| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| H (°F) | 78 | 94 | 85 | 70 | 74 |
| L (°F) | 55 | 73 | 51 | 51 | 57 |
The neighborhoods were a delight to go through. Great community spectator support. May not be a PR unless you like running hills. Not bad though. Very well organized. Find a … MORE
The neighborhoods were a delight to go through. Great community spectator support. May not be a PR unless you like running hills. Not bad though. Very well organized. Find a hotel near the expo, because the start and finish line is right there.
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There was amazing views of the rivers. The medal is super amazing. I would highly recommend this race. The support from the community was super amazing. Got to high five … MORE
There was amazing views of the rivers. The medal is super amazing. I would highly recommend this race. The support from the community was super amazing. Got to high five several marines
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The Marine Corps always puts on first rate races, I highly recommend any of their races. I did not attend packet pickup, they say you have to attend, but I … MORE
The Marine Corps always puts on first rate races, I highly recommend any of their races. I did not attend packet pickup, they say you have to attend, but I was able to pick it up at the starting line. Virginia is can be very hot at this time of year, luckily is was cloudy, but still hot. Course was decent, a huge hill at the hospital. Fredericksburg is a cool city. Good finish line and snacks at the end. A good race to add to the list.
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I ran the "Devil Dog Double", which is a half marathon followed up by a 5 mile and finished in 2nd place. There were no water stops at the finish … MORE
I ran the “Devil Dog Double”, which is a half marathon followed up by a 5 mile and finished in 2nd place. There were no water stops at the finish line of the half marathon before starting the 5 mile, so you had to go about 4 miles without water. That’s kind of silly on a 90 degree day. I decided to cross over the median and grab some water from the side of course running the other way because I didn’t for that. Not the end of the world, but pretty bad planning.
The bigger error was at the awards ceremony. As I said earlier, I finished in 2nd place (12 minutes ahead of 3rd!) but was skipped at the awards ceremony. No worries, it’s just a trophy. I talked to the race officials and they told me to email so and so later, which I did. They corrected the official results and said they’d send me an award in the next few weeks. I replied that I’d rather have a free entry to next year’s race. That email went ignored and an award never showed up.
I’ve done a few hundred races over the years and this is down near the bottom, sorry to say.
You do get 3 medals for finishing, which isn’t my thing, but maybe it’s yours!
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Hospital hill is not that scary, paced out a little fast for the first few miles as i wanted to be able to walk a little due to the humidity. … MORE
Hospital hill is not that scary, paced out a little fast for the first few miles as i wanted to be able to walk a little due to the humidity. Very good community support. Very nice crowd, loved seeing people run back down the hospital hill to run up it again, may do that next year. Great time, would repeat, met a lot of great people!
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Let's talk about the swag. The expo was nice. Runners snagged 3 pairs of socks in their bag. Two were super comfortable by Brooks and had the RunWiththeMarines logo on … MORE
Let’s talk about the swag. The expo was nice. Runners snagged 3 pairs of socks in their bag. Two were super comfortable by Brooks and had the RunWiththeMarines logo on them. The other pair was a thin, white crew sock with 13.1 logo on the side. There were a couple of snack/energy bars, and packs of flower seeds were offered. KT was on hand to tape knees, ankles, shoulders, etc. for race participants. Very thankful to the young lady that taped my knees for this race. My goal was to finish pain-free in under 3 hrs. Thanks to KT tape, I achieved this goal. Multiple apparel and shoe kiosks. You know, the drill.
Outside the expo was a Kodiak food truck. Also, the City of Fredericksburg offered free shuttle rides to the historic downtown area for shopping/dining/sightseeing.
This was a well-organized race from start to finish. The organizers were prepared for the high temps for race day. There were several water stops along the route. The locals along the route showed up and showed out by providing coolers filled with ice, fresh fruit (watermelon, oranges, pineapples, bananas), freeze pops, donuts, and more. Several neighbors had the sprinklers and water hoses going full blast to keep runners cool. It was amazing! Lots of encouragement and support along the way. I saw multiple EMS points along the route as well.
