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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 281 to 291]
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L. L. from Washington DC
(10/28/2008)
"Great course but too crowded" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Loved the course and the fans were fantastic but it took 8 miles to break from the pack and hit my pace. Just a personal preference for smaller races. But crowd support and water stops, etc., were great. | |
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Tammy Massie from Gaithersburg, MD
(10/28/2008)
"Beautiful and Historic Course!" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon back in 2003 (about 50 marathons and ultra-marathons ago). It is one of my favorites. The course goes through a variety of neighborhoods, sights and landmarks in DC and Northern VA. However, the finish line is a ZOO!!! This was my first year using a drop bag (my family stopped helping me during marathon number 30 about a year ago :-)). Retrieving my stuff was an hour long journey through crowds of people. It was not very pleasant because many folks seemed to be unaware of how far the finish line festival was from the finish and perhaps had expended their last bit of energy finishing the marathon. For me, this was a training run for the JFK 50-miler, so I felt pretty good at the end. But I sure would not want to have to walk the ~1 mile to get my stuff several years ago when I was inexperienced/new to this event. This year, I would have just worn "toss-out" clothing (which gets donated to those more needy as an extra added bonus), except that I did not feel confident that the weather would remain warm enough for me to comfortably ride the metro back home. In fact, this year my husband surprised me at mile 24, so I should have skipped the drop bag. But now I have the experience and can warn you... it is a bit of a fiasco!!! Others commented about problems with the family meet up area. I passed it as I picked up my drop-bag and would agree that area was CHAOTIC and it was not a very pretty or comfortable area to lurk around. Historically I have met up with my family by finishing, getting my food/medal then turning around and walking back to mile 25. They are easy to spot here, and I get the added bonus of stretching a bit after the race. This is how I met up with my husband again this year and worked like a charm! Finally, getting to the race takes hours. I woke up at 4 a.m. to get ready, then catch the red line metro to get to the start. Luckily I just came back from Europe, so it felt like I was sleeping in to 10 a.m. even at 4. Then it was a game of hurry up and wait for the start. Small races do not have the excessive lines, but they also do not have the energy of hundreds or thousands of spectators cheering you on in this 26.2-mile journey. I enjoy both experiences but they are definitely very different. I think this is a good first marathon just because of the crowds and energy, and I definitely would recommend it! | |
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J. H. from Stafford, VA
(10/28/2008)
"Solid Race" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Pros: 1) Crowd energy/spectators 2) Good, challenging course 3) Scenery of Virginia and the District 4) Expo 5) Course support Cons: 1) Post-race food 2) Finish festival at Roslyn 3) Narrow streets 4) Condition of the roads at certain locations of the course were substandard (you had to watch your steps at several points) | |
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c. a. from baltimore md
(10/28/2008)
"I'd give it 10 stars if I could" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I don't like crowds and this race is crowded, but the organization is amazing. What can compare with seeing all of those marines making it look so easy? I don't think the last 2 miles are "boring," as another said: I have many good friends and squadron mates buried at Arlington and I prayed for them all through the last stretch; I like the turn-backs because I get energy seeing others doing so well, and I look for my coach, who, at sub-3, runs twice as fast as I do. If the course director does something about the Team in Training folks who cut the course, I would say there is nothing bad about this race. Yes, a woman pushed her stroller in my path on the mall, but I don't expect the director to be able to police the entire city of DC; many of the spectators are there to see specific runners, so we should educate our loved ones on correct behavior. | |
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M. H. from L..A. CA.
(10/28/2008)
"water at each mile... Excell and water after 10" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was a crowded event. This is the first time I ran in a crowd for the entire race. Some of the streets were narrow, but the spectators continually crowded the course. That so many spectators were involved was great, but the marines or police need to keep them out of the street so that we have room to run. Thanks for a great event. | |
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Stephen Graham from Washington DC
(10/27/2008)
"Awesome First Time" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this. It was a great experience. I learned a lot about running a marathon. I am a marine, so this was a must-do for me. I saw many great-looking girls running with me; I just wish I could find some to date. :) | |
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L. M. from Cleveland, OH
(10/27/2008)
"Absolutely incredible!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the most amazing marathon experience. Obviously there will be logistical issues with a race of this size in DC, but any inconvenience pales in comparison to what a runner gets in return. The Marines and spectators were outstanding, and the course was beautiful. I was amazed at how smoothly every thing went considering the amount of people at this race, from packet pick-up to the finish line. I never thought anything would top my first marathon, but the MCM surpassed all my expectations. I will definitely do this marathon next year, but I will be better prepared for the tough hills! | |
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D. A. from Philly
(10/27/2008)
"Spectators" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The crowds were awesome. However, too many spectators were interfering with the race. My wife actually saw a lady pulling her kid in a wagon across the course. A runner hurdled the kid and wagon. I saw six tourists all in line, walking slowly across the course; one was videotaping. Where were the police? | |
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S. L. from Haymarket VA
(10/27/2008)
"Beautiful Course, But Needs A Wave Start" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The best race course I've run, but not without flaws. I got boxed in at the start, which I did not recover from until mile 7-8, with roads much too narrow for such a large field. Recommend reducing the field size or implementing a wave start. I suggest the wave start. With such world-class organization, this shouldn't be a problem. Please don't ever change the finish. There is no better feeling than climbing the hill to the finish and memorial. | |
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J. S. from Detroit, Michigan
(10/27/2008)
"NOT FOR SERIOUS RUNNERS" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 If you're just out to FINISH a marathon, it's fine, and the course is beautiful. However: (1) The course is too narrow, so you can't pass. (2) You have to walk AT LEAST 1.5 miles, including stairs, to GET to the start, which takes a lot of time. If you want to get to the front, show up 2 hours beforehand, but bring a bucket for your bathroom business. (3) Not enough water stops, and they serve PowerAde, which tastes like Kool-Aid. (4) Too many roundabouts/turnarounds and portions where you see runners coming the other way. What a drag to be reminded how far you have to go. (5) Spectators? You're on your own for 16 miles. Too hilly, cold and windy for a PR, and too difficult to get to the start. |
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