With a cool weather pattern settling in for a bit, make sure to keep that cozy sweater nearby this week.
With a cool weather pattern settling in for a bit, make sure to keep that cozy sweater — and maybe an umbrella — nearby this week.
After light winds and clouds offered suitable conditions for Marine Corps Marathon runners Sunday, overnight temperatures are set to dip into the high 30s.
Temperatures will jump into the 50s by Monday morning as a cool weather pattern comes into play. The day will offer partly cloudy conditions.
But, take the win, folks, because the forecast has some showers in store for the region, according to 7News First Alert meteorologist Mark Peña.
Passing showers will move into the region Tuesday but will become more widespread by Wednesday and Thursday.
Forecast
SUNDAY: Partly Cloudy Temperatures: 45-55 Winds: East 5 mph A mix of clouds and cool temperatures.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Partly Cloudy Lows: 38-45 Winds: Northeast 5 mph Passing clouds with wake-up temperatures in the low 40s.
MONDAY: Mostly Cloudy Highs: 52-58 Winds: East 5-10 mph A cool weather pattern is set to continue for most of the week with highs only in the 50s.
TUESDAY: Partly Sunny Highs: 49-54 Winds: Northeast 15-25 mph Expect more clouds than sunshine with breezy northeast winds and a few passing showers.
WEDNESDAY: Scattered Showers Highs: 55-60 Winds: Northeast 15-20 mph Rain chances favor the second half of the day. A steady rain may develop late in the evening into the overnight.
THURSDAY: Breezy Showers Highs: 50s Winds: East 5-15 mph; Gusts: 20-30 mph Scattered showers, overcast and breezy for most of the day. Rainfall amounts will range from around 0.25″ to 0.50″.
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More than 40,000 runners will take over the streets of D.C. and Arlington for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon. Joining many first-time participants on the course will be thousands of veterans.
More than 40,000 runners will take over the streets of D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, on Sunday for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon. Joining many first-time participants on the course will be thousands of veterans.
It will start at 7:20 a.m. on Virginia State Route 110. Wheeled athletes start five minutes earlier.
The race is nicknamed the “People’s Marathon” because no prize money is awarded to the top runner. It has attracted numerous newcomers for its flat racecourse, abundant crowd support, and beautiful route with some of the D.C. area’s most stunning views.
Racers like Keith Padget are very familiar with the views across Crystal City, Georgetown and Haynes Point. The Marine Corps veteran will be running it for the 40th time this year.
“It’s the best organized,” Padget told WTOP. “I don’t only say that because I’m a former Marine, but it is. The Marines don’t do anything halfway. If they’re putting an event on, it’s going to be done right,”
Padget turns 79 years old next week. At this point in his running career, Padget says he’s not looking for personal records or fast finishes.
“I tell people, ‘You don’t have to get faster. You just have to get older,’” Padget said jokingly. “There’s two or three people up front actually racing. Everybody else is just trying to finish.”
Another veteran of the race, like Padget, is George Banker. He has authored a recent running memoir, “Marine Corps Marathon Honor And Pride.” Banker ran 39 previous races but is sidelined this year because of injury.
Yet, he plans to still be on the course, cheering on other competitors. Banker told WTOP that he loves connecting with other runners.
“I’m talking to them and understanding their ‘why’ for being here,” Banker said. “Everybody that’s going to be on their starting line, everybody has a reason of why they’re here, why they’re doing it … Could be for a fallen relative, or somebody who’s in the military, or for a neighbor, or for just for the love of the sport.”
For people like Banker and Padget, there is a reason why they keep coming back to run the grueling 26.2-mile race.
“Well, if you talk to a psychiatrist, you’ll probably find out there’s one screw loose,” Banker said. “And the thing is, we all have a love of the sport. We enjoy putting those shoes on, and we enjoy getting out there.”
Elizabeth Square saw both her parents cross the finish line in years past, and that has been a motivator for her to get out on the course and run with the Marines.
“I’ve heard it’s just so special, crossing the line and having one of the Marines put the medal on you. It’s very motivating and inspiring,” she told WTOP.
Julie Evanston traveled all the way from New Hampshire to run this year’s race.
“My husband’s a Marine, and I read that it was the best first marathon to run. So, sounds like a good one,” Evanston told WTOP.
Banker, with dozens and dozens of races under his belt, offered some advice to the runners who are worried they may not finish.
“There’s three words that I can tell anyone if they’re out there, if they are consistent, insistent and persistent, that will get them through,” he said.
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The Marine Corps Marathon celebrates its 50th anniversary in October, and for the first time, access to the start and finish areas will be restricted to registered runners only.
The Marine Corps Marathon celebrates its 50th anniversary in October, and for the first time, access to the start and finish areas will be restricted to registered runners only.
One of the largest marathons in the world, the 26.2-mile race will be held on Sunday, Oct. 26. With the new restrictions on access points, organizers are encouraging spectators to take Metro to key locations along the course to cheer their runners on.
Here’s what you need to know.
Q:
What’s new for the 2025 race?
A:
In a major shift from past marathons, only runners will be allowed at the start and finish areas. Spectators gathered at those spots during past marathons. Those changes are aimed at enhancing security and improving logistics, organizers said.
Also new this year is a scheduling system designed to minimize wait times and crowding. Runners will chose a “Packet pickup” time through their race bib confirmation email. Pick up times are Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For additional information regarding area restrictions and picking up a packet, go to the MCM website.
Q:
What roads will be closed along the race route in D.C. and Virginia?
How will parking be affected in Arlington and D. C.?
A:
Multiple streets will be blocked off from motorists, who are highly recommended by organizers to take public transportation or rideshare to get to and from the race route.
