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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 241 to 251]
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M. C. from Philadelphia, PA
(11/6/2008)
"Good, but needs wave start, tech shirt" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race is very good. Didn't have to wait in line for number pickup at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Expo was not a mob scene. Easy to get to via Metro. The shirts are really nice, but are cotton. Race Day: Being an idiot, I got off at the Cemetery stop instead of the Pentagon and had to check a bag. This was at 7:50 for an 8:00 start. Lesson learned; get to the correct start earlier! It's a bit of a walk to the bag check, but nothing that exhausts you pre-race. Yes, the first 8 miles are hilly and crowded. If aiming for a PR, just keep passing runners the best you can. I had to skip aid stations at miles 2 and 6 to bypass runners. The good news is that after the downhill following Georgetown, the runners thin out, and you get a great mix of quiet, scenic running and throngs of crowds. The marching bands on the second half are really something and should be promoted more. I wish they would do a loop through Crystal City instead of the out-and-back. I finished with a 5-minute PR and a negative split, so it can be done. The wait for a train at Rosslyn was 2 blocks long at 11:30! We grabbed a cab at Court House instead. Overall, the marines deliver excellent organization. However, this race would really benefit from a wave start, and tech shirts would be welcomed. | |
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B. B. from NY
(11/6/2008)
"A must-run race for every American" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Deal with the crowd - it's a big race, so crowds come with the territory. I've run NY, Chicago, San Diego, Disney, and lots of other "big ones," and this one handles the crowd better than most. The hills are mostly done by mile 8, except that final climb to the Iwo Jima Memorial; but at that point, you are so pumped, you'll fly up that hill. So the course itself is fairly easy. Simply put, there is nothing like having those marines out there greeting you every step of the way: at the starting area, handing out water at every stop, lined up alongside the finishers area, and putting a medal around your neck. And every last one of them was thanking you for coming, and congratulating you on your race. I could not help getting choked up as I replied back to them, "Thank you for your service." Aside from that, the crowd was so enthusiastic - as good as any other race I've seen. It's true, the post-race food bag stinks. And you need to walk forever to retrieve your checked bag, and the Metro station was jam-packed after the race. But don't let these keep you away. This is a must-run race for every American. | |
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S. P. from Kingsport, Tn
(11/6/2008)
"Only problem is the finish area." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have been to this marathon 15 times. It is about the only race I run each year. I love the race. The only problem is the finish area for the runners and getting on the Metro subway in Roslyn. We had to walk over a mile to the Courthouse Metro stop to get back to the motel. There were 2 lines over a 100 yards in length at the Roslyn stop. | |
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Jenn Christie from Cleveland, Ohio
(11/6/2008)
"MY FAVORITE RACE SO FAR" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 It was an INCREDIBLE day ~ one of the most spectacular experiences of my life! THANK YOU, people of Washington (and there were thousands of spectators!) and to all of the handsome marines who volunteered on that beautiful morning! P.S. If you are staying in Crystal City, DO NOT plan on using shuttles ~ we got there a little late, but it did not ruin our day! | |
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L. M. from Pocono Mountains, PA
(11/5/2008)
"Stop changing the course" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 4th time running MCM for charity. It's a great race in a great city. I did not like the new course; go back to 2005 course. I heard late in the race that about 3 miles were blocked off, but no indication was given to the runners until we saw the jump in mile markers. What's up with that? Slippery oranges? Go slowly. Sparse crowds for a portion of the race? Enjoy the time to reflect. Crowded finish? Smile and thank the Marine for your medal. Not for serious runners? In my book, anybody who runs 26.2 miles is serious. Too many people? Come run my local marathon this spring. We get about 350 folks, so except for the first 17 seconds, crowds are not a concern. Not sure what you can do about narrow streets; it is a city. Overall, an enjoyable event that I will keep running as long as my legs and lungs (but most importantly my wife) will allow. To the USMC, job well done! | |
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V. M. from DC
(11/2/2008)
