18 Photos

This was later once the sun was well up and behind the clouds. (Photo: Alex Liggitt/WJLA | Date: May. 10, 2011)

So I have wanted to go for a run on the Mall and take pictures during sunrise for a long time. I finally got a camera, a small Nikon s3000 that is 12MP and easy to carry. I also had a Camelback Rogue which not only kept me hydrated through the whole process but also acted as a backpack along the way. I was very happy with the outcome.

I started at my garage across the street from my office, headed down to the trail along the Potomac, and crossed the Memorial Bridge into D.C. which leads you directly to the Lincoln Memorial. The whole loop ended up being around 9 and a quarter miles, so if you're not a runner, it may be a good thing to own a bike.

It was a perfect morning for a run with temperatures in the 50s but it was a touch humid with dew points in the 50s, explaining the couple of sprinkles I saw while driving in at 5 a.m. I was a little worried about the amount of cloud cover there was, but there was enough clearing to the east for an ideal sunrise as it reflected off the clouds just about perfectly.