In addition, the Marine soldiers were on hand throughout the route and especially between miles 11-13, with the greatest show of support through the hospital hill portion of the race. Marines lined the street for what seemed like two blocks and offered cheers and encouragement. Some were manning the water station. Fantastic opportunities for pictures.
Post-race nourishment bags were given at the finish line and contained 2 bottles of water, a Gatorade, 2 bananas, a fruit cup, and 2 energy bars. This in addition to the bottle of water and banana handed to you when you after you received your super nice Finishers medal. The Marine Corp Band was on hand for an outdoor concert at the baseball stadium.
Honor and respect to the Marines for their commitment to service and protecting our country. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this awesome run. Great job!! Oorah!!
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Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a … MORE
Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a fun experience for the weekend.
Take advantage of the down hills as you will need the momentum for the up hill. So many flags and marines.
Thanks to the couple who had the ice pops on Hospital Hill it was so hot🥵
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I've done a lot of half marathons. Most go through either an industrial section or two, or along/on poorly repaired roads or on concrete. Not this one! Smooth as freshly … MORE
I’ve done a lot of half marathons. Most go through either an industrial section or two, or along/on poorly repaired roads or on concrete. Not this one! Smooth as freshly laid asphalt all the way, and nice and broad. Along the Rappahanock, through the old town, through the neighborhoods – not a mis-step on the scenery.
There are elevation changes on this one – my tracker recorded the equivalent of 110 flights of steps 😉 Be warned, but not afraid.
It would probably have been tougher in full sun, but fortunately the clouds were overhead and there was a breeze for the first 2.5-3 hours.
The neighborhoods were pretty, the crowd support was really extensive (On!On!), the music was uniformly good all the way along (though some on Hospital Hill would have been nice, but I get it, a hospital ;-).
The aid stations were plentiful and plentifully stocked. The finish line food was pretty good, the medal is awesome. My favorite course.
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I did the 5-miler this year so that I could run the race with my mother and recover from a marathon but I have run the half marathon distance in … MORE
I did the 5-miler this year so that I could run the race with my mother and recover from a marathon but I have run the half marathon distance in the past. I really enjoy this race but I may be biased as Fredericksburg is my hometown. The marines being there always adds an extra element of encouragement. They are so great and enthusiastic. The course is nice because it is mostly flat/downhill with the exception of the infamous hospital hill + Cowan Blvd hill, but I like the challenge that it gives, knowing that the hills are all within a concentrated 1.5 miles. If anything, I always find the weather to be more challenging than the hills. Race day can often be hot and, even worse, humid! The medals are always pretty sweet and presented to you by the marines. Overall, I try to run this race whenever I can. It gives a great hometown feel and is a nice tour of a historic city!
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This one is tough because the course is flat/downhill overall until Mile 10.5 and then the next 1.5 miles have a big elevation increase, last mile is flat. Be prepared … MORE
This one is tough because the course is flat/downhill overall until Mile 10.5 and then the next 1.5 miles have a big elevation increase, last mile is flat. Be prepared energy-wise, I hit a “wall.” It was also humid.
I thought it was really well organized and the city seemed to really be invested in it, and I felt very welcomed.
The only downside I had was that I had to pick up my bib/packet the day before (or two days before) as well. I didn’t realize this until about a week before. I live in DC, so it meant an additional trip.
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Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a … MORE
Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a fun experience for the weekend.
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I just started running 5k's last year and came across the Marine Corps events, so I decided I would do them this year and try for the distinguished participant medal. … MORE
I just started running 5k’s last year and came across the Marine Corps events, so I decided I would do them this year and try for the distinguished participant medal. This is the first event that you have to run of 4 to get the medal. I loved this race! I was in it to finish and was running on a bad knee, so I was no speed demon, but did keep the 14 min per mile required (4 hr completion). The event is very well organized and the expo was nice. They do a security check to get in, so that can slow things a bit if you go during a busy time. Parking at the expo and the run were pretty easy and there was plenty of it.