However, free event parking is available at the underground lot at 23rd and Crystal Drive. Paid parking is available at the Gaylord National Resort and in nearby National Harbor.
Q:
How to get to the marathon
A:
Race organizers have encouraged runners and spectators to ride on public transit to avoid the road closures.
Metro will open early at 5 a.m. and the closest Metro stop to Runner’s Village and the RTE. 110 start area is the Pentagon Metro station. Runners can also access the start line via the Pentagon City Metro station using the Yellow or Blue line and then take a short walk to the start area.
The Arlington Cemetery Metro Station will be closed until 9 a.m.
Q:
What time will the marathon begin?
A:
The race will start at 7:20 a.m. at RTE. 110. Wheeled athletes will start at 7:15 a.m.
Runners will be grouped in three color-coded waves: red, gold and green. Runners have to start with their assigned wave and cannot move forward to an earlier wave, though they may move back to a later one.
Q:
Where to watch
A:
Here are some areas for spectators gather to watch the race:
People looking to cheer on runners won’t be allowed on the Arlington Memorial Bridge or Memorial Avenue.
Spectators won’t be able to access the areas nearby the start and finish lines. The Runner’s Village is only open to runners.
Organizers are recommending people use the Rosslyn Metro Station to get to the Family Reunion Zone, which is outside the festival at North Lynn Street and Wilson Boulevard.
Q:
Where is the course?
A:
The marathon starts and ends in Arlington County, Virginia, with runners heading through Rosslyn and D.C.
The race has many aspects that set it apart from your typical 26.2 mile run, and none more so than its “Wear Blue Mile,” commemorating fallen service members.
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Racers look forward to honoring fallen warriors at the Marine Corps Marathon’s ‘Wear Blue Mile’
In just six days, runners will take over the streets of D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon, and one of the highlights of the race is the commemorative “Wear Blue Mile.”
As runners approach the halfway mark of the race, they will turn calm and silent — Mile 12 on Haines Point in the District has no crowd and no cheering. Instead, a sea of blue signs showing the picture and name of a fallen service member will line the route, along with family members of the deceased.
Every few paces runners will see another face, another name and another date of death, and even the age of the service member when they were killed. On each “Faces of the Fallen” poster is also an American flag with a black ribbon.
John Cox, who has run the race 39 times, said the Blue Mile is a relatively new addition, but a very moving one.
“You can’t help but be impacted by it, because there’s so many faces and their sacrifice was for you,” Cox told WTOP. “And you see the reactions of the people who are running for individual people who are there, and they stop and acknowledge, and have their moments. It’s sobering for me.”
Two runners this year have not only passed by the faces numerous times, but they have also volunteered at the 12th mile, setting up signs and spending time with the military families who sit alongside the remembrances of their loved ones.
“To stand there holding the flag representing one of our fallen warriors … we watched literally the entire race,” Andrew Dalbey, who volunteered with his wife in 2023, said. “We saw the emotions of every runner. We had people coming up, the sweeper bus had actually passed them, and they’re like, ‘You know what? I’d heard about the blue mile and I just wanted to get to this point.’”
Dalbey said the mile is a “special section” that started in 2012, and that “basically, they’ve been out there at the Marine Corps Marathon ever since.”
“Wear blue: run to remember,” the organization behind the emotional mile, was founded in 2010 by several military spouses and family members who lost loved ones in combat.
Now when they place the blue posters on the route, they also add the service members who have died by suicide.
“Which is incredible. It’s important to remember them as well,” Dalbey said.
One such Marine who will be honored is Caleb Murfield, who died by suicide in 2007.
His father, Loren Murfield, will be a Blue Mile runner this year and told WTOP, “Caleb will have a poster on mile 12. My wife is going to be holding his flag on the tribute mile.”
This will be Murfield’s first time running the Marine Corps Marathon and seeing this stretch.
“I suspect, knowing how I run and, at 70 years old, how my body is taxed, I’m not sure how emotional I will be at the time, but I’ve already shed many tears over what it will look like,” Murfield said. “I’ve seen posters, I’ve seen pictures. I’ve already had that emotion, and I’m sure for the rest of my life, I will remember it.”
Other first-time runners, such as Navy veteran Kylie Vitukevich, will experience the Blue Mile for the first time this year.
“I think I’m most excited to see that. I’ve heard that it’s a very overwhelming, in a good way, spot to run,” she said.
Margaret Gill, a fellow first-time runner, said, “I think it puts into perspective how you have something big, like the military or marathon runners, and you can just break it down into individual people. So, taking the time to see those names, see those pictures, it lets you really get more intimate with what’s happening and who’s involved.”
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One couple is venturing to the starting line not only with the goal of finishing this year’s marathon, but also honoring and advocating for the recognition of two fallen Marines, who died as heroes.
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This couple has a bigger mission than the finish line during this year’s Marine Corps Marathon
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away, and here at WTOP, we are highlighting some of the inspiring people that are running to that start line and what brought them there.
One couple is venturing to the starting line, not only with the goal of finishing this year’s marathon, but also honoring and advocating for the recognition of two fallen Marines, who died as heroes.
Andrew and Shelley Dalbey have run the Marine Corps Marathon before, but this year, they return from a slight hiatus and will continue to run as part of Team Jordan.
The group honors Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter and Cpl. Jonathan Yale. Both men were killed on April 22, 2008, in Ramadi, Iraq.
Their two battalions were switching places at the Joint Security Station. Both men were standing guard at the entry control point when a large truck accelerated toward the gates. It did not stop on command and both men fired until it stopped and a suicide bomber detonated a 2,000-pound blast that killed them both.
