Marine Corps Marathon
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The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM), affectionately known as "The People's Marathon," is run in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The event typically takes place in late October, prior to the Marine Corps' birthday of November 10.
The 32nd MCM, with over 22,000 runners, occurred on Sunday, October 28, 2007 — with Tamarat Ayalew winning the men's title and rookie Kristen Henehan winning the women's title.[1]
The 33rd MCM will be held on October 26, 2008.[2]
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[edit] History
The "First Annual Marine Corps Reserve Marathon" — was run on 7 November 1976 in Arlington, Virginia. In its first year, 1,175 participants started the race, which began and ended at the Marine Corps War Memorial.[3] Four runners have participated in every Marine Corps Marathon since its inception.[4]
The second race, with 2,655 runners, changed its route to run through Washington, D.C and added a wheelchair category.[3]
The 2006 event included the first-ever satellite running of the event — "MCM Forward" — which took place in Anbar province, Iraq.[5][6]
As of October 29, 2006, the MCM became the 4th largest marathon in the U.S. The 2006 running of the event was the largest to-date, and pushed it up a spot in the overall rankings.[7] It is the largest marathon that does not offer prize money.[8] The 2006 marathon had a record 34,000 registrants, and approximately 150,000 spectators.[9][10] There were 20,934 finishers in the 31st MCM. Of those who finished, 39% were female and 61% were male. The overall average run time was 5:01:15. In 2006, Ruben Garcia of the Mexican Navy won the event for the second consecutive year, with an average pace of 5:23 minutes per mile, and an overall finish time of 2:21:20.
[edit] Course
The course of the Marine Corps Marathon varies slightly from year to year. The course is USATF certified.
[edit] 2006 course
The 2006 course is a new course. The marathon starts on State Route 110 in Arlington, and follows a winding course through Rosslyn with a climb along Lee Highway, then turns and descends on Spout Run and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Runners then cross the Key Bridge into Georgetown. Runners pass the Kennedy Center and then enter the National Mall, passing the Lincoln Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol. The course returns to Hains Point and East Potomac Park, then passes the Jefferson Memorial. Runners return to Virginia over the 14th Street Bridge, into Crystal City then past the Pentagon. The finish line is at the Marine Corps War Memorial.[11]
[edit] 2005 course
The marathon starts near, and ends at, the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington. Winding through the streets and highways of Northern Virginia, the course crosses the Potomac River for the first time on the Key Bridge. Now in the District, runners proceed along M Street through Georgetown. After a few miles on Rock Creek Parkway, the course leads south toward the Mall. First passing the Kennedy Center, then the Lincoln Memorial, runners head straight toward the U.S. Capitol. Turning west back down the Mall, the half-marathon point is crossed before reaching West Potomac Park and the Tidal Basin. Heading south past the Jefferson Memorial, the course enters East Potomac Park, leading toward Hains Point. The second crossing of the Potomac is critical, as runners must "beat the bridge" - cross the 14th Street Bridge before it is reopened to vehicular traffic. The final 5 miles in Virginia loop through the streets of Crystal City before passing the Pentagon. The marathoners finish their work as they reach the Iwo Jima Memorial.
[edit] Recent winners
| Year | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Men | ||
| 2007 | Tamrat Ayalew | 02:22:18 |
| 2006 | Ruben Garcia | 02:21:21 |
| 2005 | Ruben Garcia | 02:22:18 |
| Women | ||
| 2007 | Kristen Henehan | 02:51:09 |
| 2006 | Laura Thompson | 03:00:23 |
| 2005 | Susannah Kvasnicka | 02:47:10 |
[edit] Deaths
- 2006 - Earl Seyford, 56, Olney, Maryland[12]
- 2002 - Hilary Anne Bellamy, 35, Silver Spring, Maryland
- November 3, 1986- Staff Sgt. Martin A. Wurst Jr., stationed at Willow Grove Naval Air Station,Willow Grove, PA.
[edit] Disqualified
- 2006 Pilar Paras and Consuelo Visoso
- 2005 350 Runners (most associated with the charitable group JeansMarines)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Associated Press. "Rookie Kristen Henehan wins Marine Corps Marathon", USA Today, October 28, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
- ^ Johnson, Beth Cline (April 13, 2008). Marine Corps Marathon Announces Registration Procedures for 2008 Event. Washington Running Report. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ a b MCM Story. Marine Corps Marathon. Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
- ^ Ground pounders. Marine Corps Marathon. Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
- ^ Marathon in Iraq to Honor Fallen Heroes: Marines Run for TAPS in Fallujah. U.S. Newswire (September 27, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
- ^ "Marine Corps Marathon to Run in Iraq", News Blaze, 2006.
- ^ Letter to Marine Corps Marathon Finishers. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ History: The MCM Story. Marine Corps Marathon (June 7, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
- ^ Registration Closes with a Record 34,000 Runners. The Extra Mile. Marine Corps Marathon. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
- ^ 2006 Marine Corps Marathon - Sunday, October 29. City of Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
- ^ 2006 MCM Course Map (PDF). Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
- ^ Associated Press. "Runner Collapses and Dies at Marine Corps Marathon", Fox News, October 29, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
[edit] References
- MarineMarathon.com, Official website. Contains a detailed history of the origins of the event, and a course description.
- Unofficial race results. Marine Corps Marathon (2006) (October 29, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
[edit] Further reading
- Banker, George (2007). The Marine Corps Marathon: A Running Tradition. Meyer & Meyer Fachverlag und Buchhandel GmbH. ISBN 1841262226.
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