race directors blog
AIMS Marathon Museum of Running (Posted September 21):
 The AIMS Marathon Museum of Running in Berlin, Germany, was the venue for an emotional meeting of families recently as the granddaughters of two sporting icons launched an exhibition entitled “Jesse Owens – A Sports Hero”.
Jesse Owens’ granddaughter Marlene Dortch and Luz Long’s granddaughter Julia-Vanessa Long were guests of honour during a formal reception launching a display in recognition of the outstanding achievements and sporting behaviour of their family members during the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Click here for the full story.
Cover Shoot (Posted September 3):
 Today I did a cover shoot and interview with Competitor Sports Magazine along with Lee Corrigan, the director of the Baltimore Marathon. The focus on the article was to compare and contrast the two events and how, as race directors, we each have a very different approach and face unique challenges.
In the photo, you can see us being interviewed by Rebecca Heaton, Editorial Director for the magazine. The article will run in the October issue and I think Lee and I will be on the cover!
Spectator Shout Out Contest (Posted September 1):
Can you believe it is September already? It is time to get those family and friends motivated to cheer you on at the MCM. Have them enter the Spectator Shout Out Contest. Here's the scoop: Give your favorite runner a shout out at the MCM start line by entering the Spectator Shout Out Contest. Tell the MCM why your runner is amazing and how you will be supporting them on race day. Be sure to include a special shout out message specifically to motivate your runner on race morning! Shout outs from the top five entries will be read by the announcer at the MCM start line! Submissions should be sent to mcmcontest@gmail.comand must be received by October 1.
Robert Duvall Children's Fund (Posted August 26):
One of this year's charity partners is the Robert Duvall Children's Fund. Last week, Comcast SportsNet conducted an interview with Robert Duvall about the organziation and its participation in the MCM. Here's a link to Jill Sorenson's blogabout the experience. Look for the complete story as part of CSN's pre-race coverage the week prior to the MCM.
Race Day Entertainment (Posted August 25):
There's never a dull moment on the MCM course. You can now view information about race day entertainment by clicking here. Live music on the course features everything from rock to bluegrass to marching bands. There's even a juggler!
Going Green (Posted August 19):
66 days and counting until the MCM! If you haven't seen the new virtual course map, you should have a look. Its a 3-D rendering of the entire course (produced by Harris Corporation) and its definitely worth taking a few minutes to check out.
Another big project the MCM team is working on is the Council for Responsible Sport certification. We're trying to create an even more eco-concious event and have designed some new programs like the Trash Runs and Shoe-A-Thon to help. Here's more info.
Facebook and Twitter (Posted August 11):
I'm excited to announce the MCM launched a Twitter page today! Click here to follow us. And if you haven't become a fan of the MCM on Facebook yet, you can do that too. Just click here. In the coming months, we'll be posting behind-the-scenes info, the latest and greatest news and even have a few exclusive contests. Hope you enjoy it!
Rockin' at RunStock, Travel and More (Posted August 4):
I'm looking forward to the next event in the MCM Event Series, RunStock, coming up on August 15. It's an evening 5K with tons of on-course music and entertainment (bands, a minature horse, therapy dogs!), plus a live concert afterwards by local band Rome In A Day. Find out more or register.
I just got back from the San Francisco Marathon where the we kicked off the MCM Expo Access Tour. Runners can stop by the MCM booth at one of the Expos we'll be visiting over the next several months and recieve a guaranteed entry into next year's (2010) 35th anniversary MCM. The list is available here.
And finally, Happy 219th Birthday to the Coast Guard!
AIMS (Posted August 3):
The MCM is proud to be a member of AIMS- The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. Click here to learn more about AIMS. Or view the event calendar of its members' races.
National Running Day Complete! (Posted June 4):
Yesterday was National Running Day and we had a blast on the National Mall. Thanks to all those who came out. For the recap and to see a photo, click here. Or, check out video from the day here.
