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Marine Corps Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Marine Corps Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 937 [displaying comments 171 to 181]
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B. S. from Baltimore, MD
(11/1/2010)
"Love this race" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the second time I ran the MCM, and I wanted to add my positive thoughts for anyone considering it. The course isn't totally flat but the hills are pretty much over by mile 8, so you get time to relax and enjoy the scenery. And it's got great scenery: you go from there through Georgetown, past the Kennedy Center, monuments, and the Mall before winding through some Virginia suburbs and getting to the Pentagon. OK, I think to myself that the Marines were being show-offs by making the very last bit of the course uphill, but it is a fairly short hill and by then your adrenaline carries you up, so it's ok. The crowds are outstanding, whether local residents, the massive, extraordinarily friendly and helpful Marine and other service contingents all along the way, or the local bands scattered through the course to give you an occasional burst of energy. This is the only marathon I've run so I don't have a point of comparison; you'll have to take my comments with that in mind. And I'll say I'm by no means competitive, so I don't know how the race stacks up for those with that mindset. But for my type of runner, it's a great event, I think. I'll be back. | |
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M. M. from Glen Ellyn Il
(11/1/2010)
"Fantastic" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great job, Marines and volunteers! Great overall experince in DC. A bit of a difficult course, but plenty of support and water/PowerAde. Thanks to the two fellow runners who helped me up after falling down around MM 19. I shall return to this one someday. | |
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T. B. from Springfield VA
(11/1/2010)
"GREAT JOB AGAIN" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Okay, Ill let you in on some info: the Marine Corps Marathon is a BIG event (the 4th largest in the US, I think). If you don't like crowds, need some open space when you run, don't like arriving 2 hours prior to the start, like getting out of the finish area quickly, and, oh yeah, don't like crowded or busy expos, then do not run this marathon. If you like great organization, lots of marathoners, great medals, incredibly inspiring route, and tons of fanfare, then put this on your list! See you again next year! Bonus: my bib was signed by Ryan Hall after the marathon! | |
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r. b. from Cincinnati OH
(11/1/2010)
"Worth doing once." (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Just finished the 2010 race (3:27) and overall, it was a good experience. I think everyone would enjoy doing this at least once, but I'll throw out a few negatives as a heads up. My main gripe, like most people's, is the finish festival. Very poorly setup. There is absolutely no reason for spectators to be in the area between the finish line and the UPS trucks. It is a small area, confined by fences, and 30,000 runners were trying to get out, while what seemed like about half that number of spectators/kids/dogs/bicycles were trying to get in. The marines were yelling at the spectators to not walk towards the finish line, but they were not actually stopping anyone from doing it. People were dropping like flies in the heat and masses of people, while calls of "Medic!" were being shouted out. Of course the medics could barely squeeze through either. They had what seemed like a thousand port-o-lets at the Pentagon, but six - yes, six - at the finish line. Let's balance that out a little bit shall we? The post-race food was pathetic. I would have rather gotten an MRE. At least it would have had some protein. Instead we got 10 dried mango-yogurt nuggets, a small cup of canned mixed fruit, a plain bagel, a banana, and an airplane sized bag of pretzels. Knowing this ahead of time, we loaded our UPS bags with protein shakes, recovery bars, muffins, and fresh fruit. Unfortunately, by the time the slowest runner in our group finished (4:40), and we then made the 30-minute death march to the UPS trucks, it was way past the cutoff to get nutrients in our bodies. The Rosslyn metro station was scary at first sight, but the crowd actually moved fairly well. I think we were on a train within 30 - 40 minutes of getting in line. Overall, it was worth doing. My opinion, though, is that if you want to do a military marathon, the Air Force (done in 2009) is much better experience, especially post-race. If you want to experience a giant marathon, then Chicago (done in 2000 and 2004) is better organized, has better fans, and has plenty of hotels within walking distance of the start/finish line. If the Marine Corps Marathon gets the spectators out of the immediate finish area and moves the UPS trucks closer, my opinion would be very different. | |
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K. H. from Wilmette, IL
(11/1/2010)
"Amazing Experience" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great race... lived up to its reputation. It's not a flat course (the first half is pretty hilly), but its VERY scenic. It's a great mix of winding, tree-lined roads, river views, beautiful neighborhoods and national landmarks. The spectators are not present for the entire course, but when they are around they were LOUD and enthusiastic. My buddy and I running the race had to really make sure we didn't run too hard through the stretches where the spectators were present as they were really pumping us up. The race was not without drawbacks: Parts of the course were narrow, which made passing difficult and congestion prevalent. There was also a long walk from the Pentagon metro stop to the runner's village, and an even longer walk after the race to the post-party in Rosslyn. The metro was really jammed up after the race, making the trip back to our hotel in DC difficult. These things were easily overshadowed by the quality of the rest of the race. The weather was also perfect for running and having the marines there handing you your medal right in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial added an emotional touch that is unique to this race. Highly recommended! | |
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M. K. from DC
(11/1/2010)
"Amazing crowd; awesome experience" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Crowd on course was AWESOME! Everything about this race was exceptional except the bottleneck after the finish. Please, MCM, keep the spectators and crowds out of the runner's areas so we can get our stuff and have room to move before the masses crowd in and force us to come to a standstill while we are sore and tired and need space to breathe and move. We tell you every year. I saw one finisher pass out because she couldn't move and was so crowded by the clueless non-runners inside the finishing area. Why do you allow this to mar an otherwise exceptional race? | |
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m. a. from Virginia, USA
(3/8/2010)
"Loved this marathon." (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 3 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run this marathon for the past three years. It keeps getting better and better. | |
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C. B. from Toronto, Ontario
(3/8/2010)
"Awesome Marathon" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a fantastic marathon with a great route and tons of fans. Only advice: I stayed in Virginia based on the recommendation of the MCM website, but it would have been better to stay in DC. | |
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J. H. from Eastern Washington State
(1/10/2010)
"Worthy of its Great Reputation" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I loved this race. It had a perfect blend of a gentle course, amazing sights and great organization. Favorite Parts: The 20,000-plus participants who seemed to all be happy; the LOUD crowd in Georgetown; running the National Mall; the friendly marines at the water stations; the excellent expo with great MCM jackets and free beer. Needs work: The exit from the finish area was an insane bottleneck; the public transportation on race day is a big headache; and the pasta dinner had great food but felt too stiff and formal. We had great luck staying right in downtown Arlington: It is a 20-minute walk to the start, and 5-minute return from the finish - no public transport needed! And if you've ever considered running a race not for time, and with a camera, this is it. I didn't feel half as emotional in Boston as I did at many points during this race! Thank you, DC! | |
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R. S. from Durham, NC
(1/9/2010)
"This is a must-run marathon!" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I've run the Marine Corps Marathon two years in a row (2008, 2009) and have nothing but positive comments about the race itself as well as the Marine and spectator support. 26.2 miles is a long way to run, no matter where you are or what the weather is like. Washington D.C. at the end of October has been beautiful and very race-friendly the past couple of years. Spectator support for this race is awesome, with crowds cheering for everyone they see. Marine support at all of the aid stations and before and after the race is fantastic. Most importantly, though, are all of the inspirational people - troops, veterans, and family and friends of our armed forces - who run the marathon. This is simply an event that is worth it on so many levels. I very highly recommend running this marathon. Expect it to be crowded (some 25,000 people run it), expect to pay a lot for your hotel (it's D.C., after all, on a big weekend), expect some delays and plan accordingly (again, thousands run the marathon and have loved ones with them for support), and EXPECT TO HAVE A BLAST! |
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