Marine Corps Marathon Advice, Analysis, Pace Charts, and more

Detailed Race Data Analysis

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Course Description: The course showcases the best of Arlington, VA and the nation’s capital. The USATF certified route starts in Arlington, VA, and winds its way through Rosslyn along Lee Highway before turning on Spout Run and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Runners will experience a climb on Lee Highway in the first few miles of the course, but are rewarded with a descent along Spout Run and the Parkway.

After crossing Key Bridge into Georgetown, runners turn toward the Palisades Com- munity when the course follows Canal Road, up to the reservoir and down MacArthur Boulevard. The course guides runners down popular M Street in Georgetown.

Runners will turn on Wisconsin Avenue and then K Street. The course passes the Kennedy Center and takes runners into Hains Point at the halfway point of the race.

Outside Potomac Park, runners pass the Jefferson Memorial before entering the National Mall and running by landmarks like the Lincoln, FDR, Korean War and Vietnam Veteran’s memorials, Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol. Runners continue along Jefferson Drive and turn onto 14th Street to “Beat the Bridge” at Mile 20 before returning to Virginia.

For the last 10K runners will venture through the color and energy of Crystal City, pass the Pentagon and charge the hill to the finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial. It is truly a beautiful course and aptly nicknamed “The Marathon of the Monuments.”

New York City Marathon: Impact of Weather Conditions on Finish Times

We've closely studied the relationship between weather conditions and finish results over a multi-year period for some of the world's top endurance events, including the Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon and Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

We've also analyzed New York City Marathon results vs weather conditions over a 10-year period, and here are the results. While not definitive, it appears faster marathons in New York City are run when temperatures are between 48 and 52 degrees. Naturally, hotter days lead to much slower times.


For comparison, take a look at our analysis of Weather Condition Impact on Race Performance at the Chicago Marathon and Boston Marathon.



For more, see our complete New York City Marathon Coverage, and for even more, see our comprehensive analytics archive, including more than 200 posts, in our Stats/Results/Analysis tab.

Marine Corps Marathon: Pace Charts by Age Group

We analyzed results of all 20,000+ finishers in the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon to identify the actual  splits at major checkpoints, and pace per mile of each age group, by section of the course. If you're looking to run at about the average pace for your age group, these are your targets. If not, use these as approximate guides to calibrate your own pace chart. For more, see our Complete Marine Corps Marathon Coverage.






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