- Oct. 25, 2012
- Course Preview: The Marine Corps Marathon
The Marine Corps Marathon holds a special place in our hearts and it’s one you’ll never forget. While it’s by no means an easy course, it is steeped in history, lined with spectators, and the best place to be on the fourth Sunday in October.
Boasting nearly 21,000 marathon finishers in 2011, Marine Corps is a crowded affair. Your race doesn’t just start when the gun goes off, but much earlier in the morning. Although training will always be key to a solid running performance, being prompt – and even early – for subway rides, bag drops and corrals will make your experience all the more better.
While the start of the race is at 8am you’ll need to arrive much earlier. Most runners will take the subway to the Pentagon or Rosslyn stations. From there you’ll need to walk nearly a mile to the actual starting village. With all the crowds and the darkness of morning, it’s often a very SLOW walk. To get in your corral comfortably – without too much pushing, shoving and crowding - you should head down or be in the corral no later than 7:15. That means arriving at the Pentagon or Rosslyn stations no later than 6:30 am so you can hit the bag drop by 7:00 am. Plan accordingly – it may mean an earlier wake-up call than you’d hoped for, but that extra hour will save tremendous amounts of pre-race stress.
Once you’ve arrived safely, look for your pace team leader inside the corrals. They’ll be there at around 7:15 am. We’ll be lined up according to the Marine Corps Marathon’s own pace signs. So just come on over, say hi, and start a conversation – we’re eager to get to know you and happy to discuss our strategy and put your nerves at ease.
After a long morning the race’s poignant and respectful ceremony will begin, including the National Anthem, flyovers and military rituals. These will help you get centered and focused before the rush of adrenaline hits anew with the starting pistol.
And now you are off. The race begins on Route 110 in Arlington in the shadow of the Pentagon, and gives you just one mile to warm up. JUST ONE! If ever there were a race to follow the standard rules of marathoning, this is the one. The marathon is a race about conservation of energy. You need the first 50% of your energy for the first 20 miles. You need the second 50% of your energy for the last 6 miles. Think about that, and then think about this:
The second mile of the Marine Corps Marathon is straight up a hill on Lee Highway. It is STEEP. It is TOUGH. And no matter how good you feel, no matter how tapered, rested, fed and hydrated you may be, you need to RESPECT THE HILL.
Your pace leader will pull the pace back on this hill for two reasons; one, we realize that this is a very steep hill very early in the race and we don’t want your heart-rate skyrocketing at mile 2. Second, the crowds are still very thick here, with many runners slowing on the hill or even stopping to walk after a too-fast adrenaline-fueled first mile. Instead of driving you up the hill as hard as we can, we’ll keep you focused on an even effort and continuing your warm-up. Between the thick crowds and the natural slowing on the hill, you should expect this mile to be a bit slower than target pace. Let other runners pass – any runner that passes you flying up this hill is likely to see you again – when you pass them at mile 24. Stay calm, and trust that your pace leader has a plan to make the time up gradually over the course of the race, not all at once.
This also means that you’ll have to resist the urge to pound the swift downhill that starts just after mile 2 and takes you all the way down to the base of mile 4. Again, your pace leader will focus on an even effort, letting gravity naturally give some time back, but not racing down. Remember, it’s mile 3: this is not the time to make your move.
The next section of your race will take you onto some narrow park pathways, winding and descending. It’s still quite crowded here, so settle into your race and keep an eye on the balloons. Don’t despair if you get separated in the crowds; as long as you can see the balloons, you’re still in good shape. As you head out of this gorgeous park, you’ll face another climb over the Key Bridge, though not as steep as the first climb. The Key Bridge is a prime spectator spot, and will be loaded with spectators, music and cheering crowds welcoming you to Georgetown, one of our favorite parts of the course. Through a small community, followed by a trip up to the reservoir and culminating in wide streets lined with shops and spectators. This will be the perfect opportunity to shake out your arms, get a little personal space, and get your first assessment of how you’re feeling with a third of the race gone.
From here, the course will flatten out for you a bit, passing the Kennedy Center and running behind the Lincoln Memorial. Take some time here to enjoy the sights and sounds, because you’re heading for the most taxing part of the course – and your “rite of passage” – Hains Point.
Many runners fear hills the most, but those who have tackled Hains Point know that desolation may be far worse. Your turn onto Ohio Drive will take you on a four mile out and back stretch, the highlight of which is actually reaching Hains Point just past mile 13. While you’ll sometimes see other runners, and the DJs and water stops will put some pep in your step her and there, this is a long, flat, and deserted stretch. This is the time to really lean on your pace leader – not literally of course. Focus on their balloons, listen to their coaching and advice, and stay focused on the race ahead. You’ve got some incredible sights, sounds, and crowds coming up, so dig deep like those before you, and CONQUER Hains Point.
