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The Marathon
By Lt Col P
The 32nd Marine Corps Marathon is underway!
I ran it in '99 and 2000, and then actually went back on temporary active duty to work on the staff in 2002. It is a great race-- exceptional organization, spectacular scenery, motivating crowd. If you want to do a marathon, just one to say you did it, but don't know which to choose, this is the one. You don't need a qualifying time and the support structure is outstanding. Then there all the nuts in the field, like the frog-suit guy, the tuxedo guy, the juggling guy, squads of Marines in boots and utes, guys carrying full size American flags, and much more. I've (literally) run into lots of VMI alumni as well.
When I was training, one of the strange things I noticed was that after a while, a ten or twelve mile run was nothing. Only when I got up toward 20 miles was it challenging.
If you've done the Marine Corps Marathon, feel free to leave a comment on what you thought was the hardest part of the course. For me, it was always Hains Point. In the past couple years they've done Rock Creek Park (or "Crack Rock Park" as I call it), and Rosslyn, VA. Both of those would be tough hills to climb.
Yes, I'll probably do it once more, just to nail down the elusive target time.
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Comments
14th Street Bridge is the hardest with the last quarter mile of the race (uphill) a close second.
I ran it many years ago just to say I did one. It was exceptionally well organized. Hains Point was tough. They had a makeshift ramp to get up onto the 14th Street bridge, which I tripped over. A Marine standing there literally picked me up and put me on my feet. But the toughest part for me were the last couple of miles. I knew if I started to walk I would never run again.
The hardest part - packet pick up.
When I ran it (back in 92 when I was with the 4th LAI at Ft. Detrick), I had been training with 8-12 mile runs. The most difficult part was around mile marker 13 when I dropped my mental guard and thought "sh** I'm only halfway". Great crowd to run with, very good organization.
The coolest part was how the crowd reads your shirt and cheers for YOU. (I had a red USMC tee on, so I got Semper Fi all day :) Heck yeah!
GOOD POST!
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I have done a half Ironman Triathlon but not a marathon.....yet!!! This looks like a great one for a first!!!