Marine Corps Marathon

Marine Corps Marathon

Marine Corps Marathon

( 91 reviews )
98% of reviewers recommend this race
  • Washington ,
    District of Columbia,
    United States
  • October
  • 6 miles/10K, 26.2 miles/Marathon, Virtual Race
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Jessica Murphy

Portland, Oregon, United States
176 62
2016
"An epic patriotic experience"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Jessica Murphy's thoughts:

MCM lived up to its reputation. There's a reason this sells out every year, and I'd definitely recommend it to others!

I was able to get into the race via the Runner's World VIP program (disclaimer: I work at Runner's World). I not only got me entry into the race, but a pre-race VIP tent in the runner village (heat and porta-potties) and post-race hospitality (massages, food, etc) which all elevated the experience.

What to Love about MCM:
_Beautiful course, loved seeing different parts of the city from Georgetown, Rock Creek Parkway, the Mall, and more.
_Support from the marines! Need I say more?! So inspiring. Every aid station, every mile marker. Aid stations were super well organized and well run. Lots of inspiring cheers from all the volunteers!
_Blue Mile - speaking of inspiration...everyone warned me of it. It's important, and very moving.
_Start and finish was seamless
_The finish - you read about this a lot and it didn't disappoint. Epic finish up to the Iwo Jima memorial. Marines lining both sides, all super friendly!

Other Details:
_Post race Goodes - water, gatorade, banana. PLUS they give you a bag for everything (win!) and then one of those pre-packaged boxes with tons of goodies
_Swag - Not sure how i feel about the mock neck but it may be nice as an inner layer during the winter :) The medal is also pretty awesome too! You also get a very cool patch. Will be finding a good place to put that.
_Pasta Dinner - I've never attended an official race pasta dinner but I hear this one is one of the best. There was fun programming from the marines - so a lot to be proud of :)
_Beat the Bridge - I should've read more about this to be prepared. I know there would be no aid, but I didn't realize it would be for 3 miles!! I was dragging at this point (18-21, which I know is later than it normally happens) so I had to take some of my fuel, but then with no water it created quite the predicament.
_Late aid - This is maybe more indicative of how much I was struggling after mile 21 :oP But I wanted/needed water every mile and it was around every other mile. I should've looked at the map in advance to mentally prepare...but I was super struggling those last few miles.

If you aren't able to join MCM via the Runner's World VIP I would note that pre-race you are literally in a parking lot. You are recommended to get there early because transport to the start is not easy so be prepared to bring things to stay warm, and something to sit on.

Hope to have a chance to do this again!

Loading Comments...

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Latest reviews

Loading Reviews...