MCM Team Competitions

MCM TEAM COMPETITION
The Marine Corps Marathon Team Competition offers a variety of categories for individual runners to join others to compete as a team.

Teams are comprised of three to five runners. Only the top three finishers will count toward the team score, (except the mixed category where different rules apply). Winners are determined by the average team time. Team awards are presented to the top three teams in each division.

Before registering as a team, all individual runners must be registered for the Marine Corps Marathon. One member of each team, to be recognized as the team captain, is required to submit the Team Entry Form.

Team captains will need to include a list of team members on the application, as well as the team name and selected category. Individual runners may only be a member of one team. For administrative purposes, the team captain will need to provide his or her contact information.

Team captains should visit the Solution Center during Packet Pick-up at the MCM Health and Fitness Expo to verify team information. This is also the time to make any changes. Teams who do not verify their information will be disqualified.

ARMED FORCES
Each year, military members from the United States compete in the Armed Forces Marathon Championship, which puts elite runners from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps against each other for bragging rights and the title of the fastest service.

The winner is determined in two categories, a men’s division and a women’s division. The men’s winner is determined by the combined time of the top four male finish times. The women’s winner is determined by the combined time of the top two female finish times. 

At the 36th MCM in October 2011, the U.S. Army won the men's division, while the U.S. Air Force women's running team topped the female service teams.  The U.S. Army men's team was led by this years top MCM finisher 1st Lt. Charles "Chad" Ware, who completed the marathon in 2:19:16.  The Army men's team won the Armed Forces Competition with a combined finish time of 7:21:11.  The men's division teams followed with the U.S. Marines finishing second (7:47:05); the U.S. Navy placed third (7:51:42), and the U.S. Air Force men finished fourth (8:19:00).

The U.S. Air Force women's team won the competition led by Airman 1st Class Emily Shertzer (2:45:55).  The Air Force women's team owned a combined time of 9:02:00.  The All-Marine women's team placed second (9:22:35) and the U.S. Army women placed third (9:34:12).

The winner is determined in two categories, a men’s division and a women’s division. The men’s winner is determined by the combined time of the top three male finish times. The women’s winner is determined by the combined time of the top two female finish times.

The winning men’s team also receives the Challenge Cup trophy, a 1897 Victorian silver cup, originally belonging to the H.M.S. Victory.  For a second year, the U.S. Marines won both the men's and women's divisions, taking home the 2011 Challenge Cup victories.  The U.S. Marine men's team won with a combined finish time of 7:47:05, beating out the Brits who finished in 8:21:27; while the U.S. women's team finished first with a combined 6:06:07 with the British women's team running a combined 7:03:58.
  


RUNNING STORE TEAM COMPETITION
Potomac River Running Store of Reston, VA was presented a championship plaque for a third consecutive year by the Marine Corps Marathon Race Director Rick Nealis on Thursday, March 21.

This annual award is presented to the DC area running store with the fastest combined team time during the October running of the MCM. Team scores are calculated by combining the individual chip times of the top three finishers, including at least one male and one female.

Potomac River Running of Reston finished with a combined time of 8:24:37 garnering a definitive win for the team. Pacers Running Store Team 1 came in second with a time of 10:03:27 and the team from Potomac River Running of Leesburg, VA finished in third place with a time of 10:07:58.

Runners contributing to Potomac River Running Store of Reston’s success were Hugh Toland (2:39:50), who also placed 21st overall in the men’s field; Perry Shoemaker (2:52:22) who placed fourth in the MCM women’s field; and Aaron Church (2:52:25) who ranked 65th among male finishers.

Toland was amazed by such a decisive victory. “Wow, I didn’t realize the gap was that large. We had a great team this year. Perry was the key to our win. She had an incredible day.”

Selection for the team began in June, according to team coordinator Ecris Williams. “I sent our a mass email and put out the qualifications on Facebook,” she said. “There were 89 people on the list. From that, we were able to create a few teams this year.”

“The MCM has a mission statement that includes promoting community goodwill, and that’s just what we’re doing here tonight,” said Nealis. “These running stores embody the core of our sport and continue to provide support to runners of all experience levels.”

For information regarding the Running Store Competition, please contact Sandra Osborn-Peters at 703-432-1163.