Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is a favorite for many people. It has a cult following. I met many people who have done this race year after year. This year we are back to what it was used to be: a lot of people, heat, and thanks to the soldiers, the event was as well run as it could be. There were a few oopsies but they were quickly mitigated.
First the heat. We knew ahead of time it was going to be a hot one. MCM sent out multiple emails on this regard. One of the small oops, was when people started fainting at noon, the race chose to “close” the race early by diverging runners in stages to a shorter course. I heard rumors that they ran out of water. They had more than a gallon per runner. I personally think that is more than enough. I carried my own water though.
We knew ahead there were three cutoffs called the gaunlets. DC gaunlet was first to be closed and diverting running starting at 12:00 pm, 30 minutes early. Then the Bridge, not sure if this is the same as the DC gauntlet, but they started to close at 12:30 and moved people over to Crystal City. There was the Crystal city gauntlet, that also had a shorter version. In total, I think runners could shorten about 6-9 miles. However, many of those in the tail end were not doing that great. The sad part is they don’t receive an official finish.
My MCM44 report is very different from this year. I did mostly the same thing. Woke up at 3 AM. I arrived at the Metro early 45 minutes before they were scheduled to be open. We could take the train at 5 AM. Last time, I took the train at 6 AM. I almost missed the race that year. This year, I did not have to do a transfer at Rosslyn, but instead I exited the station there and walked about a mile to enter the race area. I followed a runner who had used this way before. There was no crowd. Using the Rosslyn’s entrance was a vast improvement over the Pentagon exit.
The best thing of this year was running with many people I know. I recognized several people I rode the Metro with that morning while on the course.
There were also a dozen of my running friends who were in the race. However, due to the sheer size of the number of runners, it was almost impossible to recognize anyone I know. I only came across two people on the course. And one before the race began and one at the finish. So a total of 4 out of like a dozen people I knew that ran the race.
My friend Tony E came from Colorado, and I met him at the first mile. Lynn came from New York, and I saw her before the 50K start. It was actually she saw me first and called out, because she went up to the 50K starting area, probably to look for me and someone, but she was actually running the marathon. She said her friend is the pacer for 6:30 hour group in the 50K. It was the group I was planning to stay with. That pacer had paced me before.
Lauren lives in DC, but her sister Liz came from out of town to cheer and support her. I only saw them at the finish. They were wearing matching outfit. I would not have recognized her. I might have been ahead of her when the 50K rejoined back with the regular marathon course.
My friend Scott, whom I met at Iron Mountain and Grindstone this year, drove from North Carolina for this. He said this was his first road race in 9 years. And he PR’d it, settling his personal record on the course and running his best.
I saw Scott long after he had finished, and that was only by chance he was there at the exit area, waiting for his friend to finish. He kept saying how hot the weather was. He had changed to regular clothes by then, otherwise, I would tell him to take off his shirt. His friend did finish and might have walked past us, without us realizing. In the same way, many of my friends slipped past us, while we were waiting. We were just not that good at spotting people in a crowd.
A few friends came out just to cheer me. Jana did the 10K that morning and then afterward went to the course to cheer the marathon at mile 17-18, probably my mile 22-23. I didn’t see them, but they told me they were there. I guess she missed me as well. There were just too many people.
Another Lauren and Siri from my running club were also there to cheer. I only later linked up with them at the exiting area. They got drinks and snacks for us.
They explained the tracking app was probably delayed in updating the runner’s positions. While they saw us passed by them on the tracking app, they said they did not actual see us on the course.
They cheered nonetheless. We likely already passed by the time it showed up on the tracker, at least that what we like to believe.
A note for future spectators, maybe go to one of the less crowded places. I think the steps at Lincoln is a good place. Somewhere before we get on the National Mall too would be a good place, such as the a long three miles around Hains Point on Ohio Drive. The pool outside the Capitol too had less crowd there.
Some people held up big bubble head pictures. It helps runners to identify their friends or family from far away. Also, I saw some people held a big picture of their pets. Those signs stood out to me while running.
I so happened to see coach Mike (one of the coaches from the Stone Mill training runs of the Muddy Shoes running club). He was not really my coach. He was one of couple people hosting the training I attended the day before the Marine Corps Marathon. I was not supposed to do a training run right before a big race. I did not tell a lot of people that I would be running it. He was cheering me as I made the turn onto Independent Ave, heading back toward the Congress. He was just at the right place at the right time. It was out of the blue I saw him around my mile 20. It did give me a boost.
