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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 381 to 391]
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R. M. from Orlando, FL, USA
(10/29/2007)
"You just can't beat this one - it is the best" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 It was a great race and if you decide to do a marathon, this one is one of the ones at the top of the list. Here's what you can expect. The start is at 8:00 a.m. just north of the Pentagon. I rented a car so I had to park about 4 miles away and take the shuttle. I got there early so I only had to wait a few minutes to get on the shuttle over to the start. There were a lot of people; I have never been in a race that big before. People everywhere. I was an hour and a half early so I just hung out in the tents with all the other people waiting and talking about other races. It was cold but the tents broke the wind and made it bearable. I think it was in the 40s. It was fun sharing war stories with other runners. About 15 minutes before start time, I went to the start line with everyone else and lined up in the 5:00 - 5:30 race finish corral. I figured I wanted to start out slow and this would force me to do that. I kid you not, I was at least 1/4 mile from the start banners. There were that many people in the corrals. There was a lot of hype from the announcers, music blaring, people jumping around full of energy - it was wild. I wondered if those people would be hopping around like that at the end. May be better to conserve energy. But everyone was hyped up and excited. How could you not be? The cannon fired and we were off! NOT...! It took 15 minutes to cross the start line and we were crawling. The course is spectacular and runs past all the historic monuments you would want to see in DC. It was great. But having run other races before, this was very different. The biggest marathon I've run is Disney and it started to thin out at around mile 6. This race really never thinned out. There were times even at mile 20 that you just couldn't get around runners. Sometimes the road narrowed and you just had to trot along with the crowd. I think it actually helped keep my pace down and let me finish in better shape than going out fast. I found the miles going by like nothing. The next thing I would know there was another mile marker with a Marine shouting out the times. Marines were everywhere along the course and they were loving every minute of it too. Crossing the line was the best. The finish is up a very steep hill about 300 yards long and curves around in a U-turn up. As you come to the hill, you can look to the right and up and there is the finish banner 100 feet or so higher than the road. You have to run straight past it and then make a very steep curving U-turn up to the banner. But there are hundreds of people lining the finish and there is no way anyone is walking up that hill to the Iwo Jima Memorial; the blast of adrenaline was enormous. Now that I wrote that, I just realized that it is symbolic of the battle of Iwo Jima and the Marines who conquering the hill on that island. Wow! Never realized that until now. It was the best. Here's what I would do differently next year: * Not rent a car * Stay in a hotel in Crystal City close to the shuttle pickup and drop off and grab the shuttle over. It may cost a few bucks more, but it will be well worth it. * Not take the shuttle back from the race, but instead walk to the Arlington Metro station and grab the Metro to Crystal City from there - it's about a mile walk. The Metro station at Rosslyn was jam packed and there was no way to get on. This was the only downer of the whole race. I finished at 12:15 p.m. and it took until 3:30 p.m. to get on a shuttle back. And I was about in the front 3rd of the line. For some reason they only had a couple of buses and it was really not a good situation. I pity the poor people behind me and at the end of the line. It was tough standing around for 2-3 hours waiting for the buses - they must have been there a couple more hours. * The Metro runs everywhere, so there is no reason to rent a car if you are in a hotel close by a station. Everything else was perfect. The water stations were loaded with Marines handing out water and PowerAde. I guess they don't have to worry about volunteers. There were at least 30-40 Marines manning each water station. There was no shortage of water, PowerAde, gels or the new trend, sports beans. It was just the best. I did see a lot of people starting at about mile 18 bonking. Cramps and muscle problems really cut the field. I think my strategy (run 9 minutes/walk 1 minute) kept that from happening to me and helped my time. | |
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S. M. from virginia
(10/29/2007)
"Awesome - my first marathon" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I loved this race. It was my first one and the spectators were awesome. I had my name on my shirt and I heard "Susan rocks" at least 200 times over the 26.2 miles. However, I was ready to leave when it was over, and I could not get any food but raisins and pretzels. | |
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S. K. from San Diego, CA
(10/29/2007)
"First-Class Event, Superb Organization" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From my perspective, this race could not have been organized any better. From the staffing of countless Marines and other volunteers to the meticulous placement of mile markers (only Mile 1 was a little off) attention to detail was incredible. With the crowds lining just about every conceivable stretch (except for Georgetown and Haines Point), there was hardly ever a lack of support and motivation. As a Marine running this for the first time, it exceeded every expectation I had since working as a volunteer in 1998. The course, particularly through the DC Mall area was definitely something to behold, even for someone who grew up in the DC area and saw those sites frequently growing up. The course started out hilly, but was otherwise manageable with the exception of some heavy winds in a few stretches. Whether you're a Marine or not, this marathon is definitely a must-do. Though I missed my PR (3:39:10) by 36 seconds, I was anything but disappointed in the day. | |
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T. H. from Orlando, FL
(10/29/2007)
