Spend the hills slowly
The first three miles hold most of the race’s climbing. Let those miles come in slow and don’t try to win the time back on the descent to Key Bridge. Run the flat middle at goal pace instead.
Arlington, VA & Washington, DC · Sunday, October 25, 2026
Marine Corps Marathon race guide
The Marine Corps Marathon front-loads its hills. You climb nearly 200 feet up Lee Highway in the first three miles, drop to the Potomac, and then spend most of the middle of the race flat and close to river level, past Georgetown, Hains Point and the National Mall. The race is decided late: on the long, quiet 14th Street Bridge at mile 20, and on the short climb to the Marine Corps War Memorial at the very end.
Pace plan
Plan your race on this course
Set your goal and start time. Your checkpoints, the time of day you’ll reach each one, and the course guide below all update to match.
Build your plan01
Pacing
A little slower on the climbs, a little faster on the downhills and flats, for the same finish time. Based on where this course climbs. Treat it as an effort guide.
Runners start at 7:20 a.m. Later corrals cross the line a few minutes after that, and the cutoffs run on the clock, not your chip.
Splits
Your Marine Corps Marathon02
Average pace
8:01/mi
- First half
- 1:45:02
- Second half
- 1:44:58
- Finish line
- 10:50 a.m.
Hover or tap a bar to see that mile.
| Checkpoint | Elapsed | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Top of Lee HighwayMile 2.5 · The high point of the course. Behind pace here is fine | 20:34 | 7:41 a.m. |
| GeorgetownMile 5 · Off the bridge and back on pace by now | 40:21 | 8:00 a.m. |
| Halfway, Hains PointMile 13.1 · Flat and exposed. Find a group to run with | 1:45:02 | 9:05 a.m. |
| DC gauntletMile 16.5 · Clear 15th St & Independence Ave by 12:33 p.m. | 2:12:10 | 9:32 a.m. |
| Beat the BridgeMile 20 · Reach 14th & D Streets by 1:15 p.m. | 2:40:10 | 10:00 a.m. |
| Crystal CityMile 23 · Crowds again. Gauntlet by 1:49 p.m. | 3:04:20 | 10:24 a.m. |
| FinishMile 26.2 · Marine Corps War Memorial | 3:30:00 | 10:50 a.m. |
Save it to your phone, or send the link to the people cheering for you.
- Date
- Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Start time
- 7:20 a.m. ET (wheelchairs and duos a few minutes earlier)
- Start
- Route 110, between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery
- Finish
- Marine Corps War Memorial, Arlington (uphill)
- Time limit
- Clock-time cutoffs: 15th St & Independence Ave by 12:33 p.m., 14th & D Streets (mile 20) by 1:15 p.m., Crystal City by 1:49 p.m.
- Elevation gain
- About 460 ft
- Official site
- marinemarathon.com
- Profile
- A big climb in miles 1–3, flat from about mile 9 to 21, and an uphill finish
- Best for
- A scenic big-city marathon, or a PR if you pace the early hills well
- Biggest mistake
- Racing up Lee Highway in a crowded field, then fading on the bridge
- Cutoff
- Reach 14th & D Streets by 1:15 p.m. to cross the 14th Street Bridge
The course
Mile by mile, at your pace
- Miles0–3
Rosslyn & the Lee Highway climb Climb
You start on Route 110 between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, run north into Rosslyn, then head west up Lee Highway. The official profile rises from under 40 feet to about 220 feet by mile 2.5, all while the field is still packed. Run it by effort and don’t weave. You’ll get the time back on the way down.
8:12 /miMile 3 at 24:357:45 a.m.
- Miles3–5
Down to the river & Key Bridge Downhill
The course drops almost 200 feet in about a mile and a half, then crosses Key Bridge into Georgetown. Keep your stride short and quick on the descent. The quads you pound here are the ones you’ll need at mile 22.
7:53 /miMile 5 at 40:218:00 a.m.
- Miles5–10
Georgetown & Rock Creek Parkway Rolling
After Georgetown you run an out-and-back up Rock Creek Parkway, shaded and gently rolling, turning around past mile 7. The way back trends slightly downhill toward the Kennedy Center. It’s a good stretch to settle into goal pace and start fueling.
7:59 /miMile 10 at 1:20:138:40 a.m.
- Miles10–16
Hains Point Flat
Past the Lincoln Memorial, Ohio Drive takes you into East Potomac Park and around Hains Point. It’s flat and right at river level, but it’s also exposed and quiet, and the wind off the water can be stiff. Tuck into a group and keep your effort even.
8:00 /miMile 16 at 2:08:119:28 a.m.
- Miles16–20
The National Mall Flat
Independence Avenue brings you onto the Mall for a loop toward the Capitol and back, with the biggest crowds of the race. You must be through 15th Street and Independence Avenue by 12:33 p.m. Enjoy the noise, but don’t let it pull you under goal pace.
8:00 /miMile 20 at 2:40:1010:00 a.m.
- Miles20–21
Beat the Bridge Rolling
To cross the 14th Street Bridge back into Virginia you need to reach 14th and D Streets by 1:15 p.m. The bridge itself is long, exposed and almost silent, and it’s where a lot of runners meet the wall. Pick a runner ahead, focus on rhythm, and take a gel before you get on it.
7:59 /miMile 21 at 2:48:1010:08 a.m.
- Miles21–25
Pentagon & Crystal City Rolling
The crowds come back in Crystal City, where the course loops out and back with a gentle rise to about 85 feet around mile 23. The last gauntlet is 12th Street and Long Bridge Drive by 1:49 p.m. Then you head north past the Pentagon on Route 110.