Leaving the out and back around mile 15, you’ll be greeted by large crowds as you exit the park, getting up close to the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin. The course remains relatively flat here, with just some small rolling hills, as you pass the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial as well as the FDR Memorial. At about 16.5 miles, you’ll at last loop back onto Independence Avenue for another highlight of the MCM course – the National Mall. Running down the north side of the famous “MCM Gauntlet,” you’ll pass the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the National Gallery of Art. Crowds are thick here and the noise is driving – plenty to focus your attention on as you get deeper into the race. You’ll loop around the reflecting pool in front of the U.S. Capitol, and then head down the south side of the Mall past the Smithsonian Castle, greeted by more large crowds and music as you make a few last turns toward the infamous “14th Street Bridge.”
That bridge is no fun, and you’re now faced with yet another serious climb – just before mile 20. But you’ve got this one! Get behind your pace leader, put your head down, and push up that bridge. It doesn’t have to be pretty, and it doesn’t have to be graceful – but it does have to be done. Adding to the challenge is that crowds and spectators are sparse here – your pace leader will keep you focused and moving toward your goal.
Luckily, you get to spend a good part of your final 10K in Crystal City – an area of DC that throws just the kind of party you’ll need this late in the race. Miles 21 – 23 are sure to be filled with adoring fans, loud music, and cheering spectators, replenishing the energy you left behind on the bridge. Soak it all in and save some up, because this is the Marine Corps Marathon – and they’re going to make you WORK for your finish.
Your final two miles will take you back onto George Washington Boulevard and Highway 110, and they are going to be long, sparse and bleak. Once again, your pace leader will make sure to keep you pumped up and focused, but this will be the time you’re working the hardest while the course is the most quiet. Turn inward, focus on your reasons that brought you here, and whatever you do, do NOT let those balloons slip away. As you get deeper into mile 25 and further down Highway 110, the crowds will pick up again, and you’ll start to hear the glorious finish in the distance. Yeah, you know you’ve got to CLIMB THAT HILL to the Iwo Jima Monument, but you’ve come this far – don’t let go now.
At long last, you’ll make that final turn, look up, and see the finish. Dig deep, sit a little lower on those battered legs, and PUSH up that hill, inspired by the chants of the Marines and the cheers of the crowd. As you leave the pace leader’s balloons in the dust and feel your breath getting away from you, you’re filled with elation no matter what your legs might feel like – you did it!!! Yes, you are an official finisher of the Marine Corps Marathon. Congratulations!!!
Boasting nearly 21,000 marathon finishers in 2011, Marine Corps is a crowded affair. Your race doesn’t just start when the gun goes off, but much earlier in the morning. Although training will always be key to a solid running performance, being prompt – and even early – for subway rides, bag drops and corrals will make your experience all the more better.
While the start of the race is at 8am you’ll need to arrive much earlier. Most runners will take the subway to the Pentagon or Rosslyn stations. From there you’ll need to walk nearly a mile to the actual starting village. With all the crowds and the darkness of morning, it’s often a very SLOW walk. To get in your corral comfortably – without too much pushing, shoving and crowding - you should head down or be in the corral no later than 7:15. That means arriving at the Pentagon or Rosslyn stations no later than 6:30 am so you can hit the bag drop by 7:00 am. Plan accordingly – it may mean an earlier wake-up call than you’d hoped for, but that extra hour will save tremendous amounts of pre-race stress.
Once you’ve arrived safely, look for your pace team leader inside the corrals. They’ll be there at around 7:15 am. We’ll be lined up according to the Marine Corps Marathon’s own pace signs. So just come on over, say hi, and start a conversation – we’re eager to get to know you and happy to discuss our strategy and put your nerves at ease.
After a long morning the race’s poignant and respectful ceremony will begin, including the National Anthem, flyovers and military rituals. These will help you get centered and focused before the rush of adrenaline hits anew with the starting pistol.
And now you are off. The race begins on Route 110 in Arlington in the shadow of the Pentagon, and gives you just one mile to warm up. JUST ONE! If ever there were a race to follow the standard rules of marathoning, this is the one. The marathon is a race about conservation of energy. You need the first 50% of your energy for the first 20 miles. You need the second 50% of your energy for the last 6 miles. Think about that, and then think about this:
The second mile of the Marine Corps Marathon is straight up a hill on Lee Highway. It is STEEP. It is TOUGH. And no matter how good you feel, no matter how tapered, rested, fed and hydrated you may be, you need to RESPECT THE HILL.
