Marine Corp Marathon Tips

These are logistical tips...if you are looking for how to get faster, what pace to run, where you should keep your HR, you're way too late! I've run the last couple MCM's and have jock strapped several others, these are just my thoughts on things that might help. I'm sure there is more stuff that I am forgetting.

• If you take only one thing away from this, let it be this one. If you are meeting someone at the finish, arrange ahead of time where that will be. The finish area is at the Iwo Jima Memorial and spills into Rosslyn. It can be unbelievably crowded. There is usually a section where people can meet based on the initial of last names, this is as good as anywhere else to meet.
• The Expo is great. If you can do it on Friday, it is not nearly as crowded and you won't spend too much time in line to pick up your race packet.
• The MCM materials are serious when they say there is nowhere to park. Even if someone volunteers to drive you, they can't get that close to the start. Take the subway or a shuttle bus from Crystal City. If you can, take the Blue or Yellow lines. Try to avoid changing trains at the Rosslyn station that morning, it gets incredibly crowded. If you are coming from the Orange line in VA, just give yourself a little extra time to change trains in Rosslyn. If you just have to drive or someone wants to drop you somewhere, park or have them drop you at the subway in Crystal City and take it north to the start. If you are coming from DC, get on the Blue or Yellow lines; avoid the Orange line and having to change trains in Rosslyn. Metro map
• The Pentagon Metro stop is at least .5 mile from the race start. Give yourself time to walk this.
• Buy some cheap sweats to wear that morning that you can throw away at the start. They are collected and donated to charitable organizations. It should be cold Sunday morning and you will be out in that cold for some time waiting for the start.
• You have probably heard this for other races, but it really applies in one with this many participants. At an aid station, you do not have to grab something from the first table. These aid stations are usually several tables long. The first couple of stations will be as crowded as you have ever experienced in a race. Run a couple of tables down and then duck in to grab something.
• The Awakening sculpture is no longer in Hains Point.  
• During the race, there is usually some hashers or a rugby team when you first enter Crystal City, around mile 22.5. They always are handing out beer and crackers/gold fish/pretzels/etc. If you eat some of the crackers, the only thing to wash it down with is beer. If you don't want the beer, don't eat the crackers. I found this out the hard way a couple of years ago.
• The finish area is always chaotic, there are just too many people in that small space. They make changes every year to improve it, but something always happens. If someone is meeting you at the finish, let them know that it can take several minutes from the time you cross the finish line until the time you can see them. Before you exit the finish area, make sure to get your picture taken and get all the food and water that you need. Once you exit this area, you cannot return. No one else is permitted in this area.
• If you cannot find someone waiting for you at the finish, just start asking people to borrow their cell phones to try to call them. I've always been able to find someone that let me make a quick call on their phone.
• If you are taking the subway or a shuttle bus from the finish, be prepared to wait in some lines. Picking you up from the finish area is about the nicest thing someone can do for you that day.