"Great Race! Much Improved Since 2006!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 In 2006, my sister came to DC to run the MCM. It was a logistical nightmare: for a mega-marathon, the MCM was egregiously inept at crowd control for 1) the expo, 2) subway transportation to and from the race, and 3) finish line area meet-up. I swore after spectating in 2006 that I would not run the MCM. In 2008, I ran it. And the race was so well done that I'd run it every year. Since 2006, MCM has added a day to the expo and redesigned its finish line area. While some have commented on the crowding at the 2008 finish area, the finish area was a breeze compared to 2006. I easily met up with the other two runners who did the race with me, even though we all finished an hour apart. Transportation on the subway is still ridiculous. Platform crowding before and after the race is not only an issue of convenience but of safety. MCM should consider building a four-dollar fee for subway travel into the registration fee. Then they could give the proceeds from that transport fee to the metro so that they just leave their gates open for travelers between the hours of 6-8 a.m. and 12-2 p.m. That way, the gates at the subway stops are left open and people can walk through, rather than get funneled through slowly while everyone waits to feed their ticket through the machine. Adopting this idea in pure form may not be feasible, but some version of this idea would exponentially improve the experience of getting to and from the race for participants. The issue is platform crowding. And the platform crowding is a result of slowly funneling passengers to gates where they need to feed their ticket through the machine. An open-door policy on the subway during limited hours is not so bizarre, if MCM gives Metro the money accumulated from a transport fee built into the registration fee. One other con: 13 water stops - 13! Chicago, another mega-marathon, has 20 water stations. That's too few for a race so large. Several times I felt a need for water but had to wait and wait for it because there were only 13 stops. This can be a real issue for a race in which the vast majority of finishers are finishing over 4:30 hours. It only stands to reason that being out that long would leave one to need replenishing more. Otherwise: huge applause to MCM for changing the course to hit the Mall at miles 15-19 and do Haines Point earlier, where the absence of spectators at Haines Point is not felt so much. Would do this race every year. | |
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j. r. from rochester, ny
(11/2/2008)
"Best Marine Marathon Yet" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The finish area at this race is light-years ahead of where it used to be. It's a big race; there are lots of people, so you should expect crowds. There's only so much the organizers can do. You got great weather on a beautiful course and the crowd support was great. The best I've seen in 5 years. The hills on this course are minimal and early. | |
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M. M. from Guilderland Center, NY
(11/1/2008)
"As expected, a great job by the Marines" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had read some negative comments about this race over the last couple years, but I thought it was a tremendous experience from beginning to end. To receive such respect from these fine men and women, people who are truly deserving of our respect, made this a very rewarding experience. I've done most of the big marathons, and this one ranks at or near the top. | |
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JuanPablo Mondragon from Puebla, Mexico
(10/31/2008)
"Great experience, but needs some improvement." (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is a great location for a marathon but unfortunately some important details need to be improved. Arriving to the Pentagon Metro station was smooth, but the walk from there to the start line was extremely long. They could have had the start line closer to a station. Although they offered special restrooms from Brooks, I never saw them at the start. But the regular porta-potties were fine. The first streets were extremely packed. I suppose runners did not start at their appropriate location in the corrals because I had to pass people the entire course and yet I finished at 3:30, which is where I positioned myself at the start corral. The section in Crystal City where the course runs back and forth (parallel in opposite direction) makes it a bit tough to get through. It was discouraging to see a mile marker (23) in the opposite direction. The finish area is just too cramped; it's not easy to find family members, and there's not as much food as I had anticipated. Taking the Metro at Rosslyn station was 1.5+ hours wait. Good support from locals and great work by the volunteers though. | |
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H. F. from Chicago, IL
(10/31/2008)
"overall great" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pros: Well organized. Wonderful course. Great spectators. Nice t-shirt. Cons: Long walk from Metro to runner village. Pacer for 4:30 went way too fast during first part of the race. Orange peels at the first food stop were dangerous for runners. Insufficient food at the finish - by the time I got there, there were no bagels. Long wait (approximately 1.5 hours) for a massage - they need to work on runners less and have more tables and masseurs. |
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