Online excitement is ‘volcanic’ as 12,041 runners registered in the first hour public registration opened for the Marine Corps Marathon, filling over 36 percent of the 30,000 available entries. The 36th MCM will be held on Sunday, Oct. 30 in Arlington, VA and the nation’s capital.
“It’s always an exciting to see how quickly runners register for the ‘The People’s Marathon’ which attracts runners to participate for so many different reasons,” says MCM Director Rick Nealis.
The first participant to register for the MCM was Christopher Donner of Williamsville, NY, while Bernadette Fitzsimmons of Alberta, Canada was the first international participant to register.
The MCM also topped all searchable items on Google today prior to registration opening at noon Eastern and the MCM attracted 1,400 new Facebook fans, increasing the following to 24,390.
Registration opened on Feb. 23, to commemorate the flag raisings during the Battle of Iwo Jima during WWII. The MCM finishes at the Marine Corps War Memorial which memorializes that historical event.
Voted the best marathon for families, the Marine Corps Marathon honors the dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. Runners from all walks of life participate in the largest marathon not to offer prize money, earning the name, “The People’s Marathon.” The MCM is the fifth largest marathon in the United States and the ninth largest in the world.
No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is implied. For media information regarding the Marine Corps Marathon and other running events, contact Tami Faram, MCM Public Relations Coordinator at tami.faram@usmc.mil or (703) 432-1840.
