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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 251 to 261]
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J. V. from Charlotte, North Carolina
(10/31/2008)
"Fantastic Event" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I just had the best time. From the time they said, "Go," until I crossed the finish line, it was just great. There were minor frustrations but nothing that will keep me from running this race again. I've run 1 full marathon and 3 half marathons, and this is the first event where there was no food provided in the Runner's Village before the race. Fortunately, I had extra gels. And what I read in previous reviews is true; the first five miles are slow and congested, but it's beautiful and if you just look up and and take it all in, you'll forget about the frustration. Spectator support is FANTASTIC! The marines, even BETTER! The men and women in their "boots & uts" were so encouraging. I got another boost of energy when Marine One flew low over East Potomac Park while I was there. I'll never know if the President was in there, but since he's a runner and because I needed that boost, in my mind he definitely was! The mall was great and I was very impressed with Crystal City and the colorful flags and support. When I turned the corner to go up the hill at the end, my heart almost exploded. There were tons of people in the stands, marines everywhere and at the top of the hill the Iwo Jima Memorial. I was so full of emotion but also full of energy, and I ran harder than I had the entire race. Several marines saw my tears and surrounded me with encouraging words. Such a wonderful day. This won't be my last MCM. | |
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M. B. from Colwyn, PA, USA
(10/31/2008)
"Great Spectators, Nice Course, Poor Organization" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Spectators and fellow runners were excellent!!! Course was beautiful and flat. Too many entrants made for some course "bottle necking" and poor organization at the finish. I experienced an annoying amount of "I don't know" responses, when asking about locations, parking, food, etc. Most of us were not from/familiar with the DC area, and we were "on our own" trying to figure it all out. Many families had trouble finding loved ones after the race. Again, MCM had some of the most fun and supportive spectators and runners - run this race for them, but just be prepared for the minor annoyances mentioned above. | |
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Lee Russell from Virginia
(10/31/2008)
"Second Marathon, 1st Serious attempt" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 In 2004, just to see if I could will myself to the finish line, I ran the Ocean City Marathon. I did, after 5:30, and realized two things: the right shoes and a training program were not options. I did not feel compelled to run another race. Then in 2008, while in Iraq, a certain marine colonel needed a running partner. By tour's end, I had a GPS and a 16-week program, both from that marine. He had also mentioned the Marine Corps Marathon. I coaxed my brother (a former marine) to run with me. After I signed up, his wife bought tickets to Mexico... so I was running solo. At 3:39, I came within 19 minutes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon: A great accomplishment, which I attribute to a great marine with whom I had the pleasure to serve. | |
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D. K. from Alexandria, VA
(10/31/2008)
"Needs Improvment" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Pros: Expo was great. T-shirt. Finisher's medal. Cons: With this being the 33rd event, you think they would have a better set-up for the start and finish. They act like this is their first time doing this. What upset me was that you had to walk to hell and back just to get to the start line from the Metro. All I have to say is that is an extremely poor job on the MCM part. Five minutes before the start of the race people were taking their time in the runners' village instead of getting to the start. They seem like they had all day. People who cannot get their butt to the start on time do not need to be in a marathon, in my opinion. Now the finish area: way too congested. Once you received your medal, I had to ask where the water was. The signs telling you where to go were hard to find, at best. They really need to crack down on the walkers in this race. The course is way too narrow to try and run around people who are just out there for the fun of it and could care less about running. I know it is on a Sunday, but this is a race and you should not be out for a Sunday stroll. | |
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D. B. from Arlington, VA
(10/30/2008)
"First marathon, and addicted" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and it definitely beat expectations. I know I don't really have anything to compare it to but I enjoyed the race; the hills in the beginning weren't TOO BAD and they were done by mile 8 or so. The fans were great but sometimes they crowded the street, making it tight, but only in a few minor areas. My only criticism is that they had the wheelchairs leave only about 5-10 minutes before the runners and we caught them on the first hill, which made it nerve-racking every time you had to clear the center for them to come flying down the hills early on. They should give them more time to get out ahead since the hills are early on and they can't get up them too fast. | |
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e. f. from Boston
(10/30/2008)