“They had six seconds to stop a suicide bomber,” Andrew told WTOP. “They saved the lives of 150 Marines and Iraqi police officers.”
They were both posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and now this group, lead by Haerter’s mother, advocates for the two young men to receive the congressional Medal of Honor.
One couple is running the Marine Corps Marathon not only with the goal of finishing, but also honoring and advocating for the recognition of two fallen Marines.
(Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey)
Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey
Andrew and Shelley Dalbey have run the Marine Corps Marathon before, but this year, they return from a slight hiatus and will continue to run as part of Team Jordan.
(Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey)
Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey
One couple is running the Marine Corps Marathon while honoring and advocating for the recognition of two fallen Marines.
(Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey)
Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey
Team Jordan is a Marine Corps Marathon honoring two fallen Marines.
(Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey)
Courtesy Andrew and Shelley Dalbey
Speaking about the two fallen Marines’ families, Shelley said, “Nothing in my life has changed my life as much as these events have shaped and changed their lives.”
“They deserve to have their kids and their brothers remembered,” she added.
The couple and the other members of Team Jordan will all sport similar shirts honoring Lance Cpl. Haerter. They will also pay respects at his remembrance on the “Wear Blue Mile” where many fallen service members are honored.
This race and cause have special meaning for Andrew, as he was also a Marine. For the entire 26.2-mile race, he will carry the American flag complete with streamers with the names of both service members.
“In training, I will typically carry an eight-pound dumbbell just to develop the arm fatigue, the stamina for it,” Andrew said.
While they have raced the streets before, this is the first Marine Corps Marathon for Shelley since beating cancer a few years ago.
“Surgery was sufficient, but it took a while, because it was an abdominal surgery, so it took a while to get past that,” she told WTOP.
Though the Dalbeys have raced other marathons across the country, they keep coming back to the Marine Corps Marathon. This will be the ninth time Andrew has run with the Marines.
“It’s the power of this race. It’s the Marines that are out there cheering you on. … There’s no other race like it,” Andrew said.
Both said that this is a milestone in a personal fitness journey as well, as both have lost over 50 pounds in preparation for the marathon.
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Kylie Vitukevich started a running group in Southern Maryland from scratch in 2024, and now she and several members will run in the Marine Corps Marathon.
Kylie Vitukevich (second from right) and other runners after a race.(Courtesy Kylie Vitukevich)
Kylie Vitukevich (second from right) and other runners after a race.(Courtesy Kylie Vitukevich)
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away, and WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people who are running to that finish line.
When a mom of three and Navy veteran moved to Southern Maryland, she turned to pounding the pavement and started her own running group to build friendships and train for her first marathon.
Kylie Vitukevich moved to Leonardtown, Maryland, from Hawaii with her Navy reservist husband in 2022. She had just left the Navy after serving for eight years.
After having her third child shortly after moving, she started running during her free time, a hobby she never thought she would do.
“I was always that person in high school that would cut across the track and not finish the mile run in PE,” Vitukevich told WTOP. “But I didn’t really have anything for me, and I needed that outlet of something to do.”
She was inspired by her sister-in-law, who had completed the Boston Marathon a few times, and decided to look for an all-women running group.
“I didn’t really have any friends in the area. I didn’t know anyone that ran at all,” she said. “And although I do live in a very safe area, I just did not feel comfortable running on my own. I didn’t really know where to run.”
But she couldn’t find a running group anywhere. So, she started her own called the “St. Mary’s Girls Run Club.”
“I just had one person come, and it was amazing. I was terrified that nobody would show up because I really didn’t know anybody in the area,” Vitukevich said about the inaugural run of the group in March 2024.
“Since then, we’ve like consistently had 20-plus people come every weekend,” she added.
During the summer months, the women will often start well before sunrise to beat the summer heat, always getting a coffee afterward.
“It’s been such a great experience. I’ve met so many wonderful women, and I feel like it’s very inspiring to know them and know the reasons why they’re running,” she said.
Nine women from the group plan to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year, according to Vitukevich.
“And I’ve had at least that many say that they’re going to come cheer us on at various spots throughout the race. … Just knowing that these people are going to drive an hour and a half and come cheer us on, that makes me want to cry,” she said.
Vitukevich has run several half marathons. After her last 13.1-mile race, she figured she was ready to take the next step.
The Marine Corps Marathon will be special for the Navy veteran and her family.
“The Navy and the Marines, and the military in general, are very important to us, because I think we understand all the sacrifices that military families make firsthand,” she said.
Beyond her running group, she said her husband and three kids have supported her on this training journey, coming on long runs with water and words of encouragement. Her two oldest kids will even run alongside her on the finishing stretches of her runs.
She said she hopes the training with her group and family will propel her to high-fiving a Marine at the finish line.
“I’m hoping that I can high-five them with a smile on my face and not tears of sadness or pain,” she said.
Vitukevich said anyone who can’t find a running group that fits them, should take a chance and start their own.
“I’ve had such positive feedback from everyone that comes. I constantly get messages from girls in the group that say their running has improved so much. They never thought that they could run as far as they do or as fast as they have without the support from other people in the group,” she said.
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The Marine Corps Marathon will be the third marathon that a Maryland teen has run with her mother.
Virginia (left) and Adriana Vastag at a Delaware marathon. They plan to run the Marine Corps Marathon together.
(Courtesy Virginia Vastag)
Courtesy Virginia Vastag
Running began as a COVID-era hobby for the mother-daughter duo. Pictured above, they’re running a race at Disney World’s Epcot.
