Earlier today, MCMO live-streamed a Q&A session. See it all here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=488824364325862&rdid=lhmRMkdjkGAXqAio
Stephen Chan, a contributor on the Marine Corps Marathon & 10k Club FB group wrote up the following notes. Mine follow his.
-----
Most of what he covered was in the new updates published on the MCM website:
The slides he showed will be available later. (Update: MCMO posted the slides: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1S4VEwb6ox/ ). Also, the shirt on "Manny" the mannequin behind Alex is this year's 50th MCM participant quarter zip shirt (back design was on display).
My notes of additional/new items not covered on the website:
• 40,000 runners this year, so larger than Boston Marathon and 3rd largest marathon in the US.
• Video livestream will be available in the MCM app:
• Finish line will have a video camera so people can watch finishers crossing the finish line.
• Alex reiterated no regular access to the start line from the north (Rosslyn). He explained this will be used by Armed Forces runners, seeded runners, elites, adaptive athletes because they need to be at the start line by a certain time.
• Due to the large number of runners, Alex estimated 6 runners/sec will be crossing the finish line.
• After crossing the finish line, there will be MarathonFoto photo stations at the War Memorial to take your photo.
• Alex mentioned "surprise secret premiums" (especially if you're cold), as you make your way to the exit from the War Memorial.
• Alex pointed out the beer tent at the Finish Festival, so maybe he saw Fogell Mcloving's post about his Quantico 12K beer coupon? 
After his presentation, Alex and the MCMO staff answered some of the questions posted in Facebook and Instagram during the livestream. My notes on some of the information from the answers:
• Race starts at 7:20 am, hope to clear all runners by 8:20 am.
• There are course changes this year, and updated maps will be published after course certification. For example, the 2025 start line to be moved closer to where the 2023 start line was (Note: the 2024 start line was moved further back closer to the Pentagon parking lot/Runners Village). Also, if I heard correctly, the 2024 out-and-back loop by the Jefferson Memorial is eliminated this year.
• This year's 50th MCM participant shirt is a quarter zip.
• For regular runners coming from Rosslyn: Use the Rosslyn Metro station to travel to the Pentagon Metro station; or use rideshare/rides to the Kiss & Run drop off on Army Navy Drive.
• There will be breaks between the waves of runners at the start line.
• Charity runners: MCMO will meet with charities this Thursday at a "Charity Summit." Afterwards, your charity will communicate how to access the Charity Village on race day.
• Real beer from Stone Brewing at this year's beer tent.
• Bib pickup scheduling to begin Oct. 16 via e-mail sent from MCM.
• Advised coming to the Expo/bib pickup on Friday, since more traffic at the Expo on Saturday.
• Expo shuttle info will be in the MCM app; highly recommend parking at the Eisenhower Metro station, and using the Expo shuttle from there because Expo parking will be limited and not free.
Whew! 
I know this is not an exhaustive list, so for anyone else that attended the livestream, please post anything else you heard that I didn't cover above! Given all the questions I saw posted during the livestream, I love how we can share info with one another in our group!
I know this is not an exhaustive list, so for anyone else that attended the livestream, please post anything else you heard that I didn't cover above! Given all the questions I saw posted during the livestream, I love how we can share info with one another in our group! -----
Some additional notes from me (trying not to duplicate what Stephen wrote):
Race morning shuttle service:
From the Gaylord National resort to the Eisenhower Metro station, take the Yellow line to Pentagon, then walk (~.5 miles) to Runner's village. (Metro opens at 5am)
From Crystal City (near 23rd St. & Crystal Drive) to Army/Navy Drive entrance approach to Runner's Village. [Rideshare and kiss-and-ride can also drop off here. But give LOTS of time.]
Post-race shuttle service:
To get to National Harbor area/Gaylord National, get on Rosslyn Metro Yellow line back to Eisenhower Metro station and catch shuttle from there.
To get to Crystal City area, go to buses north of the finish area at Oak St. & Wilson Blvd.
While he notes that taking the Metro from Rosslyn will be the best way to exit the area, based on previous personal experience and the fact that the field is SO much larger than ever before, if you are finishing anywhere from 3.5 hours or later, it will be a MADHOUSE to get into the station, onto the platform, and into the trains. Bring your patience. It could easily take 30-60 minutes just to get to the turnstiles if you're there at peak finishing/departure times.
It came across as if there will actually be more "formalized" wave chutes for red, gold, and green waves (based on expected finished times). In previous years, while still color coded, there was pretty lax enforcement of the seeding. There will be about 4-5 minutes between waves. Unclear if all of Red, Gold, and Green are three waves, or if each of the different time-related "towers" will be individual waves.
The Finish Festival is restricted to runners only. That is very different from previous years, where friends and family would not only be there, but they would be crowding around the exit from the finisher's chute after we get our refreshments. Family link-up area is at the bottom of the UPS truck baggage pick-up area at Wilson Blvd. & N. Lynn St. (Previously, they had some of the trucks on this area and some of them further up along the road where the beer tent and watermelon stand are located.) But they also indicated that family will be able to join in on at least some of the finish festival, at least on Wilson Blvd. (A bit confusing the way they were presenting it, frankly.)
Gauntlets are based on last official starter in Green wave crossing the start line at approximately 8:20am (an hour after the elites cross first).
Beat the Bridge gauntlet: 1:15pm (14 - 15-minute pace needed for this last person to hit that mark; while advertising a 14-minute pace needed, they expect to be able to give a 15-minute pace -- but still train as if it will be 14 minutes per mile, don't rely on extra buffers!)
To find the app (once it is updated), look for MCMO or Marine Corps Marathon Organization inside your App Store. It likely won't have all the updates until sometime in October. Keep it year-round for all of the other races that MCMO puts on.
Expo hours at Gaylord National are Friday 10am - 8pm (Armed Forces Opening Ceremony to take place at the National Harbor plaza), and Saturday 10am - 6pm. Interestingly enough, they said that the shuttle service from the Metro to Gaylord National Harbor will start at 8am (despite expo not opening until 10am). There's also a shakeout run on Saturday morning from 8-10am
E-mail with the e-card/QR code for bib pickup will be sent out THREE times in the days leading up to the marathon. Check your e-mail and spam early and often. Time selection window of when you plan to arrive at the expo will be a SEPARATE e-mail from the QR code.
No comments:
Post a Comment