48th Marine Corps Marathon: Starting Times, Road Closures, Festival

ARLINGTON, VA — The 48th annual Marine Corps Marathon will take place on Sunday, Oct. 29, with thousands of runners registered to participate in the 26.2-mile race through Arlington and Washington, D.C.

The Marine Corps Marathon, known as “The People’s Marathon,” is the largest marathon in the world that doesn’t offer prize money.

The race begins on Route 110 between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. It then continues through Rosslyn before heading west on Langston Blvd and then north on Spout Run Parkway onto the George Washington Parkway.

The course then crosses Key Bridge into the District where it goes through Georgetown and the National Mall on the way to the 14th Street Bridge. With only about 6 miles left, runners, many dressed in Halloween costumes, will tour Crystal City and then finish uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial.

Weather-wise, Sunday will not be an ideal day to run a marathon. When the cannon blasts at 7:55 a.m. to send the runners off, temperatures are forecast to be in the low-60s, much higher than the typical low-40s for the start of the race.

Temperatures are then expected to reach into the high 70s later Sunday morning. Forecasts are calling for a slight chance of showers under mostly cloudy skies.

“We are probably checking the weather even more religiously than runners are, because … their health and their safety is our number one concern,” Kristen Loflin, spokeswoman for the marathon, told WTOP.

Packet pickup will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The Marine Corps Marathon, along with the affiliated MCM50K and MCM10K races, will be celebrated at a Finish Festival in Rosslyn from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The Finish Festival is a short walk from the Marine Corps Marathon finish line, located at the Marine Corps War Memorial.

The finish festival will include beer, food, music, giveaways and post-event services. It will also feature live music on the Arlington stage, booths and giveaways along Meade and Lynn Streets, Ft Myer and Fairfax Drives and Wilson Blvd.

At the festival, runners and spectators are invited to visit the Rosslyn BID tent for giveaways and a chance to win a pair of running shoes (up to $200 in value), courtesy of CAO Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center’s in-house shoe store, Remarkable Feet.

While the marathon and 10K start at 7:55 a.m., the 50K will begin at 7:15 a.m., followed by the wheelchair/hand cycle division at 7:50 a.m.

The Arlington County Police Department, Virginia State Police, United States Park Police, and Pentagon Force Protection Agency will be closing roads in Arlington for the races, while the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and United States Park Police will close roadways in D.C. in support of race operations.

At about 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, southbound Route 110 will be closed from Washington Boulevard to Route 1 and will re-open at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29.

The Marine Corps Marathon recommends runners arrive as early as possible prior to start time in order to proceed through the security checkpoint, drop off bags, and line up in the appropriate corral. For additional information about getting to the race start and finish, visit the event website.

Runners, spectators, and volunteers are strongly encouraged to use Metro, ridesharing or other forms of multimodal transportation. The Metro will open at 5 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29. The closest Metro access to the start of the MCM and MCM 50K are the Pentagon and Pentagon City Stations (Blue and Yellow lines). The closest Metro access to the Finish Festival is the Rosslyn station (Blue, Orange, or Silver lines).

Runners arriving by vehicle are encouraged to use shuttle services offered by the Marine Corps Marathon or the kiss and run drop-off location near the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

Designated rideshare drop-off and pick-up zones have been established at the following locations:

• Morning events – 1100-1200 block of S. Hayes Street, Arlington
• Afternoon events – 1900 block of N. Lynn Street, Arlington
• Finish Festival – 1900 block of N. Lynn Street, Arlington

The public is encouraged to be vigilant and attentive, particularly in areas with large crowds of people. Suspicious behavior, items, vehicles and unattended packages should be reported immediately to police for investigation.

Spectators and runners may report information directly to police personnel stationed throughout the race route or by calling 703-558-2222 or 911 in an emergency.