United States
Marine Corps Marathon 2026
Sunday 25 October 2026 · confirmed date
2 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Sunday 25 October 2026
- Confirmed by the organisers
- Start
- 07:20
- local time
- Course
- Rolling · Loop
- Route 110, Arlington, between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery to Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington
- Course record, men
- 2:14:01
- Jeffrey Scuffins, 1987
- Course record, women
- 2:34:08
- Tessa Barrett, 2025
- Finishers
- 30,191
- in 2025
- First held
- 1976
The race
About the Marine Corps Marathon
Organised by the United States Marine Corps and run since 1976, the Marine Corps Marathon is known as the People's Marathon. It is open to anyone aged 14 or over, and in 2025, for its 50th edition, a record 30,191 runners finished, making it the third-largest marathon in the United States.
The race links Arlington with Georgetown, the National Mall and the monuments of Washington, and it ends at the Marine Corps War Memorial, where finishers receive the Eagle, Globe and Anchor medal. Marines are present throughout race day, which gives the event a respectful, encouraging tone. It suits first-time marathoners, military families and runners who value atmosphere over a fast time.
Course
The Marine Corps Marathon course
The start is on Route 110 between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. The opening miles run through Arlington and Rosslyn and hold most of the climbing, before the course crosses the Potomac into Georgetown and follows the river through Washington.
The middle miles take in the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the National Mall on mostly flat roads. At mile 20 comes the 14th Street Bridge, known as Beat the Bridge: you must reach it by 1:15 p.m. to continue. The last 10 km run through Crystal City and past the Pentagon, ending with an uphill finish to the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Race-day weather
Usually cool and dry, around 7-13°C at the start, rising to the mid-teens by midday.
Train
Training for the Marine Corps Marathon 2027
Under twelve weeks to go is short for a marathon block, so these dates count down to the edition after, on Sunday 31 October 2027.
| Plan | Starts on |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | Monday 17 May 2027 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 14 June 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 12 July 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 9 August 2027 |
For this course
Your build runs through summer, so the heat of July and August is the main obstacle: do long runs early in the morning and accept slower paces on hot days, knowing that race morning is usually cool. Include hills in your long runs for the opening miles and the uphill finish. If you expect to run slower than about 14 minutes per mile, rehearse the pace you need to reach the mile-20 bridge by 1:15 p.m. From Europe, arrive a few days early to absorb the time difference.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Marine Corps Marathon, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
Most places are allocated through a registration lottery. Guaranteed routes include running for an official charity partner, finishing the Marine Corps 17.75K in the spring, the Semper Fidelis Challenge with the Marine Corps Historic Half, the MCM Runners Club for runners with five or more finishes, and early registration for active-duty military. Runners must be at least 14 on race day.
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by Marine Corps Marathon Organization
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Marine Corps Marathon 2026?
The Marine Corps Marathon 2026 is on Sunday 25 October 2026. The organisers have confirmed the date.
When should I start training for the Marine Corps Marathon?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 12 July 2027, a 20-week plan on 14 June 2027. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
What is the time limit for the Marine Corps Marathon?
Runners must hold a pace of 14 minutes per mile (about 8:42 per km) and pass the Beat the Bridge point at mile 20, before the 14th Street Bridge, by 1:15 p.m.
How do you get into the Marine Corps Marathon?
Most runners enter through the registration lottery. Guaranteed entry is available through official charity partners, the Marine Corps 17.75K, the MCM Runners Club and other programmes.
Is the Marine Corps Marathon hard?
It is a fair course: some climbing in Arlington early on, flat miles through Washington and an uphill finish. For slower runners, the main challenge is the mile-20 bridge cut-off.
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