(Courtesy Virginia Vastag)
Courtesy Virginia Vastag
Virginia said they wanted to run a marathon that was more meaningful this time around.
(Courtesy Virginia Vastag)
Courtesy Virginia Vastag
Virginia said they’re running to honor family members who served in World War I and World War II.
(Courtesy Virginia Vastag)
Courtesy Virginia Vastag
Virginia said she and her daughter train together, and it can be hard to keep up with her energetic daughter.
(Courtesy Virginia Vastag)
Courtesy Virginia Vastag
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Md. mother and daughter tackling Marine Corps Marathon together
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away, and WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people who are running to that start line.
While many ninth-grade students are getting into the swing of things for their new school year, one Maryland teenager is preparing with her mother for the 26.2-mile race.
“I just have always loved running, and I really like running with my mom, and it’s just really special to me,” said Adriana Vastag, a ninth grader from Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
The Marine Corps Marathon will be the third marathon Adriana has run with her mother, Virginia.
The pair, like many others, picked up long-distance running to fight boredom during the pandemic.
“When COVID came and we couldn’t do so much else, we started doing a lot more running together,” Virginia told WTOP. “She did her first half marathon when she was 10. And we just loved racing ever since.”
One day last year they were at their local library and were inspired to look for marathons that would allow a 13-year-old to enter. On an impulse, they signed up for the Virginia Marathon with just one month to prepare.
After they conquered that race, they signed up for a marathon in Delaware just two weeks later. For their hat trick, they have turned to the “People’s Marathon.”
“We were trying to think of a marathon that might have some more meaning,” Virginia said. “We have grandfathers, great grandfathers who served in World War I and World War II, and so we thought the Marine Corps would be a really good one that we could run and dedicate to them.”
Virginia said both grandfathers served in the Pacific Theater, one seeing action in Papua New Guinea and the other serving in the Army Air Corps.
“Hearing their stories and the sacrifices that they made for us, it just seemed like … doing this run, we could honor our grandfathers who fought so that we could have the freedoms and the ability to do all that we do,” Virginia said.
WTOP spoke with Virginia and Adriana after they had just completed a 15-mile training run. They said most of the time they are training together and sometimes they even have Adriana’s younger sister come out with them for shorter runs. Running has certainly become a family affair.
“It’s really fun,” Adriana said. “We just kind of talk about our day and stuff like that, what we’re looking forward to.”
Unlike many marathon runners, they complete the race and their training runs sans headphones and music, choosing instead to talk to each other and enjoy the atmosphere of the race.
Though occasionally they would throw on the “Frozen” soundtrack when Adriana was younger.
Virginia said it can be tiring to run with her 14-year-old daughter, who she described as the “energizer bunny.”
“She’s much, much faster than me,” Virginia said. “She’s always telling me, ‘Come on, come on.’ So, dragging me through things.”
As they both were running the Delaware Marathon, Virginia was finding it difficult to keep up with her energetic daughter. Then she received wise words from a passing cyclist.
“I’ll never forget it, because he was just telling me, ‘You’re so blessed. You’re so blessed to feel this pain, to be able to do this with her,’” Virginia recalled.
Those words have stuck with her.
“It is such a blessing to be able to have the opportunity to have all this time together,” Virginia said. “We’ve run thousands of miles, thousands of hours’ worth of conversations and everything else that we’ve been able to have through this.”
Adriana is hoping to run a sub four-hour marathon on the streets of D.C. and Arlington.
Virginia said they initially started with just a daily walk.
“Then turned into running and just built up,” Virginia said. “I never would have imagined having run marathons and stuff like that. So hopefully it can inspire others to do the same.”
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John Cox has pretty much seen it all during the running of the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. over the past 39 years. This year will be his 40th straight race.
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away, and WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people getting ready to take part in what’s known as “The People’s Marathon.”
On Monday, WTOP spoke to a nurse who’s chosen to run the 26.2-mile distance for the first time. But this Virginia man is preparing to run it for the 40th time.
“I’ve run it in rain, I’ve run it in wind, I’ve run it with Oprah,” John Cox told WTOP while sitting at the Caboose Brewing Company & Tavern in Vienna, Virginia.
Cox has pretty much seen it all during the running of the Marine Corps Marathon over the past 39 years.
He started in 1986, running it with his father who was a Marine veteran of World War II and fought in Okinawa. He was a law student at the University of Virginia at the time.
John Cox (right) runs the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. with his father on Nov. 3, 1991.
“It’s funny because that year, when I ran in ’86, my dad was as old as I am now. So he ran his first one at 62 with me,” he said.
The race is a family tradition. Cox’s father and mother would come down for the race every year and stay at a hotel in Arlington. Since that first year, Cox has run with his father, brother, sister and his two daughters. One of his daughters qualified for the Boston Marathon when she was a teenager.
“But overall, I think our family has well over 115 (entries), maybe even higher,” he said. “It’s tradition for me. It’s feels like it’s more like a cleansing experience. When you finish it, you feel like you’ve accomplished something.”
He has seen the race grow from a few thousand runners to now over 40,000. He has also seen the course and preparations for the race change.
“When they had the D.C. sniper, that was scary only because the sniper had been shooting in Maryland and been shooting in D.C. and been shooting in Virginia, and you just didn’t know,” he said. “They definitely amped up security.”
He also ran just a few weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon, describing the massive hole he and other runners saw as they passed by.
Over his 39 races, the conditions have varied dramatically. He’s run in snow, heat, humidity, hurricane-force winds and even gruesome injuries.
“I stepped on a nail and it went into my foot. And I’m sitting there, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this hurts. This hurts a lot,’ but I couldn’t bend down to do anything, so I had to ask a spectator, ‘Hey, can you please take this nail out of my foot?’” Cox said with a laugh.