"Great course and organization" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 MCM is a wonderful experience and a unique way to see this beautiful city. Steep hill grades in first 9 miles made for a very challenging start and the need to exercise restraint in spite of early race adrenalin. I would have benefited from more hill training. Marines were wonderful, courteous, and supportive. Water stations were tight, so targeting water stations farther down the row proved a smart move. Great crowd support. Plan a 1-hour minimum if staying in downtown to get out to the start. Host hotel shuttles to expo were a nice perk. | |
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K. C. from DC
(10/29/2007)
"Thank you for serving" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Love those Marines! Spectators were great too, lining most of the course (Haines' Point is where you get your "me" time). I last attended in '03 to watch a friend finish and couldn't get near the metro station afterwards, never mind get on an actual train; so the addition of the shuttle buses back to the outlying stations was a FANTASTIC IDEA. (Please promote whoever is responsible.) In '03 I had to get a cab back to the Vienna station. The first 5 miles or so were way hillier than I expected. Especially shocking were the declines, which left me in quad distress for the remainder of the race. Was also a lot of concrete surface - my knees hate me today. Weird/cool to run on roads that normally one can only drive on (110, Whitehurst, etc.). It is a BIG race. I probably lost a minute in the crush at the start - after crossing the mats, that is - and more time later because I couldn't get a good line when the course turned (the field never thins out enough to allow you to anticipate curves and run the shortest possible distance between two points). Can someone who had a GPS post their total distance? Just curious as to how much all those wide turns may have cost. One complaint for the race director: The aid stations were dangerous. Most had tables set up on both sides of the road, directly across from each other. Then about 4000 Marines manned each bank of tables. Result: the already dense field had to compress from 3 lanes of road down to about 1.5 lanes (usually). Add in the discarded cups, runners stopping dead to drink, etc., and it was a huge safety hazard. Recommend picking a side and putting all stations on the same side throughout the race, or having a stretch of tables on the right alternate with the stretch on the left, so they're never directly across from each other. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the Corps, for a great day - and for every day that you serve our country. Receiving a medal from you was a humbling moment. | |
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Keith Hines from North Carolina
(10/29/2007)
"The best" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a truly special race. I will do this race every year as long as my legs hold up. Go marines! Hoorah!!!! | |
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M. F. from Lawrence, Kansas
(10/29/2007)
"Marine Corps was Great!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just got back from running the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon - it was my 5th marathon overall and my first MCM. I finished in 5:09, so I'm far from an elite. I have no major complaints, which means it went very well. We got to the race expo at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and encountered very few lines. Although, when we left (1:00 p.m.), the lines were a bit longer. This was far better than I was expecting based on the comments from last year. We stayed at the Quality Inn in Rosslyn - not a 5-star hotel by any stretch, but it was very convenient and short walk from the finish line. The hotel was fine overall and didn't hassle us for a late check-out (3 p.m.). We took the Metro to the start, leaving our hotel at 6:30 a.m. and barely made the start (after waiting 40 minutes for the port-a-potty). The Marines (and other volunteers) were great at each station - very polite! Thanks for serving our country! The only small complaint was the tough uphill finish! Overall a great job! | |
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M. V. from New York
(10/29/2007)
"Unbelievable!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon and I thought the Marine Corp did a wonderful job! Of course it was a little tight in spots, but that's to be expected when 20K+ people are gathered in one place. The weather was perfect and the scenery spectacular! I can't wait to do it again. | |
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M. M. from Washington DC
(10/29/2007)
"Wonderful Race; Marines were Terrific, BUT.." (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Marine Corps Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my second MCM and I had a wonderful time. The course is beautiful and the support from the Marines and other volunteers and the spectators helps you get through the race. My complaint is the finish line. The area is to small for the number of runners plus the spectators and families. Besides, who wants to run UPHILL for the last .2 miles? And I had to wait forever to get a ride back to my car. Three hours later, standing the whole time, I finally got to my car only to wait another 45 minutes to exit the garage. There must be an easier way. I ran the Country Music Marathon and they had you park at the stadium and bused to the start line. The marathon ended at the stadium. That workout out great. Just a suggestion. But over all, it was a great experience. | |
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A. L. from Northern Virginia
(10/29/2007)
"Great Race and Course" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marine Corps Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and it was very well-run. I attended the expo on Thursday afternoon and it was not crowded at all. They should keep the Thursday as an option for packet pick-up. The course was perfect and the hills in the beginning were not as bad as I thought they would be. The first 7 miles or so did not have the huge throngs of spectators but that changed as soon as we neared the Mall area. Miles 9 - 15 were great in terms of spectator support. I do think that the placement of some of the water stations should be re-thought for next year as it was really tight in some places and was dangerous for those who did not want to stop or slow down too much. Also, in terms of food, I thought that oranges on the course were dangerous and some people easily could have slipped on the discarded slices. At least they weren't banana peels! I will definitely be back next year. |
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