The course was interesting and I took photos along the way. Yes, there is much talk about Hospital Hill and another hill after it, but I rated this a 3 difficulty because it really was not as bad as I thought, maybe because I hyped it up in my head, but with my knee, I did not find it too bad. They say it’s like climbing 10 stories. I loved the apps that they promote with the run, one is within the Historic Half app where it will tell you interesting information at various points of interest along the way and the other allows you and your supporters to record motivating messages that will play at designated points along the run. It was pretty close given the not always accurate gps on the phone. I am so glad that I picked up a battery case for my phone so that I had plenty of battery time for the apps, my interval app, and pictures. The support along the route was amazing! You go through an area with beautiful newer homes and then a more historic looking residential area and downtown area. It’s awesome and the people are out either with lawn chairs watching or offering clapping, cheers, signs, even speakers out pumping music. One person had the Rocky them playing on one of the hills. The race itself had a few bands along the way. They had plenty of water stations and porta -potties. There was even one point where they gave out energy beans, which was great, and another with gummy bears, which wasn’t so great to me. I don’t eat gummy bears anyway, but I found that I had to dodge dropped candy so as not to make a sticky mess of my shoes.
At the end, Marines put your medal on your neck and congratulate you. There is beer, fruit cups, water, bananas, stretching and massages at the end. I will give my beer ticket away next time because I realized that no amount of running and heat (one of our only hot days this spring so far) makes me like beer…lol! I loved that as I was returning to my car and some of the last runners were coming in, the Marines went to meet them and encourage them on to the finish. I would definitely do this race again and hope that I would be in better shape physically because otherwise everything was pretty perfect.
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Great race put on by a great organization! Pros: ample amount of support staff/volunteers at the expo/start line/finish line, the spectator shuttle that took families out to Mile 7, the … MORE
Great race put on by a great organization!
Pros: ample amount of support staff/volunteers at the expo/start line/finish line, the spectator shuttle that took families out to Mile 7, the beautiful scenery, the great amount of parking on Race Day made it easy to get where you needed to go, beautiful medal
Cons: not enough water stops along the course
Overall, this was a great experience! I would recommend more water tables next year, especially considering how hot it can get in late May. I know a lot of us were struggling with the lack of water on the course. Definitely train for hills for this race.
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Fredericksburg, VA was my adopted home, so this race will always be meaningful to me! It incorporated portions of my daily running route, but heighten the experience with great meaning … MORE
Fredericksburg, VA was my adopted home, so this race will always be meaningful to me! It incorporated portions of my daily running route, but heighten the experience with great meaning by representing those who protect our country throughout the course. You run along portions of the local canal trial and are swept through the street of downtown Freddy. You’ll forget how difficult it just was to ascend hospital hill, and instead are filled with an overwhelming feeling of pride for your country when you run under the massive American flag just before the finish line. I’d highly recommend this race!
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This is a home town race for me, so I am thrilled to run it every year! Great course, scenic and tough, great people on course, lots of fun! MORE
This is a home town race for me, so I am thrilled to run it every year! Great course, scenic and tough, great people on course, lots of fun!
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The Marine Corps Historic Half is held in May in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The course starts and finishes near the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, which is at the end of … MORE
The Marine Corps Historic Half is held in May in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The course starts and finishes near the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, which is at the end of a large shopping area (think about a 2 mile drive past several retail complexes) so there is more then ample parking, but expect backups and delays getting there and leaving, so give yourself plenty of time to get to the race site. Many people delay their departure by going for lunch at one of the 20+ nearby restaurants. There are also shuttles provided from several nearby hotels for both participants and spectators.
The course takes you by several historic landmarks and local sites such as Mary Washington College, Sunken Road (a famous Confederate stronghold during the Civil War), Kenmore Plantation, and downtown Fredericksburg. Almost all roads are closed to traffic, and there is ample police support (and the Marines) to help participants through intersections. The race has a large number of spectators throughout the course.
Preparing for hills is an absolute must on this course. There are several areas with rolling hills or long uphill or downhill stretches, especially the infamous Hospital Hill. That hill runs between mile 10 and 11 and is a long, steep, uphill climb that challenges all participants. Also, expect anything for the temperature- you can have heat and humidity, or cool rain- it changes year to year.
The race has a self-seeded corral start, and a generous walker-friendly time limit. The Marines wait for the last person to finish, and will march in with that person- an awesome site to watch if you are still in the area.
