Even as a startup race way back in 1976, the Marine Corps Marathon was an instant hit — and has only continued to grow and expand in popularity a half-century later.
In that initial year the race attracted a bit more than 1,100 runners, an impressive number for an upstart event. Today the participation total has swelled to between 35,000 to 40,000 each year, making it the third largest marathon in the U.S., and the largest race in the world that does not offer prize money.
Known as a common-man’s race that is nicknamed “The People’s Marathon,” it has no entry lottery, is open to anyone over age 14 and is beginner-friendly. The focus is about everyday runners, personal goals and community.
Many runners choose the race as their first marathon.
The fully-paved 26.2-mile race runs through Arlington and the District of Columbia crossing the Key and 14th Street bridges, passing the Pentagon, Kennedy Center, National Mall and many monuments along the way, and is traditionally held on the morning of the last Sunday in October.
This year’s race is Sunday, Oct. 25 with runners starting at 7:20 a.m. on Route 110 in Arlington between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. The finish is at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.
The race starts with the sound of a 105mm Howitzer. There will be entertainment and water stations throughout the course.
One local runner who used the Marine Corps Marathon to gain experience is Arlington resident Bob Mathew. That occurred in 2018.
Mathew said he “limped to the finish” because he had not properly trained for that race. But he learned a lot from the experience, which helped him improve significantly when running future marathons.
“I learned what I had to do differently and prepare much more thoroughly after the Marine Corp race,” Mathew said.
By finishing the New York City Marathon in recent months, the 61-year-old became one of roughly 40,000 runners worldwide who have completed the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. Those 26.2-mile races are the Berlin, London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago and New York events.
One year a while back, a standout boys high-school cross-country runner in Northern Virginia went against his coach’s advice and entered the Marine Corps Marathon anyhow, his first such event. He finished and said he ran “OK.”
But just a couple of days later, he did not run well in a postseason high-school championship race, resulting in scoldings from his teammates and coaches.
The fastest times in the marathons are owned by former college runners Jeff Scuffins in the men’s race and Tessa Barrett in the women’s contest. Scuffins ran 2:14.01 in 1987 and Barrett clocked a time of 2:34.08 just last year.
Scuffins attended North Hagerstown High School in Maryland, then later ran at Clemson University. Barrett went to high school in Pennsylvania and ran for Penn State.
In addition to Barrett, who was the women’s champion for the second straight year, the 2025 men’s winner was Kyle King of Quantico. The victory was his third in the event, also winning in 2022 and 2024.
Some famous finishers of the race have been actor Drew Carey; politicians Al Gore, John Edwards, Adrian Fenty and Mike Huckabee; First Lady Jill Biden; Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; media personality Ted Koppel; country singer Richie McDonald; and, maybe most notable, Oprah Winfrey.
A couple of past local winners were Darrell General (1995 and 1997) and Peter Sherry (2003). Each were once longtime high-school cross-country and track-and-field coaches in Northern Virginia.
At least two members of the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame, Jay Jacob Wind and the late Anne Viviani, ran in past Marine Corps Marathons and achieved high finishes in their age groups.
Limited registration opportunities remained for the 2026 running of the marathon and several related races as of Sept. 23. Marathon participants are expected to keep a pace of 14 minutes per mile.
