Authors Note: I was
inspired by a few friends running MCM this year to share my experiences over
the years with this marathon. My comments are a bit raw and unedited but
thought they might serve useful to anyone who is competing this year or in future
years. Enjoy the race if you have the
opportunity to run it.
Marine Corps Marathon (MCM)
The Marine Corps Marathon has always been special to
me. It is in the city I grew up in, I
watched my father finish his only 2 marathons there, I have watched close
friends complete it and I have completed it 4 times. My very first marathon in 1997 was MCM. I did not run another marathon one until
2009.
With 4 MCM finishes under my belt including a 2.46, I think
I have some information to share about the event that might serve useful to
those competing. My top advice is enjoy it!
The marines do a terrific job to ensure your race experience is
excellent! You run some of our most
treasured national monuments and the fans are loud and tons of them. Take the
time to thank a marine or two along the course and look up and smile that you
have the opportunity to run in such a terrific event.
Take the metro and get there early! The closer you get to the start, the more
crowded the subway gets. Pre-purchase
your fare card the day before if you want to avoid lines with fares. I recommend putting on plenty of money to
cover your trip to the race and money for after. I also recommend stashing $20
in your shorts. In the worst case
scenario, 20 bucks is a good backup to get you a cab, purchase another metro
ticket on the course if injury shuts you down, food money after if your bag
gets lost. It is emergency money.
When you hit the Pentagon, be prepared to walk a lot! It actually is a good warm-up but note that the
start line is close to 1.5 miles from the Metro stop. You basically follow the heard of folks.
Wait to use the restrooms. A lot of folks dive off to the
nearest ones at the Pentagon and as soon as you get into the bag check
area. I recommend checking in your bag
and then the last porta johns at the far end of the lot before you head up to
the start. At the start there are
limited opportunities. Like all smart
marathoners, I encourage you to bring you own TP. A lot of times you don’t need it but it is
cheap and easy to bring your own. Throw
it if you don’t need it but good backup.
Also think thru what warm clothes you will need after the race so that
you can pack them in your bag. You don’t
need a lot but a warm sweatshirt or long sleeve shirt will be fantastic
especially if you have a long subway ride back home.
MCM is a good race to set aside some old clothes that you
don’t mind parting with. Once I check my
bag in, I usually carry a water bottle and small snack (nutrigrain or another
gel) up to the start along with keeping on warm clothes. At the start of MCM, you will see mass
shedding of clothes. The Marines sweep
it all up and it all goes to charity.
Because you are waiting at the start for over an hour, it is important
to stay warm and get a little bit of food/water in you. Worst case you pitch the food. I have even started the race and thrown off a
long sleeve a mile or 2 into the race which is also very common in this event.
Once you reach the start, if you are a sub 3, there are 2
sides to the street to start on. Over the
years the top folks elect left or right.
It doesn’t matter and I would tend to recommend left. It is a little easier to pop over to pee on
the metro fence on the left and get back into your spot. Left takes you over a small over pass where
right does not but the distances are the same and by Rosslyn you are all
together. I usually like the left near
one of the sides. It gets a bit crowded
but if you are fast, you have every right to be up there. I recommend you be as far up towards the
front of your respective corral.
If you have to do more than pee, off to the right, there are
some woods. As the race gets closer to
the start, you will see a lot of action down that way that none of us are proud
of but you got to do what you got to do sometimes. At worst, if you are still having some
stomach issues, MCM has plenty of potties usually at all the water stops. Just plan your stop and try to make it quick
and efficient.
Usually there will be a fly over of some form of a military
airplane or helicopter and then the actual start is a cannon going off. There is a large wheelchair and disabled
category that goes few minutes before the rest of the field. I will mention them a bit later.
Cannon goes off and you are on your way. Maintain YOUR pace! It is so easy the first mile of this race to
get very excited. Don’t weave in and out
of traffic if you did not get a good starting spot. It’s 26.2 miles so you have time to ease into
it. You do not want to waste energy the
first couple miles.
Rosslyn is about mile one and the crowds are HUGE! Coming out of Rosslyn you will hit one of the
biggest hills on the course. Just
maintain your pace/effort. You might be a bit slow on this mile but that is ok
as you have a big downhill coming up.
Most of the idiots who go out too fast start to die at this point
already. You will also start to pass a
few of the wheel chair and disabled participants. Pretty easy to stop feeling sorry for
yourself when you see how determined these competitors are. They are a true inspiration.
Sprout run is about mile 3 and is a large downhill. Two things..you can go about 5-10 sec faster
than your avg pace but don’t over do it as no reason. Run tangents down this hill but be HIGHLY
aware of your surroundings because the disabled participants pick up a ton of
steam coming down the hill in their chairs.
I have seen a couple crashes with runners/chairs and a few near
misses.
You cross into Georgetown and make your way out alongside
the Potomac. This is a bit of a lonely
stretch. I have heard the course changed
this year to eliminate one of the sharp terns and is now going to go up Rock
Creek park towards the zoo. Another big
uphill however, you come straight back down.