One of the worst races he participated in on the streets of D.C. was in 2023, when the heat reached the upper 70s and the humidity was extreme.
“The clothes were sticking to me, and then you just started hearing sirens, and people were collapsing. They were running out of water, and they started closing the course because they didn’t have enough medical personnel,” Cox said. “It was the right choice.”
Though each one represents a “cleansing experience” for him, there are just too many medals to hang. Instead, he keeps his 39 medals in a shoe box. He said his favorite thing to do while he’s running the course is to spot a familiar face.
“I always try to see one person that I recognize from just life in general,” Cox said. “That makes my marathon experience.”
His advice to newer runners is to not “go crazy on the first hill, you’ve got 24 miles after that.”
“That first hill can break you. And if you’re at all concerned about it, I would conserve your energy there, knowing that you have a long downhill and then just let the crowd take you,” Cox said.
While his streak may one day break, it won’t be this year. He said he never takes the opportunity to run the race for granted.
“It’s well supported, and it’s a privilege to run with the Marines,” he said.
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The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away. WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people getting ready to take part in what’s known as “The People’s Marathon.”
Participants preparing to run the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Margaret Gill at work as a nurse for trauma and burn victims.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Margaret’s sister Ellie Gill poses with her after a previous marathon they ran together.
(left)
left
Ellie Gill (left), Margaret’s sister poses with her (right) after a previous marathon they ran together.(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
Ellie Gill (left), Margaret’s sister poses with her (right) after a previous marathon they ran together.(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away. WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people getting ready to take part in what’s known as “The People’s Marathon.”
Many folks tackle the 26.2-mile challenge for the first time on the streets of the nation’s capital. One D.C.-area nurse is attempting the distance for the first time.
“I find myself not listening to music or anything when I’m at a race just because of how excited the crowd is,” said Margaret Gill, describing the recent D.C. Half Marathon she completed while training for the Marine Corps Marathon.
She told WTOP running has taken over her free time.
“I’m definitely looking at my calendar and saying, ‘OK, when do I have four hours to run?’ and then blocking off half a day.”
While the training has been strenuous and time consuming, Gill said she is starting to see it pay off.
“I never thought that like a nine-mile run would be a short run for me, but that’s what it’s turned into. And I still can’t wrap my head around,” she told WTOP during a brief pause for her morning 14-mile run.
She, like many runners, is learning that the first thing to give out when running exceedingly long distances is not her cardio capacity, but her legs, with soreness ramping up as the miles do.
Gill works at Children’s National Hospital as a trauma and burn nurse taking care of kids.
“I’ve found that running has been a great way to wind up for the day or wind down for the day,” she told WTOP.
Burn injuries require physical and occupational therapy as part of recovery, according to Gill. Most of the day is getting the kids to do normal activities under her supervision and care, whether it’s playing hockey or walking in the garden.
“It really gives you some perspective on what the human body can do and how much you have to challenge it. And so, watching these kids really tackle that and move through it, when I’m having a hard time running, I just remember, ‘OK, it’s not going to be forever. We have got to get through this hard stuff, and it’s going to be easier at the end.’”
She decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon after being a member of the crowd last year supporting a friend.
“Just looking at all these people, I could be one of them, and it felt more attainable that way. Being a part of a group, cheering on another friend, this is somebody I see all the time, I can do it too,” Gill said.
Her advice to people who are aspiring to run a marathon as well: “There’s no time like the present. I felt like I went years saying, ‘Oh, I’m going to do one,’ and it just took committing and signing up for it and just jumping in. Don’t quit.”
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The Marine Corps Marathon attracts more than 20,000 runners to the D.C. area and WTOP wants to tell their stories. If you or someone you know has an interesting story to tell, fill out the form below.
More than 20,000 runners from 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and 63 countries will take part in the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 26.
WTOP is currently looking for people registered to run the race. Throughout the month of October, we will highlight participating individuals in stories on air, online and on our social channels.
Why are you running? What motivates you?
If you or someone you know has an interesting story to tell, fill out the form below.
In the meantime, check out some of WTOP’s features on past runners.
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The 49th Annual Marine Corps Marathon is in the books. It was an emotional journey for many runners and several of them already have next year’s race on their mind.
Runners participating in the 49th Marine Corps Marathon. (Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Joaquin Dela Torre)
Runners participating in the 49th Marine Corps Marathon. (Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Joaquin Dela Torre)
The 49th Annual Marine Corps Marathon is in the books. It was an emotional journey across the 26.2 miles for many of the runners — and several of them already have next year’s race on their mind.
Among the runners, a teenager, a 90-year-old and every age in between. The course crisscrossed through D.C. and Arlington, Virginia.
“I’m going to start crying because it was so emotional. … When you go through the ‘Wear Blue Mile,’ that was just amazing … and it’s just awesome. I loved it,” Margaret Dwyer, 60, told WTOP.
Dwyer said she traveled from Vermont for her first Marine Corps Marathon.
Nick Schneider also completed his first Marine Corps Marathon and first 26.2 mile distance race.
“Feels really good,” he told WTOP while laying in the grass just after high-fiving a Marine at the finish line. “To be able to have this notch in my belt and be done with it, I honestly couldn’t be happier.”
One of the more sobering moments of the race comes at Haynes Point.
Runners enter the stretch pumped up because the halfway point is approaching and then the “Wear Blue Mile” hits. All the chatter and high-fives stop and all the runners get quiet and slow down, as they pass by signs with the name and picture of fallen service members every 10 yards or so.
