Of course the loneliest stretch of the race-windy Hains Point-remains just that. I suppose that’s why the MCM is nicknamed the “Marathon of the Monuments.” Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and several other famous landmarks, I recall being awestruck by the massive grandeur of the Lincoln Memorial as the course swept through the Washington Mall. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to playĪfter passing the Smithsonian Institute, the U.S. Over the years, “The People’s Marathon” has grown in size but has kept its roots as a no-frills event. MCM is my favorite marathon, and I love that it remains largely unchanged since it began in 1976. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate freedom than by running through the streets of our nation’s capitol to honor those who fought for it, and no other marathon inspires the same feelings of pride and patriotism that I experienced during this race.

As the fourth woman with a time of 2:52:07, few other runners were around me, and America’s finest service members made sure it was a finish that I’d never forget.Īt the starting line, parachutists delivered a giant American flag while the National Anthem played, and throughout the race Marines could be seen volunteering. That’s what I remember hearing after the wicked uphill charge to the finish at the Iwo Jima Memorial during the 1989 Marine Corps Marathon. Marines lined the way and shouted the Oorah battle cry-for me.

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