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I will always run at least 1 MCM race a year. They are well put together, the crowds are wonderful and huge, and the proceeds go to the military. I'm … MORE
I will always run at least 1 MCM race a year. They are well put together, the crowds are wonderful and huge, and the proceeds go to the military. I’m starting to run more and more races in which my money goes towards a worthy cause. The military is my #1 go-to donation. The swag is always top notch.
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Although the Marine Corps Marathon is its bigger, more famous event, the Historic Half ... well, the Historic Half simply exists. It's a spring half marathon held yearly in Fredericksburg, … MORE
Although the Marine Corps Marathon is its bigger, more famous event, the Historic Half … well, the Historic Half simply exists. It’s a spring half marathon held yearly in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the course runs through neighborhoods, next to commercial strips, and through a hospital. The start is officiated by marines and many of the volunteers helped out in fatigues. There were also actors dressed in colonial garb entertaining runners as they cut through historic, downtown Fredericksburg. But aside from that, it could have been any other race held in any other small town. I did enjoy the race and I ran a fast time, but aside from that, I wouldn’t travel far for it.
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The MCM always puts on great races. My best friend and I ran this race for the first time in 2011 and LOVED it. Not only for the military personnel … MORE
The MCM always puts on great races. My best friend and I ran this race for the first time in 2011 and LOVED it. Not only for the military personnel helping but for the large crowds that are drawn to cheer everyone on. The course is ALWAYS challenging with 2 large hills.
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A few hills, but nice run through the historic area of Fredericksberg, CA. Nice use of local Marines at the end of the race. Expo and swag were ok. Would … MORE
A few hills, but nice run through the historic area of Fredericksberg, CA. Nice use of local Marines at the end of the race. Expo and swag were ok. Would do it again.
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Lovely course through charming town
The neighborhoods were a delight to go through. Great community spectator support. May not be a PR unless you like running hills. Not bad though. Very well organized. Find a … MORE
The neighborhoods were a delight to go through. Great community spectator support. May not be a PR unless you like running hills. Not bad though. Very well organized. Find a hotel near the expo, because the start and finish line is right there.
My most favourite race ever
There was amazing views of the rivers. The medal is super amazing. I would highly recommend this race. The support from the community was super amazing. Got to high five … MORE
There was amazing views of the rivers. The medal is super amazing. I would highly recommend this race. The support from the community was super amazing. Got to high five several marines
Hot & Cloudy
The Marine Corps always puts on first rate races, I highly recommend any of their races. I did not attend packet pickup, they say you have to attend, but I … MORE
The Marine Corps always puts on first rate races, I highly recommend any of their races. I did not attend packet pickup, they say you have to attend, but I was able to pick it up at the starting line. Virginia is can be very hot at this time of year, luckily is was cloudy, but still hot. Course was decent, a huge hill at the hospital. Fredericksburg is a cool city. Good finish line and snacks at the end. A good race to add to the list.
They don't have their act together
I ran the "Devil Dog Double", which is a half marathon followed up by a 5 mile and finished in 2nd place. There were no water stops at the finish … MORE
I ran the “Devil Dog Double”, which is a half marathon followed up by a 5 mile and finished in 2nd place. There were no water stops at the finish line of the half marathon before starting the 5 mile, so you had to go about 4 miles without water. That’s kind of silly on a 90 degree day. I decided to cross over the median and grab some water from the side of course running the other way because I didn’t for that. Not the end of the world, but pretty bad planning.
The bigger error was at the awards ceremony. As I said earlier, I finished in 2nd place (12 minutes ahead of 3rd!) but was skipped at the awards ceremony. No worries, it’s just a trophy. I talked to the race officials and they told me to email so and so later, which I did. They corrected the official results and said they’d send me an award in the next few weeks. I replied that I’d rather have a free entry to next year’s race. That email went ignored and an award never showed up.
I’ve done a few hundred races over the years and this is down near the bottom, sorry to say.
You do get 3 medals for finishing, which isn’t my thing, but maybe it’s yours!
