2024 Marine Corps 10K
The Marine Corps 10K is part of the Marine Corps Marathon weekend, including a 50K.
Typically, I clear a path personally and professionally to lock into my training cycle and fight aggressively to keep anything from impacting my training. But, during Week 1 (late July), I was on vacation for my high school reunion in San Diego, California.
Week 2 ended with me traveling to Syracuse, New York, to visit my boyfriend’s family. I did my first marathon-pace run of the training cycle on the Erie Canalway Trail. I was home during Week 3, but it was so hot that my long run was on the treadmill. For Week 4, I went camping in Shenandoah National Park. So, it wasn’t until Week 5 (late August) that I started training consistently outdoors on the roads.
September was a solid month of training, and I consistently averaged 60 miles a week of running. During Week 10, my entry to the 2025 Boston Marathon was accepted based on my time from the 2024 Ottawa Marathon!
During Week 11, I ran a long run on Saturday and then spent the weekend with my boyfriend and our friends, who have a vacation spot in Massanutten, Virginia. I did my long run in Harrisonburg through James Madison University.
In the week leading up to the race, Week 12, I only ran 50 miles and no single run over 9 miles. I had done a 21-mile long run the Saturday before.
At the beginning of Week 13, I ran the 2024 Army 10 Miler, finishing in 1:21:54 (8:12 pace.)
After the race, I ran a 15-miler and then headed to Madrid, Spain, for work, where I didn’t get any runs. When I returned, I ran 60 miles for the next two weeks. The Marine Corps 10K would be in Week 15, and I would improve my time.
Cost
The cost was $72.00.
Goals
Achievable
Sub-48:24 (7:47 pace). Based on my time from the 2024 Army Ten Miler two weeks ago, I should be able to finish the race in .
Stretch
Sub-48:00 (7:42 pace). Maybe I’m slightly more rested than I was two weeks ago because of my trip to Spain.
Course
The race started in front of the National Gallery of Art at the National Mall. It ran along Jefferson Drive, passing the back of Smithsonian Castle. At Mile 1, the course crossed the 14th Street Bridge, where it remained for two miles. The course then routed through Crystal City, Virginia, for a mile before going down Virginia Route 110 next to The Pentagon and the start of the Marine Corps Marathon. The race finished at the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima).
There were three aid stations with water and Gatorade at the quarter-mile, 2-mile, and 3.25-mile marks. The crowd support was mainly along the Mall, Crystal City, and at the finish line.
Strategy
My goal was to go out at 7:45 pace from the start but slow down on the 14th Street Bridge. Hopefully, my legs would be strong enough to get back on pace.
Playlist
I arranged 13 songs, which were 49 minutes of music.
Pre-race
Saturday
The expo was at the National Harbor, which is inconvenient to the Washington, DC Metro system. My boyfriend agreed to drive. There was a backup leading into the parking lot, but it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.
There was a line at the Gaylord Convention Center to get into the Expo. Once in, the Marines ran bib pick-up like clockwork. After getting my bib, we walked into the Expo. I didn’t want any gear, but after browsing the Expo floor, I bought some Goodr sunglasses.
After the expo, we walked around the National Harbor and had lunch. We returned to our car, and exiting the garage was a nightmare!
We visited the nearby outlets before heading home.
Race Day
I woke up at 4:35 a.m. after less than six hours of sleep. I took my time getting ready for the race and even took our dog for a good walk. It was chilly, so I wore the light, long-sleeved Swiftly top from Lululemon and Oiselle Roga Shorts. I also wore my Nike Air ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3, mostly likely for the last time.
I left my house at 6:45 a.m. and parked at the Pentagon City Mall in 10 minutes. At 7:06 a.m., I caught a train to L’Enfant Plaza, the closest Metro station to the start. On the Metro, I was surprised by how little nervous energy there was.
I reached L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station by 7:15 am. I went through security in 10 minutes. I started jogging in circles because I didn’t want to leave the security area.
With about 10 minutes to the start, I headed to the star area. By then, the starting area was packed! I made my way about a dozen rows from the start line. A woman asked if I was a marine. I said I was about the further from it – a librarian. I felt stupid, but I was trying to avoid the awkwardness. There was a presentation of the colors and the National Anthem. And then, we were off!
Weather
The temperature was about 48 degrees at the start, and some wind came out of the north.
