Marine Corps Marathon

Despite some minor drawbacks, this course is not far from being an essential marathon for runners in the United States. The marathon offers a great course throughout Washington DC (and surrounding areas) passing by several notable monuments. The boisterous spectators were sprinkled throughout the course and the marine volunteers were always available nearby as support. There were also plenty of water stops, bathrooms and energy snacks during the race. After crossing the (uphill!) finish line, the runners were offered all sorts of refreshments including beer and watermelon! The drawbacks? The first was the expo where it took us at least 30 minutes waiting in line to get to the expo room at the convention center (adding to the time in traffic just to arrive there). Then the race gear on offer there was quite inferior with mostly polyester shirts (and not enough sizes available). On race day, I was also surprised by the long walk from the nearest metro to the starting line (about 30-40 minutes). The start wasn't well organized either because everyone more or less started at the same time (compared to other marathons where people start in waves), so there wasn't much space to run during the first 30 minutes. After that, everything went smoothly except for the fact that the weather was unseasonably warm, so the race organizers were forced to modify the course slightly due to medical reasons.

This was my second time returning to DC to run after 22 years. Overall the course was relatively the same with minor changes. My comments run through my experience as I approached and completed the event. I was originally registered for the 2020 race that was deferred twice. The communication was frequent and informative leading up to race day. Hotel stay was booked through the sites travel group. Overall the double tree and embassy suites are good spots (no frills) but close to the start and subway stations. The expo was held at the armory and was very poorly organized. There were only 2 lines for security check resulting in a line that was at least an hour long. If you don't care about the expo I suggest having your bib mailed to you. I was so nervous the next morning that I left 2 hours before the start and check in was a breeze.. plenty of marines available to assist with security check. Porta potties galore.. very minimal wait times. One items to consider is the walk to the start is roughly 40 minutes but a good warm up and way to stay warm in the 30-40 degree weather. Overall the course is beautiful except the last 4 miles.. they are a bit dull, slightly hilly and on highways. DC can still be warm in late October and if you are over a 4 hour marathoner ensure to hydrate and take fuel. I noted enhancements to the course at Haines point. It also seemed like there were a lot more marines on the course than the first time. They were awesome cheering on the runners and it's the best when you get a medal from them and a salute! It's a unique experience and I highly recommend running for that experience. Crowd support seemed lighter than what I remembered but still present throughout many spots in the course. The after race festival seemed different than I recall & it was spread out in different parts of Arlington cemetery and the streets of Rosslyn. It was also confusing to find my family as there were 2 locations and not enough signage to direct people.

INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:22:43. The Marine Corps Marathon was my fifty-seventh 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a soggy and steamy day for a marathon: 68 degrees, wind from the south at 15 mph, light rain with 96% relative humidity. Starting on Jefferson Davis Highway just outside of Arlington National Cemetery, our first two and a half miles were the most difficult of the race: approximately 170 foot increase in elevation as we wound through Rosslyn. We descended the same amount by mile 4 as we traversed on tree-lined Spout Run and George Washington Parkways before crossing the Key Bridge into Georgetown for the next mile. At mile 6, we began our three mile out-and-back on the forested Rock Creek Parkway&an ever gentle incline northbound which was given back as we returned to civilization at mile 9, where we passed by the JFK Center for Performing Arts. At mile 10, we entered West Potomac Park, passing by the Lincoln Memorial, and East Potomac Park, continuing alongside the river until reaching the end of the peninsula at the race halfway point, where we continued alongside Washington Channel with views of the harbor and Washington skyline. After our mile and a half out-and-back on Independence Avenue, we completed our D.C. Gauntlet run at mile 17 with the Washington Monument towering over us on the left, thus beginning our roughly three mile excursion in The Mall, running alongside the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, including its iconic castle, and the United States Capitol. We Beat the Bridge just before mile 20, immediately before crossing the Potomac River into Virginia on Interstate 395 with the Jefferson Memorial on the right. We ran the Crystal City Gauntlet at mile 22, beginning a mile and a half out-and-back on Crystal Drive before proceeding around The Pentagon before returning to our Jefferson Davis Highway start line with only 0.7 miles separating us from our completion adjacent to the USMC Iwo Jima Memorial. Weather at the finish was 78 degrees, wind from the northwest at 8 mph, mostly cloudy with 71% relative humidity. The race organizers later informed us that most of us endured 1.4 inches of rain during the race; in addition, they told us it was one of the warmest, fitting for a marine. ORGANIZATION: Well organized with military precision with plenty of marines on hand to support the race. For Four Star participants, well done reception, dine in, transportation to the start, and pre-race facilities, keeping participants dry during the on again and off again rain before the race. Given the congestion during the entire race (two lanes for 20,000 runners for almost the entire course), perhaps the organizers should consider time separation between corrals; while we had either red, gold, or green colors on our bib, no distinction was made at the start. Also, at miles 18 and 19, half of The Mall portolets were padlocked, creating longer than necessary lines for the runners, not to mention some angst among those who were wondering if they were to Beat the Bridge in time. SPECTATORS: Surprising turnout given the inclement weather. Some were a bit too enthusiastic around the Lincoln Memorial on the eleventh mile and Crystal City on the twenty-third mile: on both occasions they took a lane away from the course (narrowing it down to one lane on the Crystal City out-and-back), thus exacerbating the congestion. CONCLUSION: Great organization, an extremely well laid out course with about 13 miles in parkland adorned with our most famous landmarks. The People's Marathon is a race where any marathoner should consider adding to his portfolio, in recognition of those who serve and have served our country. Well done.