Paced the Half, but ran the Devil Dog
Hospital hill is not that scary, paced out a little fast for the first few miles as i wanted to be able to walk a little due to the humidity. … MORE
Hospital hill is not that scary, paced out a little fast for the first few miles as i wanted to be able to walk a little due to the humidity. Very good community support. Very nice crowd, loved seeing people run back down the hospital hill to run up it again, may do that next year. Great time, would repeat, met a lot of great people!
Definitely a favorite
Let's talk about the swag. The expo was nice. Runners snagged 3 pairs of socks in their bag. Two were super comfortable by Brooks and had the RunWiththeMarines logo on … MORE
Let’s talk about the swag. The expo was nice. Runners snagged 3 pairs of socks in their bag. Two were super comfortable by Brooks and had the RunWiththeMarines logo on them. The other pair was a thin, white crew sock with 13.1 logo on the side. There were a couple of snack/energy bars, and packs of flower seeds were offered. KT was on hand to tape knees, ankles, shoulders, etc. for race participants. Very thankful to the young lady that taped my knees for this race. My goal was to finish pain-free in under 3 hrs. Thanks to KT tape, I achieved this goal. Multiple apparel and shoe kiosks. You know, the drill.
Outside the expo was a Kodiak food truck. Also, the City of Fredericksburg offered free shuttle rides to the historic downtown area for shopping/dining/sightseeing.
This was a well-organized race from start to finish. The organizers were prepared for the high temps for race day. There were several water stops along the route. The locals along the route showed up and showed out by providing coolers filled with ice, fresh fruit (watermelon, oranges, pineapples, bananas), freeze pops, donuts, and more. Several neighbors had the sprinklers and water hoses going full blast to keep runners cool. It was amazing! Lots of encouragement and support along the way. I saw multiple EMS points along the route as well.
In addition, the Marine soldiers were on hand throughout the route and especially between miles 11-13, with the greatest show of support through the hospital hill portion of the race. Marines lined the street for what seemed like two blocks and offered cheers and encouragement. Some were manning the water station. Fantastic opportunities for pictures.
Post-race nourishment bags were given at the finish line and contained 2 bottles of water, a Gatorade, 2 bananas, a fruit cup, and 2 energy bars. This in addition to the bottle of water and banana handed to you when you after you received your super nice Finishers medal. The Marine Corp Band was on hand for an outdoor concert at the baseball stadium.
Honor and respect to the Marines for their commitment to service and protecting our country. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this awesome run. Great job!! Oorah!!
Well organized and great crowd support!
Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a … MORE
Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a fun experience for the weekend.
Take advantage of the down hills as you will need the momentum for the up hill. So many flags and marines.
Thanks to the couple who had the ice pops on Hospital Hill it was so hot🥵
Prettiest overall course
I've done a lot of half marathons. Most go through either an industrial section or two, or along/on poorly repaired roads or on concrete. Not this one! Smooth as freshly … MORE
I’ve done a lot of half marathons. Most go through either an industrial section or two, or along/on poorly repaired roads or on concrete. Not this one! Smooth as freshly laid asphalt all the way, and nice and broad. Along the Rappahanock, through the old town, through the neighborhoods – not a mis-step on the scenery.
There are elevation changes on this one – my tracker recorded the equivalent of 110 flights of steps 😉 Be warned, but not afraid.
It would probably have been tougher in full sun, but fortunately the clouds were overhead and there was a breeze for the first 2.5-3 hours.
The neighborhoods were pretty, the crowd support was really extensive (On!On!), the music was uniformly good all the way along (though some on Hospital Hill would have been nice, but I get it, a hospital ;-).
The aid stations were plentiful and plentifully stocked. The finish line food was pretty good, the medal is awesome. My favorite course.
A hometown favorite
I did the 5-miler this year so that I could run the race with my mother and recover from a marathon but I have run the half marathon distance in … MORE
I did the 5-miler this year so that I could run the race with my mother and recover from a marathon but I have run the half marathon distance in the past. I really enjoy this race but I may be biased as Fredericksburg is my hometown. The marines being there always adds an extra element of encouragement. They are so great and enthusiastic. The course is nice because it is mostly flat/downhill with the exception of the infamous hospital hill + Cowan Blvd hill, but I like the challenge that it gives, knowing that the hills are all within a concentrated 1.5 miles. If anything, I always find the weather to be more challenging than the hills. Race day can often be hot and, even worse, humid! The medals are always pretty sweet and presented to you by the marines. Overall, I try to run this race whenever I can. It gives a great hometown feel and is a nice tour of a historic city!