While on the course, there were 22000 runners (30000 later annouced, probably with the 10K runners included). I had crowd fatigue from staring at the runners for too long, every runner on the course became a blur. Even though I knew my friends were out there on the course, I did not get to see many. After the race, we did not get to link up, because everyone went their separate ways.
During my run, I only came across Tony, who was running the 50K. It was by chance too. In the first mile, the runners had spread out a bit after the start. I was running near the end of the pack and I looked over shoulder and there he was, just like I when met him at Grindstone. I first met him this year at one of the MMT training runs. He was passing me when we were running on the mountain. I knew this old guy can run. He flew in that weekend just for the training run. Since then, he has always stuck in my head.
Tony was one of the older gentleman maybe 20 years older than me. He did finish. He said it was his hardest run he had. He is also a friend of my friend, Caroline.
The other person was my friend, Caroline. We ran a few races together recently. I had my eyes out for her throughout the day but I did not see her. I had given up by then. I passed her at her mile 12. It was my mile 18. It was so happened I looked over to the sideline and saw her, so I called out. She was walking on grass and off from the road where we were running. I guess, she was not feeling well and step off to make room for runners surging up from behind. This was after the Blue mile. I was not doing too well either. I guess it was hitting my wall (proverbial marathon runner’s wall), when the body has reached its glycogen’s limit and thus the point where it refuses to run any more. It did not occur to me at the time, that I was at my limit. I was walking along the other side. So I went over and joined her. She started running again and almost out-ran me. I told her in that case, I need her to pace me, jokingly of course.
At the time, I came across two families offering us candies and water. I stopped by both booths. The second one was the best. The lady manning a small table had grapes, sodas, chips, Miller Lite beer, and shots. These are the fun stuff at an ultra. I was surprised many people did not stop for this. Maybe, many runners are not familiar with private aid stations or just being vary of meeting strangers. This used to be common in marathons, but this year there were not many private aids offer along the course as compare to other marathons I did.
I, having run a lot of races, love this kind of imformal race supports more than the official aid stops. I think it is fun and the stuff they offered were actual the good stuff.
MCM food wasn’t bad, but they are all processed stuff like gummies, honey waffles, apple sauce and gels.
Those are fine, but nothing beat fresh fruits. I took some beer, and she poured me some Coke, and I ate some grapes. I stayed a bit there to reset my pace.
It was worth staying. Caroline was already out of sight. I took a pong cup from her and this actually helped me at the next few refilling stations. People just poured water into my cup and I was set to go. I always carry on me a small cup, but I like the bigger cup better. This private aid station revitalized me. I know, some races, receiving outside help (away from an aid station) is ground of a DQ (disqualification). This is though a fun marathon. Those rules don’t apply. I don’t strictly follow this rule, unless it is a trail race, because it falls under the no muling rule or crewing outside the designated areas.
By my mile 22, marathon mile 18, a family was offering me ice. That was the best I could ask for. It is better than beer or candies. I have been looking for ice on the course. I was sure they had them in the medical tents but I did not want to stop by a medical tent for ice, because they would then evaluate me for heat exhaustion. I know I was good on that front but I did not want any wasted time with a health evaluation.
At this time some runners started having health issues due to the heat. One even had to airlifted out. They sent a helicopter right down on the grassy area. We were redirected at one point to the sidewalk away from the medical staff working on a runner I think.
The ice from the family saved me. I put the ice under my hat. I carried some a spare sock, and I put some ice in it and kept it on my chest for the whole way till after Crystal city when it was all melted. The sock prevent the ice from melting too quickly. It took the ice a long time to melt under my shirt. I only learned of this trick this weekend. Got to keep a spare sock on you for situation like this. My pace picked back up afterward.
I beated the bridge. There are several “hard cutoffs” they called it the gaunlets. There was the DC gauntlet, the Bridge, and the Crystal City Gauntlet. I had no problem in beating them. As long as we stay above 14 minute pace, we were good. Later, after the race, I learned they shortened part of the course early because too many people were fainting and overwhelming the medical staff. The 14 st Bridge cutoff was moved up to 12:30, instead of 1 pm and the DC gauntlet was moved up to 12 pm.
Having experience the bridge section in prior years, I knew this was the hardest part of the course. Many people chose to walk across. It is about 2 miles long. It was also the hottest time of the day and humidity was high passed 70%. We reached a cupless water point midway. Many just drank out of the faucets because they did not bring a cup. Some let the water running down on them. I poured some water over me too to keep cool.