The Race
Miles 0 to 1 (The National Mall)
As I crossed the start line, there was a mass of people. Some were walking! I moved to the right and ran in the bike lane. The footing was precarious, but I could pass dozens of runners. On Jefferson Drive, the road opened a little.
The course turned right onto the 14th Street Bridge, and I braced myself for the climb. A woman pulled past me, and I worked to stay with her.
Splits: 7:46.
Miles 1 to 3 (The 14th Street Bridge)
It was a gorgeous day, and I soaked in the views of The Wharf and Rosslyn, Virginia, from the bridge. Passing the water station, I even joked with the Marines about how much water they had in the tanks.
Suddenly, I heard a series of gasps! I looked to my right and saw a runner falling! I saw him struggling to get his foot out of the sewer grate, and I turned around to help him. (I paused my Garmin, of course.) After freeing his foot, I asked him if he was okay, and he said he was. So, I started racing again. The woman I was trying to stay with had pulled away by then.
I thought about that split-second decision to stop and help, admitting that I probably wouldn’t have stopped a few years ago. Back then, I was so focused on race times that I wouldn’t have let anything upset my race. Now that I’m older and slower, I know my time doesn’t matter.
Splits: 7:24, 7:52*.
Miles 3 to 6.24 (Crystal City, The Pentagon, Marine Corps War Memorial)
Coming off the bridge, I started looking for my boyfriend. As I passed Long Bridge Drive, I saw him on a corner! It lifted my spirit to see him, and I gave him a high-five.
I cruised down Crystal Drive and then turned right onto 15th Street. Then, I saw my boyfriend again! I told him he must have sprinted to see me, and we both laughed.
The course went up the Richmond Highway offramp, and I struggled a bit. But then we went down the onramp, and I let my legs loosen up.
This stretch of the race felt long and tedious. But, after about a half mile, we passed the Marine Corps Marathon start line, and the volunteers cheered us along.
Approaching the finish, I slowed down on the uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima). But it was only a few dozen yards before I got my stride back and managed a half-sprint to the finish line.
Splits: 8:02, 7:42, 7:59, 1:57 (8:54 pace).
Post-race
Result
| Time: 48:57 | Pace: 7:54 | Log Details |
I was 247th out of 4,736 (top 14%) and the 49th woman out of 2,621 (top 2%). And karma was kind—I was first in my age group despite stopping to help a fellow runner!
Mark Hopely edged out Spencer Conti by 4 seconds to win in 34:19 (5:32 pace) on the elite side. For the women, Elizabeth Sullivan finished in 36:32 (5:53 pace.) She also won the 2024 Army Ten Miler two weeks earlier!
Finish
I crossed the finish line and, like the 2024 Army Ten Miler, was a bit disappointed with my time. But I was also filled with gratitude. It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed running a 10K!
I grabbed a bottle of water from a volunteer and a banana. I rushed through the exit and jogged to the National Cemetery Metro Station.
On the platform, I talked to a marathon runner who had missed the start! I suggested he should run the Richmond Marathon in a few weeks instead, but he got off at the Pentagon intending to race.
I returned to my car at the Pentagon City Metro Station, changed in the car, and jogged over to meet my boyfriend. Then, we jogged over to our usual spot at Mile 24 of the Marine Corps Marathon and cheered runners on until noon.
Epilogue
The 10K was a great way to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon experience. The course is fast and scenic. Like the Army Ten Miler, my main complaint is that the race organizers don’t marshal the start corrals.
I didn’t hit the time I wanted, but I had a great race nonetheless – it was such a beautiful day.
My McMillan Calculator marathon estimate didn’t change from the 2024 Army Ten Miler – it still predicts that I should be able to run sub-3:48 (8:43 pace) at the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon in November, so that will be my goal!
Next Race
2024 Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, November 24th!
Abridged Version
Going into the race, I hoped to improve my time from the 2024 Army Ten Miler.
The start was chaotic, but I found a clear running path when I reached the 14th Street Bridge during Mile 2. I stopped to help a fellow runner who got his foot stuck in a grate but only lost a few seconds. I was all smiles running through Crystal City and the end of the race at the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima).
My time was 48:57 (7:54 pace). The 10K was a great way to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon experience. The course is fast and scenic. Next, I’ll do a few more weeks of hard running before starting my taper for the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon on November 24th! My goal will be sub-3:48 (8:43 pace), which is what the McMillan Calculator predicts I should be able to run.