alex Bailor
Why did you join the DC Front Runners?
I moved to DC in the summer of 2018 to begin my graduate degree at the University of Maryland. Apart from a small handful of people I knew from undergrad, I had no connections in the DC region. I joined the group as a way to meet new people outside of grad school, and to get back into proper running shape after a spate of injuries from my first marathon. Two years later, I can say I’m in arguably the best running shape I’ve been in since high school and that I’ve met an amazing community of runners in the DMV, some of whom have become extremely close friends.
Why is the DC Front Runners important to you?
DCFR provided an immediate connection to the DC region, that was separate from graduate school experience. The group made the area feel like “home,” especially when I was missing Pittsburgh. Through FR, I’ve made so many different connections with so many different people and some of my fondest DC memories center around the group. I wouldn’t be where I am today, personally or professionally, if I hadn’t joined the group. And even during the pandemic, FR has proven to be a great support system through all of the uncertainty of this time. I’m excited to get back to running with the larger group (albeit socially distanced) and to start running races again.