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.