8:00 /miMile 25 at 3:20:1010:40 a.m.
- Miles25–26.2
The climb to the War Memorial Climb
The finish is uphill: a short, steep rise to the Marine Corps War Memorial in the final stretch. Shorten your stride, drive your arms, and let the Marines lining the finish pull you up it.
8:04 /miFinish at 3:30:0010:50 a.m.
Every mile split for 3:30:00
| Mile | Terrain | Pace /mi | Elapsed | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Climb | 8:17 | 8:17 | 7:28 a.m. |
| 2 | Climb | 8:17 | 16:34 | 7:37 a.m. |
| 3 | Rolling | 8:00 | 24:35 | 7:45 a.m. |
| 4 | Downhill | 7:41 | 32:15 | 7:52 a.m. |
| 5 | Rolling | 8:05 | 40:21 | 8:00 a.m. |
| 6 | Rolling | 7:58 | 48:19 | 8:08 a.m. |
| 7 | Flat | 8:04 | 56:23 | 8:16 a.m. |
| 8 | Flat | 7:59 | 1:04:22 | 8:24 a.m. |
| 9 | Flat | 7:55 | 1:12:17 | 8:32 a.m. |
| 10 | Flat | 7:57 | 1:20:13 | 8:40 a.m. |
| 11 | Flat | 7:59 | 1:28:13 | 8:48 a.m. |
| 12 | Flat | 7:59 | 1:36:12 | 8:56 a.m. |
| 13 | Flat | 7:58 | 1:44:09 | 9:04 a.m. |
| 14 | Flat | 7:59 | 1:52:08 | 9:12 a.m. |
| 15 | Flat | 8:00 | 2:00:09 | 9:20 a.m. |
| 16 | Flat | 8:02 | 2:08:11 | 9:28 a.m. |
| 17 | Flat | 8:00 | 2:16:10 | 9:36 a.m. |
| 18 | Flat | 8:01 | 2:24:11 | 9:44 a.m. |
| 19 | Flat | 7:58 | 2:32:09 | 9:52 a.m. |
| 20 | Rolling | 8:01 | 2:40:10 | 10:00 a.m. |
| 21 | Flat | 7:59 | 2:48:10 | 10:08 a.m. |
| 22 | Flat | 8:08 | 2:56:17 | 10:16 a.m. |
| 23 | Flat | 8:02 | 3:04:20 | 10:24 a.m. |
| 24 | Flat | 7:56 | 3:12:16 | 10:32 a.m. |
| 25 | Flat | 7:55 | 3:20:10 | 10:40 a.m. |
| 26 | Flat | 8:02 | 3:28:12 | 10:48 a.m. |
| Finish | Climb | 8:14 | 3:30:00 | 10:50 a.m. |
Lap your watch at each marker; GPS distance drifts over 26.2 miles. Even-pace card for 3:30:00
Race strategy
How to pace the Marine Corps Marathon
Save something for the bridge
The 14th Street Bridge at mile 20 is flat, but it’s long, exposed and quiet, which makes it feel harder than it looks. If you arrive there with energy left, the Crystal City crowds will carry you to the final hill.
Know the gauntlets
The course has three time cutoffs on the clock, not your chip: 12:33 p.m. on the Mall, 1:15 p.m. at the bridge, 1:49 p.m. in Crystal City. If you start in a late corral, that delay counts against you.
The last few weeks
Train for this course
- Put a sustained one- to two-mile climb in the first few miles of some long runs, then settle into marathon pace on flat ground.
- Practice controlled downhill running so the drop to Key Bridge doesn’t wreck your quads.
- Finish a few long runs with a short, steep hill, the way the race ends at the War Memorial.
Race-day weather
Late October in Washington is usually cool at the start, often in the 40s or 50s°F, and it can warm into the 60s by the time slower runners finish. Rain and wind are both possible, and the open stretches at Hains Point and on the 14th Street Bridge feel the wind most.
Race morning
Getting to the start
- Runners Village is in the North Pentagon parking lot. Take Metro to the Pentagon or Pentagon City station rather than driving.
- Everyone, runners and spectators, goes through security screening at the start and finish, so leave extra time.
- Gear check uses the clear plastic bag from packet pickup. Drop it at the UPS truck for your bib number in Runners Village, and collect it at the Finish Festival in Rosslyn (Wilson Blvd & N. Lynn St).
- Wheelchairs start at 7:05 a.m., duos at 7:07 a.m., and all runners at 7:20 a.m.
Questions runners ask.
What does “Beat the Bridge” mean?
To stay on the course after mile 20, you have to reach 14th and D Streets, just before the 14th Street Bridge, by 1:15 p.m. Runners who miss it are moved off the course. There are two other gauntlets: 15th Street and Independence Avenue by 12:33 p.m., and 12th Street and Long Bridge Drive by 1:49 p.m.
Is the Marine Corps Marathon a hilly course?
The hills are bunched at the ends. Miles 1–3 climb almost 200 feet up Lee Highway, there’s a gentle rise in Crystal City around mile 23, and the finish is uphill. Most of the middle is flat and close to river level.
Can I qualify for Boston at MCM?
Yes. The course is USATF-certified, so qualifying times count. The early hills and the uphill finish make it a little slower than the flattest courses, so pace the opening miles conservatively.
Where should friends and family watch?
Rosslyn early on, Georgetown around mile 5, and the National Mall, where the course passes in both directions between about miles 16 and 20. Crystal City around miles 22–24 is also lively. Use Metro, since roads around the course close.
Last checked October 20, 2026. This is an independent guide from Miles. We’re not affiliated with the race organizer. Start times, cutoffs, and logistics can change, so confirm everything on the official race site before race day.
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