Your pace leader will pull the pace back on this hill for two reasons; one, we realize that this is a very steep hill very early in the race and we don’t want your heart-rate skyrocketing at mile 2. Second, the crowds are still very thick here, with many runners slowing on the hill or even stopping to walk after a too-fast adrenaline-fueled first mile. Instead of driving you up the hill as hard as we can, we’ll keep you focused on an even effort and continuing your warm-up. Between the thick crowds and the natural slowing on the hill, you should expect this mile to be a bit slower than target pace. Let other runners pass – any runner that passes you flying up this hill is likely to see you again – when you pass them at mile 24. Stay calm, and trust that your pace leader has a plan to make the time up gradually over the course of the race, not all at once.
This also means that you’ll have to resist the urge to pound the swift downhill that starts just after mile 2 and takes you all the way down to the base of mile 4. Again, your pace leader will focus on an even effort, letting gravity naturally give some time back, but not racing down. Remember, it’s mile 3: this is not the time to make your move.
The next section of your race will take you onto some narrow park pathways, winding and descending. It’s still quite crowded here, so settle into your race and keep an eye on the balloons. Don’t despair if you get separated in the crowds; as long as you can see the balloons, you’re still in good shape. As you head out of this gorgeous park, you’ll face another climb over the Key Bridge, though not as steep as the first climb. The Key Bridge is a prime spectator spot, and will be loaded with spectators, music and cheering crowds welcoming you to Georgetown, one of our favorite parts of the course. Through a small community, followed by a trip up to the reservoir and culminating in wide streets lined with shops and spectators. This will be the perfect opportunity to shake out your arms, get a little personal space, and get your first assessment of how you’re feeling with a third of the race gone.
From here, the course will flatten out for you a bit, passing the Kennedy Center and running behind the Lincoln Memorial. Take some time here to enjoy the sights and sounds, because you’re heading for the most taxing part of the course – and your “rite of passage” – Hains Point.
Many runners fear hills the most, but those who have tackled Hains Point know that desolation may be far worse. Your turn onto Ohio Drive will take you on a four mile out and back stretch, the highlight of which is actually reaching Hains Point just past mile 13. While you’ll sometimes see other runners, and the DJs and water stops will put some pep in your step her and there, this is a long, flat, and deserted stretch. This is the time to really lean on your pace leader – not literally of course. Focus on their balloons, listen to their coaching and advice, and stay focused on the race ahead. You’ve got some incredible sights, sounds, and crowds coming up, so dig deep like those before you, and CONQUER Hains Point.
Leaving the out and back around mile 15, you’ll be greeted by large crowds as you exit the park, getting up close to the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin. The course remains relatively flat here, with just some small rolling hills, as you pass the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial as well as the FDR Memorial. At about 16.5 miles, you’ll at last loop back onto Independence Avenue for another highlight of the MCM course – the National Mall. Running down the north side of the famous “MCM Gauntlet,” you’ll pass the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the National Gallery of Art. Crowds are thick here and the noise is driving – plenty to focus your attention on as you get deeper into the race. You’ll loop around the reflecting pool in front of the U.S. Capitol, and then head down the south side of the Mall past the Smithsonian Castle, greeted by more large crowds and music as you make a few last turns toward the infamous “14th Street Bridge.”
That bridge is no fun, and you’re now faced with yet another serious climb – just before mile 20. But you’ve got this one! Get behind your pace leader, put your head down, and push up that bridge. It doesn’t have to be pretty, and it doesn’t have to be graceful – but it does have to be done. Adding to the challenge is that crowds and spectators are sparse here – your pace leader will keep you focused and moving toward your goal.
Luckily, you get to spend a good part of your final 10K in Crystal City – an area of DC that throws just the kind of party you’ll need this late in the race. Miles 21 – 23 are sure to be filled with adoring fans, loud music, and cheering spectators, replenishing the energy you left behind on the bridge. Soak it all in and save some up, because this is the Marine Corps Marathon – and they’re going to make you WORK for your finish.
Your final two miles will take you back onto George Washington Boulevard and Highway 110, and they are going to be long, sparse and bleak. Once again, your pace leader will make sure to keep you pumped up and focused, but this will be the time you’re working the hardest while the course is the most quiet. Turn inward, focus on your reasons that brought you here, and whatever you do, do NOT let those balloons slip away. As you get deeper into mile 25 and further down Highway 110, the crowds will pick up again, and you’ll start to hear the glorious finish in the distance. Yeah, you know you’ve got to CLIMB THAT HILL to the Iwo Jima Monument, but you’ve come this far – don’t let go now.
At long last, you’ll make that final turn, look up, and see the finish. Dig deep, sit a little lower on those battered legs, and PUSH up that hill, inspired by the chants of the Marines and the cheers of the crowd. As you leave the pace leader’s balloons in the dust and feel your breath getting away from you, you’re filled with elation no matter what your legs might feel like – you did it!!! Yes, you are an official finisher of the Marine Corps Marathon. Congratulations!!!
- Posted by:
- Ricardo
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