Marine Corps Marathon Sees Heightened Security

The 35th annual Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) will see heightened security in light of recent shooting at Marine Corps-related facilities; though runners should not expect any significant impact on race day.

The FBI confirmed Friday that shots fired during the night at the Pentagon were related to other shootings throughout VA and likely came from a gunman with a "grievance" toward the Marines. The MCM route will remain the same.

At a press conference Friday, Marine Corps only briefly addressed safety concerns, focusing instead on notable racers and the presence of Greek officials to mark the anniversary of the very first marathon.

Col. Daniel J. Choike, base commander at Quantico, said the organizers of the marathon have worked in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies with the lead of Arlington County for security around the race. Choike said this cooperation has lead to safe races in the past and assured that "this year is going to be no different."

Choike added that the MCM is "cooperating with the FBI" and that "additional measures being put in place to what is already a robust security plan." Choike was unwilling to share details on the heightened security measures, saying he could not share where the security features would be located or what purpose they served. He reiterated that the team was doing "everything possible" and that security would be "detailed" and "robust." 

Col. J. Johnson addressed the crowd saying, "the message I have today is that the marines had landed at the 35th Marine Corps Marathon and the situation is well in hand," prompting shouts of "hoo-rah" from the Marines in attendance.

Johnson provided lostical information on the event listing the remarkable amount of supplies on-hand for hte event: 50,000 bottles of water, 34,000 gallons of water for water cups, 26,000 cliff shots, 16,000 lbs. of ice, 12,000 ft. of bike racks and 5,000 traffic cones. To top it off,  "over 700 porta johns for the marathon, not Comedy Central," said Johnson referring to the hubbub over the Stewart/Colbert rally Saturday.

This year's race will feature 43,000 runners participating in three events: the marathon, a 10k race and a kids run. There will be 11,000 first-time runners participating on Sunday.

In honor of the 35th anniversary and the 2,500th anniversary of the original marathon, a flame from the Tomb of the Athenians has been loaned to the MCM for the event.