The 31st Marine Corps Marathon will offer spectators new technology and twice the split mat locations to effectively track runners throughout race day on Sunday, October 29. All 34,000 runners will be provided a single use chip that upon contact with the eight timing mats will relay the participant's pace, time, and location.

Remote Runner Tracking, now available for registration on www.marinemarathon.com allows spectators to receive split times and finish information as it happens via text message, pager or e-mail. This free service helps spectators follow runners throughout the course and meet them for the celebration at the finish line. Spectators will be updated at each of the split locations on the course (start, 5 mile, 10 mile, 13.1 mile, 15 mile, 20 mile, and 23.5 mile markers) and also at the finish line.

Family, friends, and spectators can also take advantage of the Cisco Check Your Runners Stations on race day to obtain real time split results for runners. Located at the 13.1 mile mark, the Crystal City Street Spectacular and the Finish Festival in Rosslyn, the Check Your Runner Stations allows spectators to input a runner's bib number or last name and check for pace times and results.

"Over the years, the MCM has remained on the cutting edge of race technology," said Rick Nealis, MCM Race Director. "I am proud to see this element of the MCM continue to evolve and provide greater service to spectators as they cheer and motivate their runners throughout the course."

A new technology feature at the MCM finish line is the USAA Map Track booth. Located just behind the bleachers at the finish line, the USAA Map Track booth will offer spectators a real-time representation of a runner's progress on a simplified MCM Course Map, based on pace time data. Multiple runners may be tracked on the same map. USAA Map Track is also available online on race day at www.marinemarathon.com.

For race information go to www.marinemarathon.com.