“I was just hyperventilating because I was already tired and trying to cry, but I didn’t have any water left in my body, so there were no tears coming out,” said Erin Ghostlaw.
Many of the young men and women pictured were only in their teens and early twenties. The pain and fatigue for runners is put into perspective, as they continue past that section of the course.
“I’m actually active duty Air Force myself, so to see my brothers and sisters along the way, the fallen heroes, it was pretty emotional,” said Matthew Amiot, who is stationed in Dover, Delaware.
“Even though I’m in the Air Force, we’re all brothers and sisters.”
The somber moments though are contrasted by the highs of a raucous crowd cheering them on for much of the distance.
As racers tack on the miles and legs are fatigued and feet are about to fall, runners still have a smile on their face thanks to the crowd and their comical signs.
Several of the silly phrases spotted: “You Run Better Than The Government,” “Run like there are Taylor Swift tickets available,” “If Frodo can bring the ring to Mordor you can do this race” and “Never stop chafing your dreams.”
It’s tough not to laugh and smile as your body is in pain.
“Whoever told me it was a flat course, we need to have a chat, because that was not flat,” joked Ghostlaw.
“But it was a beautiful crowd, a perfect day for running,” she admitted.
If crowd-goers did not have an amusing sign, many still offered high-fives and yells of encouragement.
“The crowd was crazy. I couldn’t believe that people were doing shots at Mile 22,” said Schneider. “The atmosphere pushed me through this for sure.”
The big question is, will these runners be back next year for the 50th Marine Corps Marathon?
“I’ll be back next year, if I can do it. I gotta be there for the 50th … come on!” said Dwyer.
“Candidly, probably not,” said Schneider. “But you know what? Honestly, there’s enough people in my circle that need to still do their first so maybe they can convince me.”
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Thousands of runners are clogging 26.2 miles of pavement in D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday morning.
Runners take part in the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Runners line up for the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. (WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Runners line up for the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Thousands of runners are hitting the pavement in the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Robert and Donna Taylor are running Sunday’s race. Robert has has been running the race for four decades and calls the race a “pilgrimage.”
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Thousands of runners take part in the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.
(WTOP/Luke Lukert)
WTOP/Luke Lukert
Thousands of runners clogged 26.2 miles of pavement in D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday morning. With the race comes dozens of road closures, crowds of cheering spectators and more than a few emotional tears.
Kyle King of Yucca Valley, California, was the first to cross the marathon finish line for the men, finishing with a time of 2:26:06. Tessa Barrett of Arlington, Virginia, claimed first place in the marathon for the women, finishing with a time of 2:39:36.
Calum Neff of Fulshear, Texas, won the men’s 50K with a time of 2:56:36. Anna Staats of Arlington, Virginia, finished in first place for the women in the 50K with a time of 3:44:42. Staats also won the women’s 50K in 2023.
Robert Taylor, who has been running the race for four decades, called the race a “pilgrimage.”
“I started in 1983 on a bet from a friend of mine who was in the Marines, and I got hooked. I ran it once, and I’ve been back every year since then,” said Taylor, a New Jersey native.
Taylor’s wife, Donna, has joined him every year since 1989.
“He told me I could never do this. And I said, ‘Oh yes, I could,’” she said.
“Many times we said, ‘OK, that’s it. This is the last one.’ And next thing I know, she signed me up for the next one,” said Robert. “So we’ve been coming back. We’ve had groups as many as 10, 15 with us, and we’re the only two surviving.”
Robert, a veteran, called the organization of the race superb and pointed to the “Wear Blue Mile,” a stretch where posters of fallen troops are displayed, as one of the most impactful parts of the event.
Jason Mercado, who is visiting from the Bronx to run his first Marine Corps Marathon, said he was looking forward to that stretch on Haynes Point.
“I’m gonna be emotional for that one. It’s one of those marathons where it’s gonna be a different type of experience,” Mercado said ahead of the race.
He plans to dedicate this run to his family members who served in the Marines and other branches.
The Marine Corps Marathon is the largest marathon in the world that doesn’t offer prize money. It has been deemed “The People’s Marathon.” It is often a runner’s first race at the 26.2-mile distance.
“Not only is it in D.C., it seems like it’s like one of the top ones to do,” said Sarah Lowe, a District resident. “This is gonna be my first one.”
While the weather Sunday is supreme for running, the months of training — including long runs on D.C. streets during the summer months — were brutal, according to Lowe.
“I always picked, like, the worst time of day. So just like sweating up a storm,” she joked.
Most of D.C.’s waterfront and dozens of streets in Northern Virginia are closed off for the race. For most of the course, thousands of spectators line the way to encourage runners.
“Both my parents ran the Marine Corps Marathon and said that the crowd support is the most amazing thing. This is one of the most emotional races to be in,” said Elle Monticello, who is running the 10K race.
“It’s my first Marine Corps, but I’m really excited to do the hometown race, and I love the marathon distance, so I’m excited to have my running club out there and just know a lot of people running, so I’m looking forward to the crowd and just running the streets,” said Grace Marmaris, of Arlington, Virginia, ahead of the marathon.
For the many first-time racers, Taylor has some simple advice as a four-decade Marine Corps Marathon: “Don’t get caught up in anybody else’s pace and have fun.”
WTOP’s Valerie Bonk contributed to this report.
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Thousands of people are running around some of the D.C.-area’s most iconic sights and landmarks this weekend for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
Thousands of people are running around some of the D.C.-area’s most iconic sights and landmarks this weekend for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
Q: What roads will be closed along the race route in DC and Virginia?
At approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, southbound Route 110 will be closed from Washington Boulevard to Route 1 and will reopen at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27.