We entered Crystal City. It was as I imagined it. Crystal City had good crowd cheering all the way from one end to the other. It was just a mile out and a mile back. I stopped for a fireball. I knew they were there from a previous year, people who handed out hard liquor. They gave me some. Someone offered me jelly beans and gummy bears. The fire department opened a fire hydrant and spayed water. I ran under one. There were slight breezes in Crystal City, so I was cooled off sufficiently.
However, my pace continued to slow but I managed to finish. I haven’t checked but I felt beat previous time. I couldn’t find my previous result. I reached 26.2 miles under 5 hours (I think it was 5:54). I finished at 5:56:51 on the 50K. My previous time from 2019 was around that, close to 6 hours, at 5:58:45.
There were several other friends running the race, but I did not get to see them. Alex did the 10K. Jeff (David’s coworker, who I met at package pick-up) was slower than me and was finishing at 6:10. Jeff did not get an official finish because he was part of the crowd that was diverted. Caroline finished at 6:00. Lynn was 14 minutes ahead of me.
Only time I saw Lynn was at the start when she spotted me. My goal was to catch up to her, but it was not meant to be. I was hoping she would not run so fast. I am to pace her the following week at the Rim to River 100. I checked her pace, she seemed to handle MCM well. I just hope she did not exhausted herself. She ran the second half in a very controlled pace, so I guess she knew what she was doing. David finished half an hour ahead of me. Scott was 3:38, but luckily I saw him at the end.
I was lucky to be spotted by Lauren at the exit. She was waiting for Lauren E. Soon Siri found us and brought drinks and snacks. We had a little reunion.
Meeting people at the MCM was all happening by chance. Even with a phone it was hard to link up. Scott had a hard time to link up with the guy he came with. We waited like an hour and still did not find the guy, and they were in communication of where to meet. He kept saying he went to left or to the right. I think runners had runner’s fog at the end of their race so they could not communicate clearly. I think the best place to link up was by the UPS trucks where they returned the drop bags.
I thought back to my first MCM, and I did not carry a phone at the time, but my mom did not tell me she was going to come, showed up at the finish area, just by wandering around and saw me as I was coming out. That was very lucky on her part. My mom did not know about the family link up area or any those things. Just by accident she saw me. I had completely forgot about this until she mentioned it. That was my first MCM in 2017.
A race is fun when you get to do with other people or there are other cheering you.
Rachel was asking after I finished, if I wanted to sit on the curb to stretch out my legs. We were sitting in a circle at the time. I was reaching down to sit on the road. I said, I used to running long distances and I am almost running just as far every weekend. I was not that tired. I sat cross-legged on the road just fine. It was good to have someone to celebrate with at the end of the run.
Did I run hard? I did. I also had a 18 mile training run the day before. So my legs were a bit tired even before the start. I was built for endurance. So even without the training run the day before, I might not have done any better. Maybe a tad better. I should one day, train to run faster. Seeing couple of my friends to be able to run a 3:38 marathon was exciting. Mine, was like a 5 hour marathon.
This was my third time running the MCM. I was well familiar with the course and how to get there. My friend Caroline has done it 25 times. The guy I rode the Metro with, ran it a dozen times. I like the race. Weather can be iffy. This year is one of the hotter years, but it was better than 2019, when there were floodings. We take it what was given. No complaining.
Is it better than other marathons? Maybe not. I am a local, so I saw all the sights on my daily commute. The festival was subdue compared to other marathons I did such as Shamrock in the beginning of the year. It was a typical DC area with high transient. We came with a dozen friends, I only get a hold of one or two at most during and after the race. Locals wanted to leave as quickly as they could to avoid the crowd. Not a complaint. I went into the race and I enjoyed my time there. I would be better to celebrate the finish with someone, and I did, but it was never a planned thing. I sat at the steps leading up to the Rosslyn Metro. All my friends were gone by then, trying to beat the traffic out of Arlington. I had a bowl of Korean Rice and bulgogi. I was watching as the UPS trucks packed up and drove away. They had emptied all the drop bags. There were a few runners milling about, but the bulk of the crowd has dissipated. I was just taking things in. My two previous marathons, all I remembered was rushing there and then rushing home. This time I had the time to let it wind down. I finished my race at 1 pm but did not leave until 4 pm or so. Some races, I like it to be like this, just letting it go slowly.
In awe 