Well-run half, pretty challenging!
This one is tough because the course is flat/downhill overall until Mile 10.5 and then the next 1.5 miles have a big elevation increase, last mile is flat. Be prepared … MORE
This one is tough because the course is flat/downhill overall until Mile 10.5 and then the next 1.5 miles have a big elevation increase, last mile is flat. Be prepared energy-wise, I hit a “wall.” It was also humid.
I thought it was really well organized and the city seemed to really be invested in it, and I felt very welcomed.
The only downside I had was that I had to pick up my bib/packet the day before (or two days before) as well. I didn’t realize this until about a week before. I live in DC, so it meant an additional trip.
Local, fun atmosphere, easy parking
Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a … MORE
Challenging hills (Hospital Hill and Cowan Blvd), fun downtown areas, organized very well by Marine Corps Marathon organization. Great expo with lots of vendors. Historic Fredericksburg provides visitors with a fun experience for the weekend.
So glad this was my first half
I just started running 5k's last year and came across the Marine Corps events, so I decided I would do them this year and try for the distinguished participant medal. … MORE
I just started running 5k’s last year and came across the Marine Corps events, so I decided I would do them this year and try for the distinguished participant medal. This is the first event that you have to run of 4 to get the medal. I loved this race! I was in it to finish and was running on a bad knee, so I was no speed demon, but did keep the 14 min per mile required (4 hr completion). The event is very well organized and the expo was nice. They do a security check to get in, so that can slow things a bit if you go during a busy time. Parking at the expo and the run were pretty easy and there was plenty of it.
The course was interesting and I took photos along the way. Yes, there is much talk about Hospital Hill and another hill after it, but I rated this a 3 difficulty because it really was not as bad as I thought, maybe because I hyped it up in my head, but with my knee, I did not find it too bad. They say it’s like climbing 10 stories. I loved the apps that they promote with the run, one is within the Historic Half app where it will tell you interesting information at various points of interest along the way and the other allows you and your supporters to record motivating messages that will play at designated points along the run. It was pretty close given the not always accurate gps on the phone. I am so glad that I picked up a battery case for my phone so that I had plenty of battery time for the apps, my interval app, and pictures. The support along the route was amazing! You go through an area with beautiful newer homes and then a more historic looking residential area and downtown area. It’s awesome and the people are out either with lawn chairs watching or offering clapping, cheers, signs, even speakers out pumping music. One person had the Rocky them playing on one of the hills. The race itself had a few bands along the way. They had plenty of water stations and porta -potties. There was even one point where they gave out energy beans, which was great, and another with gummy bears, which wasn’t so great to me. I don’t eat gummy bears anyway, but I found that I had to dodge dropped candy so as not to make a sticky mess of my shoes.
At the end, Marines put your medal on your neck and congratulate you. There is beer, fruit cups, water, bananas, stretching and massages at the end. I will give my beer ticket away next time because I realized that no amount of running and heat (one of our only hot days this spring so far) makes me like beer…lol! I loved that as I was returning to my car and some of the last runners were coming in, the Marines went to meet them and encourage them on to the finish. I would definitely do this race again and hope that I would be in better shape physically because otherwise everything was pretty perfect.
Best race in NOVA area!
Great race put on by a great organization! Pros: ample amount of support staff/volunteers at the expo/start line/finish line, the spectator shuttle that took families out to Mile 7, the … MORE
Great race put on by a great organization!
Pros: ample amount of support staff/volunteers at the expo/start line/finish line, the spectator shuttle that took families out to Mile 7, the beautiful scenery, the great amount of parking on Race Day made it easy to get where you needed to go, beautiful medal
Cons: not enough water stops along the course
Overall, this was a great experience! I would recommend more water tables next year, especially considering how hot it can get in late May. I know a lot of us were struggling with the lack of water on the course. Definitely train for hills for this race.
