The 51st Marine Corps Marathon ran Oct. 25, finishing in Rosslyn. The organizer lists the next race for Sunday, Oct. 31, 2027; registration opens in 2027.

Last checked Oct. 27, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Race facts come from the Marine Corps Marathon Organization the Rosslyn Business Improvement District and the Arlington County Police Department.

The 51st Marine Corps Marathon ran Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, starting on Route 110 in Arlington and finishing uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn. All race-weekend road closures have ended. The organizer’s race page lists the next marathon for Sunday, Oct. 31, 2027, and says registration is coming in 2027. The race calls itself “The People’s Marathon”: it offers no prize money, and the organizer says it is the third largest marathon in the United States. Official race page: marinemarathon.com.

Updated Oct. 27: the 2026 race is over and its road closures have ended; the organizer now lists Oct. 31, 2027, for the next race.

What this means for you

  • Next race: Sunday, Oct. 31, 2027, per the organizer. Start times and closures are set closer to the day.
  • Registration: the organizer says it is coming in 2027. The 2026 standard rate was $240.
  • Roads: in 2026 southbound Route 110 closed from about 4 p.m. the Saturday before, and dozens of Rosslyn, Pentagon City and Crystal City streets closed from about 3 a.m. race day.
  • Getting around on race day: take Metro, which opened at 5 a.m. in 2026.

When it is

Race weekend runs Wednesday through Sunday. The 2026 weekend schedule shows how it works; the 2027 schedule is not out yet:

Event When Where
Health and Fitness Expo and packet pickup Noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22-24 National Building Museum, Washington
MCM 8K 7:20 to 8:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 West Potomac Park
MCM Kids Run, ages 5 to 12 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 Listed at West Potomac Park
Marathon wheelchair and handcycle start 7:05 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 Route 110, Arlington
Marathon duos start 7:07 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 Route 110, Arlington
Marathon runners start 7:20 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 Route 110, Arlington
Finish Festival 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 Downtown Rosslyn

The day opens at 7 a.m. with the March on Colors and the national anthem, and Howitzer blasts start the race. Packet pickup is not available on race morning.

The course through Arlington

The course map page describes the route: runners begin between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, run through Rosslyn, cross into Washington to tour Georgetown and the National Mall, “beat the bridge” back over the 14th Street Bridge, pass the Pentagon, wind through Crystal City and finish uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial. The first water point is on eastbound Langston Boulevard (the race page still calls it Lee Highway) between Wayne and Adams streets; later ones in Arlington are near Army Navy Drive at Eads Street, on Long Bridge Drive and at the North Pentagon parking area, per the race day page.

Runners must keep a 14-minute-mile pace and clear three cutoffs: the DC Gauntlet by 12:33 p.m., the 14th Street Bridge at mile 20 by 1:15 p.m., and the Crystal City Gauntlet by 1:49 p.m. Runners who miss the Crystal City cutoff are diverted at 12th Street South where it becomes Crystal Drive.

Road closures and parking

This is how the roads closed in 2026; the county publishes each year’s list about a week before the race.

The Rosslyn BID warns of significant road closures and garage impacts in Rosslyn and throughout Arlington County on race day. Arlington County police published the street-by-street closure list on Oct. 16, and our Marine Corps Marathon road closures story sets out every road and its hours. In short:

  • From about 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24: southbound Route 110, Washington Boulevard to Route 1, until about 5 p.m. Sunday
  • About 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday: Route 110 both ways, Wilson Boulevard and Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn, Army Navy Drive, and the I-395 exits to the Pentagon and Route 110
  • About 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday: eastbound Langston Boulevard from Lynn Street to Kirkwood Road, Lynn Street to Key Bridge, and Crystal Drive and Long Bridge Drive in Crystal City

Watch for temporary “No Parking” signs: police said illegally parked cars will be ticketed or towed.

Runners Village is in the North Pentagon Parking Lot, and runners are told to use the Pentagon and Pentagon City Metro stations. The organizer advises spectators to take Metro as well, buy a one-day pass, and allow for weekend waits of up to 15 minutes. Metro opens at 5 a.m. on race day.

Watching the race

The organizer’s spectator plan lets you see a runner in up to five places. From Arlington the simplest version is:

  • Walk across Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial for miles 10 and 16.
  • Take Metro to Crystal City Station for the late miles in Crystal City.
  • Take Metro to Rosslyn, or the MCM shuttle from 23rd Street in Crystal City, for the finish.

Stay on the curb or sidewalk, do not cross the course, and follow directions from police and Marines. All runners and spectators are screened when they arrive at the start and finish areas. Track-A-Runner text updates and the MCM app give live split times.

The Finish Festival in Rosslyn

The Finish Festival ran 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 2026 in downtown Rosslyn, a short walk from the finish line. It has live music on the Arlington stage and booths along Meade and Lynn streets, Fort Myer and Fairfax drives and Wilson Boulevard, plus food and beer. Runners pick up checked bags from the UPS trucks at Wilson Boulevard and North Lynn Street. The MCM info tent is on the Route 50 overpass in Rosslyn, and the Red Cross medical information tent is at Lynn Street and Fairfax Drive.

To meet a runner, use the Family Link Up area in the festival: 13-foot yellow towers carry the letters of the alphabet, and you wait at the letter of the runner’s last name. The Rosslyn BID has a post-race guide to coffee and food near the finish.

Tickets and registration

Watching is free. Running is not: the 2026 standard rate was $240, with no deferrals and no transfers. Registration opens in phases, starting with the past year’s finishers, active duty members and the Runners Club in late October and November; general registration for 2026 opened April 6. The Run With A Charity partners also hold bibs. Runners must pick up their bib in person at the expo, with the e-card and a photo ID, or send a proxy with copies of both.

More race weekends in Arlington

The Army Ten-Miler starts and finishes at the Pentagon each October, two weeks before the marathon. For the rest of the month, see things to do in Arlington this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next Marine Corps Marathon?

The organizer’s race page lists Sunday, Oct. 31, 2027, for the next marathon. The 51st race ran Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, starting on Route 110 in Arlington at 7:20 a.m.

Where does the Marine Corps Marathon finish?

Uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn. In 2026 the free Finish Festival ran 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Rosslyn, a short walk from the finish.

How do spectators get around on Marine Corps Marathon day?

The organizer says Metro is the best way, because of road closures. Metro opens at 5 a.m. on race day, and the start uses the Pentagon and Pentagon City stations.

How much does the Marine Corps Marathon cost?

The 2026 standard rate was $240. The organizer says registration for the 2027 race is coming in 2027; for 2026, general registration opened April 6.

Where do I meet my runner after the Marine Corps Marathon?

At the Family Link Up area in the Rosslyn Finish Festival, under 13-foot yellow towers lettered by the runner’s last name.