| Marine Corps Marathon | |
|---|---|
 Marine Corps Marathon. | |
| Date | October |
| Location | Washington, DC, Arlington, Virginia, USA |
| Race type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Established | 1976 |
| Official site | www.marinemarathon.com/ |
The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is a 26.2-mile marathon held in Arlington, VA and the nation's capital. The 35th Marine Corps Marathon is Sunday, October 31, 2010.
The MCM was established in 1976, and as of 2009 the MCM became the fourth largest marathon in the United States and the eighth largest in the world with runners from more than 50 participating countries.
The course, which varies slightly from year to year, is certified by USA Track and Field.
The race typically occurs a few weeks before the United States Marine Corps birthday on November 10. The Marine Corps Marathon is known as "The People's Marathon" because it is open to all runners ages 14 and above and is the largest marathon not to offer prize money,.
Marine Corps Marathon History,
The "First Annual Marine Corps Reserve Marathon" occurred on November 7, 1976 in Arlington, VA. Some 1,175 participants started the race that began and finished at the Marine Corps War Memorial. Four individuals have run in every Marine Corps Marathon and make up a unique group of runners called the Ground Pounders.
In 1977, race officials added a wheelchair category and changed the race course to include Washington, D.C.
In 2005, over 325 runners were disqualifed from the MCM for cutting the course including a group from the charitable group Jean's Marines. The group was banned from the 2006 event after its founder was reported to have assisted runners in circumventing a portion of the course.
The 2006 event included the first satellite running of the event, called "MCM Forward", which took place in Anbar province, Iraq and continues for 2009. Among those disqualified that year were two women who missed an electronic checkpoint at the 15-mile mark and finished in the top ten.
In 2008, the MCM became the 5th-largest U.S. marathon. The 2008 marathon had 18,228 finishers, and about 150,000 spectators. First time marathon finisher, Andrew Dumm finished in 2:22:44, topping the men's category. Cate Fenster was the top female finisher with a time of 2:48:55. This was the first time in MCM history two first time marathoners won the event.
The 2009 race was held on October 25, 2009. The male winner was American John Mentzer, a 33-year-old Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. He finished in 2:21:47. Muliye Gurme of Ethiopia was the female winner, in a time of 2:49:48,.
Marine Corps Marathon Recent winners,
First-time marathoner Andrew Dumm wins the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon, breaking through a banner held by Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway and the USO American Belles.
Recent winners
| Year | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Men | ||
| 2009 | John Mentzer | 2:21:47 |
| 2008 | Andrew Dumm | 2:22:44 |
| 2007 | Tamrat Ayalew | 2:22:18 |
| 2006 | Ruben Garcia | 2:21:21 |
| 2005 | Ruben Garcia | 2:22:18 |
| Women | ||
| 2009 | Muliye Gurme | 2:49:48 |
| 2008 | Cate Fenster | 2:48:55 |
| 2007 | Kristen Henehan | 2:51:09 |
| 2006 | Laura Thompson | 3:00:23 |
| 2005 | Susannah Kvasnicka | 2:47:10 |
Marine Corps Marathon Deaths,
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