Run with the Marines
Fredericksburg, VA was my adopted home, so this race will always be meaningful to me! It incorporated portions of my daily running route, but heighten the experience with great meaning … MORE
Fredericksburg, VA was my adopted home, so this race will always be meaningful to me! It incorporated portions of my daily running route, but heighten the experience with great meaning by representing those who protect our country throughout the course. You run along portions of the local canal trial and are swept through the street of downtown Freddy. You’ll forget how difficult it just was to ascend hospital hill, and instead are filled with an overwhelming feeling of pride for your country when you run under the massive American flag just before the finish line. I’d highly recommend this race!
One of the best
This is a home town race for me, so I am thrilled to run it every year! Great course, scenic and tough, great people on course, lots of fun! MORE
This is a home town race for me, so I am thrilled to run it every year! Great course, scenic and tough, great people on course, lots of fun!
Hills and Humid
The Marine Corps Historic Half is held in May in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The course starts and finishes near the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, which is at the end of … MORE
The Marine Corps Historic Half is held in May in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The course starts and finishes near the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, which is at the end of a large shopping area (think about a 2 mile drive past several retail complexes) so there is more then ample parking, but expect backups and delays getting there and leaving, so give yourself plenty of time to get to the race site. Many people delay their departure by going for lunch at one of the 20+ nearby restaurants. There are also shuttles provided from several nearby hotels for both participants and spectators.
The course takes you by several historic landmarks and local sites such as Mary Washington College, Sunken Road (a famous Confederate stronghold during the Civil War), Kenmore Plantation, and downtown Fredericksburg. Almost all roads are closed to traffic, and there is ample police support (and the Marines) to help participants through intersections. The race has a large number of spectators throughout the course.
Preparing for hills is an absolute must on this course. There are several areas with rolling hills or long uphill or downhill stretches, especially the infamous Hospital Hill. That hill runs between mile 10 and 11 and is a long, steep, uphill climb that challenges all participants. Also, expect anything for the temperature- you can have heat and humidity, or cool rain- it changes year to year.
The race has a self-seeded corral start, and a generous walker-friendly time limit. The Marines wait for the last person to finish, and will march in with that person- an awesome site to watch if you are still in the area.
MCM puts on the BEST races
I will always run at least 1 MCM race a year. They are well put together, the crowds are wonderful and huge, and the proceeds go to the military. I'm … MORE
I will always run at least 1 MCM race a year. They are well put together, the crowds are wonderful and huge, and the proceeds go to the military. I’m starting to run more and more races in which my money goes towards a worthy cause. The military is my #1 go-to donation. The swag is always top notch.
So-so half in historic, patriotic VA
Although the Marine Corps Marathon is its bigger, more famous event, the Historic Half ... well, the Historic Half simply exists. It's a spring half marathon held yearly in Fredericksburg, … MORE
Although the Marine Corps Marathon is its bigger, more famous event, the Historic Half … well, the Historic Half simply exists. It’s a spring half marathon held yearly in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the course runs through neighborhoods, next to commercial strips, and through a hospital. The start is officiated by marines and many of the volunteers helped out in fatigues. There were also actors dressed in colonial garb entertaining runners as they cut through historic, downtown Fredericksburg. But aside from that, it could have been any other race held in any other small town. I did enjoy the race and I ran a fast time, but aside from that, I wouldn’t travel far for it.
Great 1st Time Race for a new comer
The MCM always puts on great races. My best friend and I ran this race for the first time in 2011 and LOVED it. Not only for the military personnel … MORE
The MCM always puts on great races. My best friend and I ran this race for the first time in 2011 and LOVED it. Not only for the military personnel helping but for the large crowds that are drawn to cheer everyone on. The course is ALWAYS challenging with 2 large hills.
Nice race
A few hills, but nice run through the historic area of Fredericksberg, CA. Nice use of local Marines at the end of the race. Expo and swag were ok. Would … MORE
A few hills, but nice run through the historic area of Fredericksberg, CA. Nice use of local Marines at the end of the race. Expo and swag were ok. Would do it again.