I'm not good at marathoning. At all. But, for some reason, I can't quit it. As part of my 2018 comeback, I registered for the MCM. I'm lucky to have an extended network of running friends around the country with several of them located in the DMV area. For this reason, there were a lot of race logistics I didn't have to worry about such as where to stay and transportation to/from the expo and race since my host took care of all this for me but it is something you should be prepared for if you're going to do this race, particularly if you're new to racing or not familiar with the DC area.

I arrived in DC the Friday before the race and my friend picked me up and we headed straight to the expo. While the race starts and ends in Arlington, the expo was out at National Harbor. Although I'm not from the area, it didn't take long to realize how horrible this location was. It took us over an hour to get there from Dulles. We almost had a mishap as we got there since the sign announcing where to turn was placed such that it made us turn too early and we almost ended up back on the highway. For anyone not familiar with the expo location, I could see how they could easily get misdirected. We parked in the garage attached to the hotel and made our way inside. There were people directing everyone to the expo so it wasn't hard to find. Getting my bib was an easy process, but the expo wasn't too crowded at this time. After picking up my bib, we were directed to the spot to get our shirts where we were able to try them on first. Good thing because they ran a bit small, in my opinion. As for the shirt itself. Um. I really don't know how to explain it. It's just....ugly. They used a crowd photo from a previous race for the shirt design and it just doesn't work. Until you see it, you just can't understand. Anyway, the expo itself was your typical large race expo. Lots of good vendors with lots of merchandise for anyone who might have forgotten anything at home. Also, the Brooks MCM branded gear was all great, if a little pricey. In addition to the expo being in an inconvenient location, they didn't make paying for parking easy (or cheap). There's a pay machine in the garage near the elevators, but it didn't actually work. And what they didn't make clear was you were expected to pay inside. There was a registration desk where you paid for parking. There was supposedly discounted parking for expo attendees but, from what I've read on social media, you had to be there quite a while to get the discount. In the end, we paid $20 to park. And if you're taking the Metro, there isn't one within walking distance, so you would have to take a shuttle from the station to the expo. Again, not convenient at all.

MCM starts just before 8 AM, but there's a bit of a walk to get to the start from the train station, which is where my friend dropped me off (it's about as close as you can get because of street closures). Therefore, I got there around 6:30 and followed the crowd. I didn't see any signage actually directing people where to go, but you don't really need it with so many people. Runners have to go through security to get to the runners' village and start. At that hour, it moved fairly quickly. Some guys near me were talking about a previous year when they arrived a lot later and the lines were so bad that security just stopped checking people. Past security runners can check their gear bags. There are UPS trucks set up with numbers on them that correspond to the beginning of your bib number. The area is fairly large so lots of runners were sitting around having breakfast before checking gear and heading to the start. All along the route to the runners' village and in the village itself there were plenty of restrooms available. Even once you left the village and made your way to the start there were restrooms along the side of the road.

Announcements said the corrals corresponded to the color of your bib but I really didn't notice it. Perhaps it was because I was looking for a specific time corral (which *was* clearly labeled) and not the color. Despite all of the security to get to the start, they didn't do anything to stop non-runners from entering the start area. There were lots of people who weren't runners hanging out, even after the race officially started. Being the Marine Corps race, there was plenty of stuff going on to start the race - paratroopers delivering the flag, big planes flying overhead, cannons signaling the start - so you're not just standing around with nothing to see or do before the start. And even though I arrived so early, by the time I got to the start area I actually only had maybe a 20 minute wait.

The race itself was great. The only part that might be considered challenging comes near the beginning. There's a bit of a climb for most of the first couple of miles. After that, there isn't much elevation to contend with. The course takes runners through Arlington, Georgetown, DC and other scenic areas. There is a lot of crowd support all along the course with various groups coming out to cheer in addition to runners' friends and family. Even the Marines who don't really have much of a choice in the matter were very supportive. They made great cheerleaders, especially the one on the bridge (the one you have to beat) who had more energy than anyone I've ever met and who must have run several miles himself as he ran back and forth along the bridge and eventually made his way down to Crystal City(?) to cheer. Speaking of spectators, there are plenty of places for them to get to on the course to support their runners. I was able to see my friend 3 times along the route (her big cheese head helped). There were a couple of areas where the crowd was quite large and it did cause a bottleneck effect - I believe it was in Crystal City and down by the museums in DC where this happened. It would be nice if they could manage the crowd better in these areas because it was kind of dangerous.

If you've never run this race, be prepared for the Blue Mile. This is a section of the course where there are signs for fallen soldiers. Lots of runners were stopping along this route as they saw signs for friends or family. Once you get past the signs there are people lining either side of the road holding American flags. These are mainly the family of fallen soldiers. This is where I almost lost it. It's a very emotional section of the course, even if you have no connection to the Marines or any of the armed forces.

So far it sounds like a great race, right? Well, it actually is. Except for the finish. The awful finish. The finish that was designed by someone who knows how to torture people. You have to run up a short, steep hill to get to the end. Who does that??? I actually walked a good bit leading up to this hill just so I would be able to actually run up it. But once you finish, it's so worth it. At the end there are even more Marines, and a huge crowd, very loudly cheering you on. And, just like much of the rest of the race experience, the finish is very well organized. There are lines set up guiding runners to Marines to collect their medals. After you get your medal, you can get your official finisher photo taken in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial. Beyond that, runners collect a snack box, water, Gatorade, and warming jackets (I'd never seen these before). Unfortunately, the walk to collect your gear from the trucks is a bit long, but I was highly motivated because it had gotten chilly at the end of the race. Also, the snack box isn't much, but there are plenty of places in the area to pop into to grab food (I got fries from McDonald's fairly quickly).

We didn't hang around once I got my gear and food but it did take a while to get out because there are just so many people trying to exit the parking garage and make their way through town. A word of advice, if you do happen to drive (especially if you're not used to driving in the area) reserve your parking in advance using SpotHero or a similar service. If you use the MCM shuttles, be prepared for long lines. The line for the shuttles were a few blocks long.

In the end, I was pleased with this race (even if my race itself wasn't what I planned). It is very organized, lots of crowd support, clearly marked safe route, and almost everything you could want in a race. I highly recommend doing this race if at all possible.