You will eventually make it back to Georgetown where the
crowds are usually huge. Once you depart
Georgetown and go past the Kennedy center (should be around mile 10), the race
pretty much flattens out the rest of the way.
Again, maintain your pace and hang in there the first 10 as a lot of
folks work way too hard at MCM the first 10 which is the toughest elevation on
the course.
As you parallel the river heading towards the Jefferson
monument, again the crowds will be huge.
You are heading towards Haines Point which back in the day used to be 20
miles. Me and Billy Shue have an awesome
picture that was published in the Washington Post a few years ago of Billy and
I crossing thru this part of the course. I had a fist pump in the air and
yelling to encourage the crowd which was easily 10 deep thru the particular
section. I felt like a rock star and
enjoyed the moment.
One of the lonely stretches on the course is from 13 through
about 15 which is heading out of Haines point. There are a few spectators that
come out there each year and setup music but it is a place where you still have
a lot to go so your motivation might not be at its best. Stay focused and deal with the wind if it is
blowing a lot out there.
As you near 16, you are experiencing some of the biggest
crowds on the course and you are heading around the mall area that has some of
the best monuments. Use these miles as
encouragement. The signs are fun to read
and there are usually a few marching bands and high school cheer groups. This portion is all flat so if you are
feeling good, your splits should be good.
This is also where some of the best race pictures are taken. As a cool keepsake, you will get a picture of
you running with one of the major monuments in the background.
Mile 20-22 is the hardest stretch in most marathons but
particularly tough at MCM. You are
leaving the district and heading across the 14th street bridge
towards Crystal City. The crowds are
thin, the racers are spread out, you are feeling rough. All I can offer is hang in there and think
about the big picture. Don’t throw away
20+ miles of a good race just because you are going to hurt for a bit. Think of the disabled folks out of the
course..there is a guy who usually does the race on what appears to be a
modified skateboard. He pushes the whole
way with his hands! I have battled that
guy several times. Think about how much
more desire and effort he is putting forth!
There used to be a guy near the end of the bridge before
Crystal City dressed in a grim reaper costume with a sign that said “The end is
near”. At the time I have wanted to deck
the guy because I was in no mood for jokes but it is very clever looking
back. You feel like hell is upon you and
you are nearing the finish.
As you enter Crystal city, it is more gut check time. Sometimes it is a bit windy. Competitors starting back on the bridge
through this section tend to pull up for all kinds of reasons. Stomach issues, cramps, just done. I always
try to tell myself to focus on passing folks.
If you are catching and passing folks you most likely are maintaining a
decent pace. The crowds are usually supportive
and usually there are folks handing out water bottles and other forms of support. Eat/drink/slurp whatever you need at this
stage to keep your body going!
Leaving Crystal city and heading to the Pentagon parking you
have about 2 miles to go. You can almost
taste the finish! The wind sometimes is
very strong in the Pentagon lot but again, keep it together as you are almost
done. You have one sort of uphill where
you have an onramp to Hwy110 which is the final stretch in. It feels a lot bigger than it is.
With about 1.5 miles to go, your body hurts like hell. I have done 14 miles and I can tell you the last
6 suck no matter if you are walking, running a PR or anything in between. It only gets better when you cross the finish
line so you might as well try to get to that finish line as fast as possible. For MCM, the last mile is fairly flat, wide
open road and you can run pretty fast if you have anything left. Just be careful as I have seen folks victim
to leg cramps along here and have to hobble home to the finish.
The last 385 yards of MCM are special. The marines line the hill and while it is a
steep hill, you have marines supporting you, the crowd and often there are
wheel chair competitors who are working 10 times harder than you to make it up
this last steep hill in a chair. MCM
films the finish of every competitor and often calls out your name as you
sprint home. Give it every last bit and
finish with pride!
Once you are done, you get the very cool MCM finisher
medal. It is one of the best out there
in my opinion. They also offer tons of medical support so if you need it take
it. I highly encourage you to get your
picture in front of Iwo Jima memorial.
As you are walking out the of the finisher’s shoot, you will see it. I have to admit I have shed a few tears here
before being greeted by close friends who finished and getting a picture
together in front of one of our nation’s most spectacular monuments.
Once you get your picture, as you are heading out of the
finishers shoot, the marines offer up a ton of items in a goody bag. Sports drinks, water, banana, cookies,
etc. Grab it all as you might really be
in need of it because it might be an hour or two before you hit your hotel. The metro is terrific but after you wait in
line and get back to where you are staying, the extra drink and food you got at
the finish is very helpful.
The finisher shoot spills out in to Rossyln where you can
get your bags, reunite with your family, take advantage of the finishers
festival, etc. The Rosslyn metro stop is
there and will be unbelievably crowded but still the best way out.
What a race! If you
have the opportunity to stay Sunday night, get back to your room, have a pizza,
nap and then get out and walk our nation’s capital. It is a wonderful city and has plenty of
places you can celebrate Sunday night before you head back home on Monday.