"Great experience" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I recommend staying in Roslyn and avoiding the bag drop and Pentagon area. I walked directly to the start area and avoided most of the crowds. There was little to no wait for the porta-potties as late as 7:15. Very few people in the 4:00-hour corral at that time as well. I was able to sit on the side of the road and wait for the start. This is not the best course for a PR due to the crowds. It was very hard to get on pace, and I lost a lot of time at each water stop. Parts of the course were awesome and inspiring. Some parts were tedious. The marines made the day for me. The finish is the best that I have ever seen. Overall, I thought that the race was very well run. I would recommend this race, but go for the experience and not for a your fastest time. | |
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K. P. from Omaha, NE
(10/30/2008)
"Outstanding - a "must run" event!" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 MCM is an AMAZING event that should be on everyone's "must run" list. As a "back of the pack" runner, I was delighted at the number of spectators and course support. I normally finish races without water, sports drinks, or fans because they are all packed up. At MCM they proved to be the People's Marathon by having an abundance of support for us "penguins." The marine involvement was great - truly inspiring (thanks to the lovely marine and her HUGE smile when handing me my medal - a definite highlight!). The expo and race were meticulously organized and truly enjoyable. The walk to the start and from the finish were really nice, helping me to keep nerves and cramps to a minimum. Porta-potties were abundant and the "hills" were nothing - I'm from a flat state and thought the "hills" at MCM were cake. Three of the four in our group were able to PR here on a very interesting and diverse course. Love the course, the spectators, and marines - can't say enough great things about this race weekend! | |
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P. F. from Richmond, VA
(10/30/2008)
"Nice course but indifferent organization" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I enjoyed this race a great deal, and would recommend that anyone do it once. But it was marred by the poor organization at the beginning and finishing areas. The morning starts off with a rather long walk from the Metro station to the staging area. From there you proceed another good distance to the start. However, there are a very large number of runners, and no wave start system, only an honor system. Because of the crush of people, it was literally impossible for me to get anywhere near the four-hour start sign. In fact, after the gun it took 14 minutes even to get to the start. Others further back reported taking 25 minutes to get to the start mat. The first 10K were therefore very crowded, and it was difficult to get to and maintain an even pace. The scenery itself, especially along the canal during the early morning fog, was very pretty, as was the run along the mall. The hills, except for the grand finale to the Iwo Jima monument, are early in the race and passed by quickly. There were definitely areas where the path was too narrow to accommodate the number of runners, which was exacerbated in places by thick crowds infringing on the path for the runners. Crowd support was generally very good with only a few dull patches. The new course with Haines Point coming before the Mall helped. Water/PowerAde stations came only once every two miles, but should really be every mile after the half. This was particularly noticeable on the 14th Street Bridge, which comes late in the race (around mile 20 as I recall) and goes forever, without a water stop or porta-john to be seen. After the final hill to the finish (you will definitely feel as though you are climbing Mt. Suribachi, although it's mercifully brief), you are spilled out into an area that is massively overcrowded and poorly laid out. After getting your medal, it is at least half a mile through thick crowds to the family reunion area. It took us 2 and a 1/2 hours to get back to the hotel afterward, because the lines for the shuttles and Metro are incredibly long. I still had a good time despite the hassles. | |
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T. W. from Lincoln, NE
(10/30/2008)
"Gotta love the marines" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Start was great, marines were wonderful and the course was beautiful. Very emotional to see all the runners running in memory of "___." Fans are great. HOWEVER, I have no idea why the finish line is modeled after the British evacuation at Dunkirk. Complete confusion and mob scene. The marines are helpful but the family meet-up area was blocks away and the Metro was jammed. | |
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S. C. from Michigan
(10/30/2008)
"Get Rid of the Guns" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 From the narrow, tree-lined, fall-colored roads to the national monuments, I thought this was a beautiful and inspiring course. Not nearly a personal best for me, which I blame on the unexpected long hills at the beginning, but still very much worth running, and staying a few days extra to see the sights is worth it to. The two drawbacks for me were the difficulty of leaving the area after the race and the number of armed police at the start and along the route. I can see the need for some "safety officers," but do they really need to carry around M-16 automatic machine guns? I felt like I was in a police state. As for the mess at the end of the race, the organizers seem to realize there is nothing they can do about that and try to make the best of it with entertainment, but sometimes you just want to go home. Overall, I would not do it again, but would recommend it for something to do once. |
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