Marine Corps Marathon route and course map
The Marine Corps Marathon route in order, Pentagon to the War Memorial: the 1:15 p.m. bridge cut-off at mile 20, about 14 m of net climb and pacing.
The Marine Corps Marathon starts between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, runs through Rosslyn into Washington for Georgetown and the National Mall, crosses back to Virginia over the 14th Street Bridge at mile 20, and finishes uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial. It climbs about 14 m net, and the bridge closes at 1:15 p.m.
USATF certified
Marine Corps Marathon
Arlington, VA
- Distance
- Marathon
- Net climb
- 14m46 ft
Verified Oct 11, 2026 from marinemarathon.com
The Marine Corps Marathon course, in order
The organizer publishes the route as an overview and a numbered list of water points; we have put them in course order. Mile numbers appear only where the organizer gives them.
| Mile or point | Where |
|---|---|
| Start | Between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery |
| Water point 1 | Eastbound Lee Highway, between Wayne and Adams Streets |
| Water point 2 | M and 33rd Streets NW, Georgetown |
| Water points 3 and 4 | Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway |
| Water point 5 | Independence Avenue and Ohio Drive SW, West Potomac Park |
| Mile 12 | Hains Point: the wear blue Mile |
| Approaching 14 | After the Blue Mile |
| Water point 7 | Raoul Wallenberg Place and Independence Avenue SW |
| 18 to 19 | National Mall, past the Capitol |
| 20 | 14th and D Streets, then the 14th Street Bridge |
| Water point 10 | Army-Navy Drive at Eads Street |
| Approaching 24 | Long Bridge Park, Crystal City |
| Water point 12 | Boundary Channel Drive, North Pentagon |
| Finish | Marine Corps War Memorial |
Source: Marine Corps Marathon, Map and Race Day pages (2026 race). Checked 11 October 2026.
The three gauntlets
Clock-time cut-offs on the 2026 course. Runners who miss one are diverted off the certified course and are not official finishers.
| Gauntlet | Cut-off |
|---|---|
| DC Gauntlet | 12:33 p.m. |
| Beat the Bridge (mile 20) | 1:15 p.m. |
| Crystal City Gauntlet | 1:49 p.m. |
Source: Marine Corps Marathon, Map page. Checked 11 October 2026.
Elevation: a small net climb and an uphill finish
The Marine Corps Marathon describes its own finish as uphill, and the numbers agree the course gains a little overall. The USA Track and Field certificate VA25002LMJ lists a drop of -0.33 m per km, which works out to the finish being about 14 m higher than the start. That certificate is titled for the 2025 race, and the map the organizer links for 2026 is the 2025 certified course map, so we treat the figure as current until a new certificate appears.
The organizer states the course is USATF-certified and that finish times can be used to qualify for Boston. The Boston qualifying times page has the standards and the 2027 cut-off.
How to pace the Marine Corps Marathon
This section is Runsy's advice, not the Marine Corps Marathon's.
- Know your gauntlet math before race day. The bridge closes at 1:15 p.m. at mile 20. From a 7:20 a.m. gun that is 5 hours 55 minutes for 20 miles, an average of 17:45 per mile counted from the gun, not from when you cross the start line. If you start late in the field, your real margin is smaller.
- Run the first half at goal pace, not faster. The early miles through Rosslyn, Georgetown and the parkway are easy to rush.
- Use Hains Point to reset. The organizer calls the wear blue Mile at mile 12 a sobering segment of the course. Settle your effort there before the National Mall.
- Save something for the last few hundred metres. The finish is uphill to the Marine Corps War Memorial. Empty the tank in Crystal City and the climb will find you out.
The organizer calls this the best marathon for beginners. If it is your first, start with the 16-week beginner marathon plan; if you are chasing a time, the marathon pace chart turns a goal into splits.
Training for the next Marine Corps Marathon?
Your plan · free preview
16-week marathon plan
Intermediate · 4 runs a week
Starts next Monday
Level
Length
- Longest run
- 20mi
- Biggest week
- 42mi
- Whole plan
- 464mi
Train for this in Runsy
$12.99/mo after a 7-day free trial. iPhone only.
The app builds your own plan when you set it up; this preview is a guide.
Week by week · 16 weeks · in miles
| Week | Phase | Long run | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | base | 9.9 | 22 |
| 2 | base | 11 | 24 |
| 3 | base | 12 | 27 |
| 4 | cutback | 8.7 | 19 |
| 5 | build | 14 | 30 |
| 6 | build | 15 | 32 |
| 7 | build | 16 | 35 |
| 8 | cutback | 11 | 24 |
| 9 | build | 17 | 38 |
| 10 | build | 19 | 41 |
| 11 | peak | 20 | 42 |
| 12 | peak | 20 | 42 |
| 13 | taper | 13 | 27 |
| 14 | taper | 8.7 | 19 |
| 15 | taper | 5.6 | 12 |
| 16 | race | 26.2 | 31 |
Train to beat the bridge
Knowing the course is the easy part. Runsy builds the marathon block for your race date and adapts it around the weeks life interrupts. $12.99/mo after a 7-day free trial. iPhone only.
Runsy is on iPhone
Point your iPhone camera at the code to open it in the App Store.
Runsy is iPhone-only for now.
Everything on this page stays free to use on any phone, with no account needed.
$12.99/mo after a 7-day free trialiPhone only
$12.99/mo after a 7-day free trialiPhone only
Fair questions
What time does the Marine Corps Marathon start?
For the 2026 race on October 25, all runners start at 7:20 a.m. EDT. The wheels division starts at 7:05 a.m. and duos at 7:07 a.m.
What is the route of the Marine Corps Marathon?
It starts between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, runs through Rosslyn, crosses into Washington to tour Georgetown and the National Mall, returns to Arlington over the 14th Street Bridge at mile 20, passes the Pentagon, winds through Crystal City and finishes uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Is the Marine Corps Marathon a flat course?
Mostly level in net terms, with an uphill finish. The USATF certificate for the course (VA25002LMJ) puts the finish about 14 m higher than the start, and the organizer itself describes the finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial as uphill.
What is the Beat the Bridge cut-off?
Every runner must reach the intersection of 14th and D Streets, before the 14th Street Bridge at mile 20, by 1:15 p.m. There are two more gauntlets: the DC Gauntlet at 12:33 p.m. and the Crystal City Gauntlet at 1:49 p.m. Runners diverted at a gauntlet can keep running but are not official finishers.
How do you get into the Marine Corps Marathon?
For 2026, general registration opened on April 6, 2026 at a standard rate of $240, and the organizer's event page now says the event is sold out. MCM charity partners offer guaranteed entry. We found no 2027 registration dates on the organizer's site as of 11 October 2026.
Can you qualify for Boston at the Marine Corps Marathon?
Yes. The organizer states the course is USATF-certified and that official finish times can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon.