Marine Corps Marathon 2022

In October 2022 my dream of running in the Marine Corps Marathon finally came true! Having gained my access granted ticket at the Marine Corps 17.75K trail race I registered knowing it would be hard to get the training right in the Virginia summer heat.

Mercedes and I did one of our usual run tourism weekends where we would drive the 1.5 hours to Washington DC on the Friday night and make a fun weekend out of it. Dinner Friday and a Saturday of chilling out and picking up the race kit was a great way to relax.

When the big day arrived I was ready. Mercedes was running the 10K but still got up early with me to help me get sorted for the walk to the starting line. When you have a race that is at least 25,000 runners it takes a great race organization, and who is better than the marines! They run the race like a deployment and I don't think I've ever had a smoother, better organized race.

After passing the security checkpoint at the Pentagon, I began the long walk (about a mile) through the tunnel, overpass,  past the athlete's village to the bag check and then the last bit on the parkway. Although it was cold in the October morning air, I didn't feel cold even after taking my jacket off at the bag check, probably because of the giant crowd I was standing in.

Paratroopers descended and the sun came up over the capital. The anthem was played and the crowd moved forward within their corrals. Since this is known as "the people's marathon" every opportunity to accommodate all running paces is made. Corrals are available from the fastest elites all the way back to 7+ hour participants. There are tons of pacers with their signs and the crowd seemed to stretch all the way back to the Pentagon!

What better way to start a race than the firing of an artillery cannon! As we crossed over the starting line to begin the race a pair of V-22 tilt rotor aircraft slowly passed overhead, an impressive sight indeed! Moving slowly at first I found that once we crossed the starting line it moved fairly well! Having both sides of the entire parkway closed made for a very long funnel for the race to narrow down as people fell into their normal race paces.

After some fairly significant hills passing through Rosslyn we descended a long stretch to follow the Potomac to the bridge to Georgetown. While the cheering had been fairly consistent along the way so far, Georgetown was something else! It was just a massive crowd on both sides of the road all screaming as we passed! This is the beauty of this race - the ability to see all the sites you want in DC on foot!

After some amazing but hilly sections surrounded by trees and parks I got a real sense of the sheer mass of people because it was an out and back section. I think it was several miles on my way back that I watched huge crowds running the other way! This section ended and we ran across the eastern side of the Potomac passing the Watergate Hotel, Kennedy Centre, The Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial. Some great sites that tourists visit are passed on our run.

Heading into the Haines Point park section nearly at the half way point between 12 and 13 miles we enter the Blue Mile. All chatter among runners is silenced as we begin to see the photos and names on so many signs beside the course. There is a full mile of these signs, each representing a brave marine killed in the line of duty. My personal experience is a sense of profound sadness and grief for those I never knew but made the ultimate sacrifice. At the end of the Blue Mile are supporters including family members with a whole line of flags cheering us, thanking us, giving fist bumps and high fives, and the mood lifts.

My takeaway from the Blue Mile is that while it is a sad and sombre experience, the love and support of those people at the end lifts our spirit and it's like they live on within all of us running that day. Also I feel like the inevitable pain of running this marathon goes away when I think of the pain those families went through. It's like a reality check that says get moving because there's half a race still to come.

At 59 on race day I was a "seasoned" runner whose best times are behind me, but still able to run somewhere in the 3:30s in a marathon. This meant I was unaware going into the race that there were these things called "gauntlets" and that the bridge across the Potomac that comes between 20 and 21 miles was one of these gauntlets. What this means is that runners who are not able to make it to the bridge by a certain time are actually cut off there and cannot continue in the race. It's a brutal reminder that roads can only be closed for so long and the city must revert to normal traffic. My heart breaks for these warriors who are on their feet for such a long time and then are no longer allowed to continue. I give them massive kudos and respect and I know they will do it next time.

After the bridge it's a particularly tough time in the race as it's the typical "hit the wall" portion for a lot of runners. A few turns through streets and you her the unmistakable sound of the Pitball song "fireball" playing on repeat. What could this mean? Oh yeah there is a "fireball aid station" where they are handing out shots of this cinnamon spiced whiskey! I passed this station thinking I might just throw up if I had that.

On to the out and back section that is Crystal City. We pass cafes with patios and people enjoying their Sunday. The smell of food cooking at these restaurants definitely makes me hungry! It's easy when you are marathon tired to feel a little sorry for yourself as you see people enjoying a beer with a meal. But entering here we still have 4 miles of hard work left to get to the finish. The one mitigating factor is the large crowds who take it upon themselves to cheer us on! this is very heartwarming and pushes us through a tough part of  the marathon before we get back on the parkway where crowd support thins.