The following road closures will take place in Arlington County on race day:
From approximately 3 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Fort Myer Drive, from Eastbound Langston Boulevard to N. Meade Street
N. Lynn Street, from 19th Street N. to N. Meade Street
N. Moore Street, from 19th Street N. to Wilson Boulevard
Wilson Boulevard, from N. Oak Street to Southbound Route 110
17th Street N., from Clarendon Boulevard to N. Lynn Street
Northbound lanes of N. Oak Street, from Wilson Boulevard to 18th Street N.
N. Oak Street, from Clarendon Boulevard to 17th Street N.
N. Nash Street, from Wilson Boulevard to 17th Street N.
N. Kent Street, from 1691 N. Kent Street to Wilson Boulevard
Fairfax Drive, from N. Pierce Street to Fort Myer Drive
N. Meade Street, from Fairfax Drive to N. Marshall Drive
N. Marshall Drive, from N. Meade Street to Route 110
Richmond Highway from I-66 to the 1200 block of Richmond Highway
Southbound Route 110, from I-66 to Washington Boulevard
Northbound Route 110, from Route 1 to I-66/Wilson Boulevard
S. Fern Street, from 12th Street S. to Rotary Road
S. Eads Street, from 12th Street S. to Rotary Road
Army Navy Drive, from S. Hayes Street to 12th Street S.
Washington Boulevard, from Route 27/Northbound I-395 split to George Washington Parkway/Boundary Channel
I-395 South exit 8B, ramp to Route 110 North
I-395 North slip ramp into I-395 North HOT lanes
I-395 South HOT lanes at Route 1
I-395 North HOT lanes at Seminary Road
I-395 North Exit 8B to Pentagon/Route 27
I-395 South Exit 8A to Pentagon South Parking
Eastbound Washington Boulevard ramp to Eastbound Route 27
From approximately 6 a.m. until 11 a.m.
19th Street N., from N. Lynn Street to Fort Myer Drive
N. Nash Street from Key Boulevard to Fort Myer Drive
Fort Myer Drive, from Key Bridge to Westbound Langston Boulevard
Fort Myer Drive, from 19th Street N. to Langston Boulevard
N. Moore Street, from 19th Street N. to Langston Boulevard
Langston Boulevard (Eastbound lanes only), from N. Lynn Street to N. Kirkwood Road
Spout Run Parkway (Westbound lanes only), from Langston Boulevard to George Washington Parkway
N. Lorcom Lane, from N. Edgewood Street to Spout Run Parkway
N. Lynn Street, from 19th Street N. to Key Bridge
N. Rhodes Street, from Key Boulevard to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
N. Veitch Street, from 19th Street N. to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
From approximately 6 a.m. until noon
Westbound 15th Street S., from S. Eads Street to S. Bell Street
Ramp from Southbound Richmond Highway to 15th Street S.
Ramp from Northbound Richmond Highway to 15th Street S.
Ramp to Northbound Richmond Highway from 15th Street S.
Southbound Richmond Highway, from Southbound I-395 to the 1200 block of Richmond Highway
From approximately 6 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Fort Myer Drive, from Key Bridge to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
N. Nash Street, from Westbound Langston Boulevard to Eastbound Langston Boulevard
N. Moore Street from Langston Boulevard to 19th Street N.
Long Bridge Drive, from Boundary Drive to 12th Street S.
6th Street S., from Long Bridge Drive to S. Ball Street
S. Ball Street, from 6th Street S. to 10th Street S.
10th Street S., from Long Bridge Drive to S. Ball Street
12th Street S., from S. Eads Street to Crystal Drive
Southbound Richmond Highway from I-395 Southbound to the 1200 block of Richmond Highway
Crystal Drive, from 12th Street S. to 23rd Street S.
15th Street S., from S. Bell Street to Crystal Drive
18th Street S., from S. Bell Street to Crystal Drive
20th Street S., from S. Bell Street to Crystal Drive
I-395 North Exit 10A to Boundary Channel Drive
I-395 South Exit 10A to Boundary Channel Drive
I-395 South Exit 9 to Clark Street
In D.C., the following roads will be closed:
From 3:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jefferson Drive SW from 3rd Street SW to 15th Street SW
7th Street NW from Constitution Avenue NW to Independence Avenue SW
Madison Drive NW from 3rd Street NW to 15th St NW
4th Street NW from Constitution Avenue NW to Independence Avenue NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Foxhall Road NW from MacArthur Boulevard NW to Canal Road NW
Clark Place NW from Q Street NW to Canal Road NW
Reservoir Road NW from MacArthur Boulevard NW to Canal Road NW
Arizona Avenue NW from Carolina Place NW to Canal Road NW
Georgetown Canal Road Entrance
Canal Road NW from M St NW to Chain Bridge Drive
From 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Francis Scott Key Bridge (all lanes)
M Street NW from Canal Road NW to Wisconsin Avenue NW
35th Street NW from Prospect Place NW to M Street NW
34th Street NW from Prospect Place NW to Cady’s Alley
Bank Alley from Prospect Place NW to M Street NW
33rd Street NW from Prospect Place NW to C&O Canal
Potomac Street NW from Prospect Place NW to M Street NW
Wisconsin Avenue from M Street NW to K Street NW
Grace Street NW from Wisconsin Avenue NW to 33rd Street NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
31st Street NW from Washington Harbor to South Street NW
30th Street NW from Washington Harbor to M Street NW
29th Street NW from K Street NW to M Street NW
Whitehurst Freeway from M Street NW to K Street NW
K Street NW from 34th Street NW to 25th Street NW
27th Street NW from K Street NW to I Street NW
I Street NW from 27th Street NW to Virginia Ave NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Waterside Drive NW from Massachusetts Avenue NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW (northbound) to Beach Drive
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW (southbound) from Shoreham Drive NW
Shoreham Drive NW (southbound) from Calvert Street to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
Beach Drive NW from Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW to Calvert Street
Virginia Avenue NW from New Hampshire Ave NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
From 5:30 a.m. to noon
F Street NW from New Hampshire Ave NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
