Legends, Laurels and the MCM move
Marc Goldman drops a major PCS bombshell at the MCM Press Conference
Marc Goldman addresses the crowds at the opening ceremony.
By Chris Leyen
National Press Club, Washington, DC--The Marine Corps Marathon is big. 30,000 gallons of on-course water big, 1,900 volunteers and 160,000 safety pins big. 3-day 5-7% increase in the population of Washington, DC big. The USMC's largest annual PR event packs a punch, even touting two 155mm howitzers and a pair of V-22 Osprey. But, the race wasn't always 40,000 registrants strong and though it was the 6th largest US marathon in 2014, it is not renowned solely for its size, but its substance, earning the title "The Greatest Marathon in the United States" from Bart Yasso of Runner's World. In paying homage to its roots, the 40th Annual Marine Corps Marathon Press Conference, hosted by Race Director Rick Nealis and Sponsorship/Marketing Manager Marc Goldman looked both forward and backward, featuring words from Col. Al Richmond--one of two remaining Groundpounders who have run every MCM since the race's inception and who would go on to complete his 40th consecutive Marine Corps Marathon Sunday--as well as televised remarks from Richard Morse with the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, bringing us big news for the future of ‘the people's marathon' in 2016.
Approaching the conference room in the National Press Club--its wood-paneled walls framed with heads of state and Pulitzer-winning photographs--we were met by uniformed Marines exhibiting exuberant cordiality and professionalism. One immediately gets a sense of the gravitas...and joy, of the occasion. This is reinforced as I join Tim Kilduff, race-director for the 1983-84 Boston Marathon. I'm sitting with Bob Platt, who has run Boston thirteen times, and just having run my first half in May, feeling a bit like an outsider. But, as I find with any running community, I didn't stay an outsider for long. Welcomed in by storied runners and race directors, we dined on sandwiches and custom-decorated MCM cookies as local and regional ambassadors of the sport connected and swapped stories.Marc Goldman began, speaking to the enormity of the event. 29,983 people registered for the Ruby Anniversary MCM nearly 10,000 registered for the 10k (9,532), including 8,969 service men and women and 18,000 first-time marathoners. 23,194 marathoners and 7,777 10k runners would go on to finish Sunday in the shadow of Iwo Jima. Throughout the course, Marines, friends and family, and enthusiastic members of the DC Metro area would cheer on the runners, encouraging their undertaking of monumental personal achievement. But, as Marc, and--later on Sunday--the "blue mile", reminded us, some run for more: the loss of a loved one to cancer or another debilitating disease, or for this race in particular, to honor those who give their lives overseas and at home in the protection of this country and give us all--regardless of race, creed or gender--the freedom to run.
Allan Wyatt, running this MCM in honor of his son, Staff Sgt. David Allan Wyatt who was killed in the July 16 ISIS-inspired terror attack in Chattanooga, TN would bring this message of memorial home. David was the original inspiration for Allan Wyatt to begin racing, challenging his father who previously would have considered himself far from a runner, to complete his first MCM. This marathon was Allan's 10th and it won't be his last. In 2016, 16 of David's siblings, cousins, and friends will join Allan to honor David and all who give their lives in service of this country.Next, Groundpounder Al Richmond of Arlington, VA spoke to the heritage of the MCM as a road race. He recalled the first MCM, with 1,018 finishers, only 24 of whom were women, and contrasted that to the near 30,000 who were slated to run that Sunday. He spoke to the advancement of race tech, of that first MCM where race officials collected tongue depressors at the finish; of serving as one of the "Automatic Data Processing Members" who would be responsible for sorting the results out, to be delivered days, not minutes, after the finish. This stood, he said, in stark contrast to today, where thousands more would run, times recorded automatically by RFID transponders affixed to race numbers. He spoke to the time they strove to prepare for a potential heat wave, buying up 6-packs of all the remaining waters from the few 7-11s still open at midnight the evening of the race. This year, 50,000 bottles of water, 27,000 bottles of Gatorade, and 65 kegs of Michelob Ultra awaited finishers at Iwo Jima and the Finish Festival and 30,072 gallons of water were available on-course. The race is now a year-long logistical endeavor. Al Richmond, wearing bib #40, would go on to complete his 40th consecutive MCM in 5:52:06 (net time). The other remaining Groundpounder, Will Brown of Raleigh, NC finished his 40th in 7:41:02, both runners now logging a total of 1,048 Marine Corps Marathon miles each.
The marathon tradition was further brought into focus by Dmitri Kyriakides--Goodwill Ambassador of the Municipality of Marathon, Greece and son of Stylianos Kyriakides, winner of the 1946 Boston Marathon--as he presented the Gold, Silver, and Bronze wreaths awarded to the top finishers Sunday. He spoke of the origins of the modern marathon: the soldier who ran 26.2 miles in full armor to bring news of the Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon, and to the spirit that the marathon evokes in those that complete the feat.
The biggest news of the day came as Marc Goldman again took the podium. 2016 would mark the first year of Marine Corps Marathons Event HQ Hotel's Permanent Change of Station. MCM weekend 2016 will be held in National Harbor at the Gaylord National Resort. This is not the first move for the MCM, having undergone several changes due to the growth in size of the race and as a result of 9/11. After thanking the previous host of the MCM, Events DC and Hyatt Regency, for their support over the years, Marc announced, in anticipation of this move, that 300 VIP packages would be made available for early purchase. Those willing to shell out the $1500/entry would be guaranteed entry to the marathon for 2016, two nights at the Gaylord National, MCM VIP status, as well as tickets to the re-race carbo-load dinner, runners brunch, and shuttle service to the start line. This move is significant. The MCM brings over $100,000,000 in economic impact to the DC metro area and we will see how the new challenges and amenities of the move shape the MCM in the coming years.Rick Nealis, MCM Race Director since 1993, closed by reminding us that the ruby is said to possess an internal flame, signifying the MCM, the "People's Marathon", the "Back to the Future Marathon", the "Marathon of the Monuments" (by whatever name it was called during the press conference) is alive and strong after 40 years. We also learned members of the United States Armed Forces would join us in the 40th MCM at various locations from around the globe, even completing 26.2 miles on the deck of the Nimitz-class carrier, the U.S.S. George H. W. Bush.
The conference closed with Rick providing some perspective. The Marine Corps Marathon, the largest marathon in the world to not offer prize money, has impacted over 500,000 runners, and the featured runners were different as a result of the goal of the MCM to remain "The People's Marathon". Seamus Donahue would run in honor of his dad buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Mary Bradshaw in honor of her son KIA in Afghanistan, Jackie and Stephanie Little to honor their son and brother in their first marathon.In addition to those running in memoriam some featured runners also ran to be remembered.
Ret. Major John Von Ruden 4th MARDIV, 4th Recon Bn, Company D, attempted to break into the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest marathoner to juggle three objects barefoot. John completed his feat Sunday in 6:05:06, complete with a compliment of witness runners. However, his result will not make the record books, as all marathon-related records must be completed in less than 5 hours. You can follow John's exploits at johnthetypicalmarine.com.