Bradford Goz's Staging Area

For me, the most meaningful part of MCM is the tribute to the US Marines, those serving now, in the past and those who gave their lives for our nation. Surprisingly, Washington’s grand monuments are not the highlight of MCM. It is the beautiful green parks and brilliant changing leaves. The Washington Monument serves as a lodestar marking one’s location thru much of the race, but runners don’t get a view of the Jefferson Memorial from the front, runners barely see the Lincoln Memorial don’t go close to the White House. The line of sight toward the Capitol is pretty short. So, save sightseeing for before or after the race. That being said, the course is still beautiful. Doing the hills up front makes the rest of the race feel manageable. The most inspiring part of MCM was the unwavering service from Marines in impeccable order throughout the race serving us, and the Blue Mile which honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

That being said, the logistical lapses were not Marine like. I point them out largely because most are easily avoidable and hard to understand after 48 years. There were long lines outside to get into the Expo, altho not inside. There were choke points at the Runners Village before the race, at the porta potties before the Village (not bad inside!) and, most of all, after the race where it took half an hour to get from the Finish Line to the exit. There were not enough water stations for a normal day, much less a hot one, and the stations were not well organized. Every station was different in terms of length, order of water v Nuun, color of cups for water or Nuun, amount of liquid in cups, length of stops and side of course – one or both. The inconsistency created unnecessary, dangerous confusion and congestion. (Chicago, by comparison, is a model of water station management.)

Worst of all, handicapped, bike and stroller runners started only 10 mins before other runners. Especially on downhills, hand cyclists were constantly trying to get past other runners in the way. It was hard to understand they would be compromised this way when a number of those competitors were Marines injured in the line of duty.

There is little organizers can do about the heat other than start the race earlier and, of course, provide better hydration stations! In fact, 2023 was cut off early due to the heat and humidity.

The above being said, I found little congestion at the Start Line and the course, at my 4+ hour pace, never got overcongested. The photo opportunity at the Mount Suribachi Monument is priceless and the view of Arlington Cemetery deeply moving. Overall, I’d recommend MCM, but would only prioritize it as part of a trip to see DC.

Berlin is fascinating and the course packs in as much history as one could get ending with the epic sites of Museum Island and the Brandenburg Gate. Crowd support was surprisingly strong throughout. Course is flat with just enough slopes to break up the leg work. Mostly long, straight stretches between turns. Complaints I had heard that were NOT a factor for me included congestion and distance between water stations. Rest area at end is lawn for the iconic Reichstag. Mass transit is FREE for runner in days around the Marathon. Weather for 2022 was just a few degrees warmer than perfect. Recommendations: Do NOT go the Expo at opening time. The lines are terrible at first, but clear out within an hour. Portapotty lines were LONG. Get there early or make other arrangements so you can get to your corral. And, of course, allow days to see Berlin and deal with jet lag! EARLY! Biggest shortcoming: water stations are more frequent in second half, but they’re not well organized. Short with too much water/Maurten in cups. I was lucky to grab a bottle handed out by a thoughtful spectator. Handout gel was Maurten, but caffeinated gel was gone pretty quickly. On the other hand, the stations hand out TEA, which I love. All in all, a world class, not-to-be-missed Marathon.

I’m am urban runner, but this was nature just about as beautiful as it gets in a road race. Uniquely, almost half the course is on easy trails, soft enough to ease the jar of running, hard enough to minimize any slowdown from the dirt and gravel surfaces. Much of the first half goes through a coastal marshland nature preserve. Much of last 8 miles swings through farmland and a nature trail. Course is almost pancake flat with some small rises and falls to ease the hamstrings

Volunteers were exceptional. Ample water/Gatorade stations. Good guidance re turns/turnarounds. Great spirit at Finish Line and at fun after party with LOTS of food and up to 3 beers per runner! Very convenient t-shirt and award pickup. (I got an award!) In fact, races do not get more convenient. I stayed a three min walk from the start line, arrived three mins before the race and found my pace group right away. There’s some congestion at the beginning, but nothing that affected my race after the first ¼ mile.

I liked the size of the race. Half Marathoners kept things lively the first five miles, then we settled in with our 600 Marathon peers. Looking at past years, weather has been consistently good. No guarantees, but RB runners have been fortunate. This year’s forecast looked cold and windy, but starting temps of 39’ made the day close to optimal. There were some winds from the north and west, but these were broken up in part by trees and bushes along a good part of the course.

Award plaque and medals were great and t-shirt design lovely. Drawback on shirts, Half and Full Marathoners got same model. Otherwise, the Expo was dull and there was no additional swag – gloves, scarf, gel, etc. Free photos, however, were cool.

In short, if you’re not keen on running a major, this is a race I think you are sure to enjoy. Oh, did I mention that Rehoboth Beach in December is a very cool seaside town?!