25th Street NW from F Street NW to Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW
Rock Creek Parkway and Potomac Parkway NW from Beach and Shoreham Drives NW to Ohio Drive
Parkway Drive closed from Rock Creek Parkway to Lincoln Circle
From 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Independence Avenue SW from Maine Avenue SW to Ohio Drive
From 5:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
East Basin Drive from Maine Ave SW to Ohio Drive SW
Buckeye Drive from I-395 ramps to Ohio Drive SW
From 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
1st Street from Constitution Ave NW to Independence Ave SW
Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 3rd Street NW to 1st Street NW
Maryland Avenue SW from 1st Street SW to 3rd Street SW
Lincoln Circle from 23rd Street NW to 23rd Street SW
West Basin Drive from Independence Ave SW to Ohio Drive SW
17th Street from WWII Memorial to Independence Ave SW
Ohio Drive SW from East Basin Drive SW to 23rd Street NW
From 5:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Independence Avenue from 15th Street SW to 23rd Street SW
Maine Avenue SW from East Basin Drive to Independence Avenue SW
From 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
15th Street from Constitution Ave NW to Maine Avenue SW
Independence Avenue from 4th Street SW to 15th Street SW
12th Street SW from Independence AVE SW to Jefferson Drive SW
12th Street NW from Madison Drive NW to Constitution Ave NW
14th Street NW/SW from Constitution Ave NW to I-395
Q: How will parking be affected in Arlington and DC?
There will be increased police presence in Arlington, and they are urging drivers to be mindful of the closures and to be alert for increased pedestrian traffic.
Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs, Arlington police said in a statement. Illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed or towed.
Q: How to get to the marathon
Race organizers have encouraged runners and spectators to ride on public transit to avoid the road closures.
Metro will open early at 5 a.m. on Sunday and there’s no scheduled track work to slow down trains from transporting runners, according to WMATA.
Riding Metro will cost $2.50 flat for a one-way trip.
The closest Metro station to the starting line is Pentagon station which can be used using the Blue and Yellow lines. To avoid the crowds, you may want to get off in Pentagon City instead.
The Arlington Cemetery station is closed until 8:30 a.m.
The trains will run on their normal weekend schedule.
Some Metrobus routes will be diverted to Pentagon City on Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the race and its related events.
Over the weekend, these Metrobus routes will be impacted: 7A, 10A, 16A, 16C, 16E, 22A.
On Sunday, all Metrobus service will be moved from the Rosslyn bus terminal to North Oak Street between Wilson Boulevard and North 18th Street.
These routes will be detoured Sunday: 4B, 7A, 10A, 22A, 23A, 23B, 16A, 16C, 16E, 38B, 32, 36 42, 43, 52, 64, 70, 74, 79, D6, MW1, P6, S2.
Q: Where to watch
Here are some locations where MCM recommended spectators gather to watch the race:
MCM start line on Route 110 in Arlington — get there by Metro using Rosslyn or Pentagon stations
Lincoln Memorial in D.C. to see runners from miles 10-16 — get there by walking across Arlington Memorial Drive
National Mall in D.C. to see runners from miles 11-19 — get there by heading east on Independence Avenue, go past the Washington Monument
Finish line at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington — get there by taking Metro to Rosslyn or by MCM shuttle from 23rd Street
The race starts and ends in Arlington County, Virginia. Runners will race through Rosslyn and the District, including the National Mall. The 20-mile journey ends at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
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A marathon coach has advice on what to do right before you head to the starting line at Sunday’s 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon.
As organizers are finalizing preparation for Sunday’s 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon by setting up water stands, aid stations and Runners Village, marathoners are also getting ready. A marathon coach has advice on what to do right before you head to the starting line.
It’s all about the fuel and hydration, according to Jill Brasky, the former vice president of training with D.C. Road Runners. First and foremost, if you are racing in the Marine Corps Marathon, don’t eat any strange foods that might upset your stomach.
“As wonderful as raw oysters are, if you’ve never tried them, night before race day is not the time to do things like that,” Brasky said.
She added that spicy foods such as Buffalo wings might also be a bad idea and could delay you on the racecourse with frequent bathroom stops.
Racers will often want to “carbo load,” or eat simple carbohydrates like pasta, rice and potatoes to increase their glycogen stores in their muscles and livers. Brasky warned not to overdo it.
“Maybe add a half a bagel or a piece of toast, you know, in the days leading up to it,” she said.
What about breakfast?
“Traditional prerace breakfast is oatmeal with a banana,” said Brasky about her own marathon experience. “Have some sort of protein bar right before the starting line.”
The eating doesn’t stop there: Newer runners, in particular, should fuel up with easy carbohydrates about every four miles or every 45 minutes.
“It keeps your energy levels up, and that’s what causes you to hit the wall.”
Keeping up with hydration is also incredibly important. Basky suggested eating chicken soup or miso soup, as well as drinking coconut water, in the days leading up to the race.
“Just keep a bottle of water on you, but don’t overdo it. You do not want to be up having to go to the bathroom every couple of hours the night before the race,” said Brasky.
The Marine Corps Marathon starts at 7:55 a.m. on Oct. 27.
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