National Running Day (Posted June 3):
Today, Wednesday, June 3, is National Running Day. If you are in the DC area, please join me and other leaders in the Washington, DC running community for a one-mile jog around the National Mall. We'll meet at the Lincoln Memorial at noon and the iconic MCM start arch will let you know you are in the right place. Can't make it at noon? Honor the day at home by lacing up your favorite shoes and heading out for a jog. Happy running!
Definition of "Bravo Zulu" (Posted May 5):
With so much of the marathon communication now handled by the website, I'm not writing as many letters as in the past. Really only sending out congratulations or other special recognition letters these days. Those who received them may have noticed that I don't use 'sincerely' or 'from' for my valediction. Instead, I sign off with 'Bravo Zulu'. BZ is a naval signal meaning "well done". It actually comes from the Allied Naval Signal Book, an international naval signal code adopted in 1949. The B- signals were called "Administrative" signals. The last signal on the "Administrative" page was BZ, standing for "well done." When the Navy adopted the International Civil Aviation Organization alphabet in 1956, BZ became 'Bravo Zulu'. I look forward to wishing all runners a 'Bravo Zulu' on October 25.
MCM 10K...Bigger and Better (Posted April 30):
Pretty exciting. The MCM10K has sold out registration for two consecutive years. In 2007, we maxed out at 3,500 runners. Last year, we reached the new cap of 5,000. In 2009, we are increasing again to 7,500. Tells me a few things: 1-Runners who previously didn't have a fit in MCM Weekend are now able to participate. And there are many interested in being part of the energy. 2-The sport of running is strong and attracting runners of all skill levels to large events like MCM. We are glad to welcome these runners to the festivities. The big news is the growth of the race field has caused us to develop new timelines for the course and the previous start location in Pentagon North Parking doesn't work anymore. So for the first time ever we are erecting a starting arch on the DC side of the Potomac. The MCM10K will start on the National Mall! Finish, as always, is at the Marine Corps War Memorial. More details as we finalize plans but wanted to share the excitement. We open registration for this event in mid-May.
It takes how long?! (Posted April 23):
"You work on the marathon year round?" Probably one of the top responses I get when I tell people what I do for a living. Yes, it is a year long process to coordinate an event the scale of the Marine Corps Marathon. In some areas, I'm working two, three, five years out in planning. Right now, the staff is finalizing all course approvals in Arlington and DC, negotiating sponsorship agreements, contracting necessary services and reviewing all registration data. In another few weeks, we'll welcome this year's Marine Special Project Officers, who have areas of responsibility ranging from hospitality to packet pick-up to water points and course construction. We start in May with large meetings of almost 80 Marines and civilians every few weeks and soon find ourselves making regular trips to the hill (Marine Corps War Memorial finish grounds) and meeting every week. When we call ourselves the Marine Corps Marathon, it isn't in name only or a token homage to the Corps. The Marine Corps dedicates manpower, resources, expertise and time to make this event a true showcase of its capabilities and organizational skill.
Marine Corps Historic Half Approaching (Posted April 15): Marine Corps Historic Half marathon is just over a month from now. This will be the second running of this event. We were quite proud of the inaugural event in 2008 and are happy to see the registration grow in 2009. Holding events outside of traditional MCM Weekend is something new for the MCM team. Last year, we went from a one weekend per year program to coordinating events during six weekends with the launch of the Half and the Event Series on MCB Quantico. Registration is still open for the Half and its accompanying run, the Semper Fred 5K. If you haven't been to Fredericksburg, you will be pleasantly surprised when you get there. The Central Park area has lots of shopping and restaurants, anything you could want. The downtown is quaint, historic, cozy. The town blends these worlds nicely and our course tours both locations while cruising along the Rappahannock River. And we are proud to have so many local sponsors partnering with us to produce this event. There's still time for you to ramp up the training and meet the 13 mile goal of the Historic Half or just jump in for the Semper Fred 5K. It would be great to share another big weekend with you.
Glad You're Here (Posted April 8):
You found my blog which means you are probably having a good time bouncing around the MCM website. We enjoy bringing the character and details of the MCM to this online outreach to our runners, spectators, volunteers and other interested parties. Truly, everything you need to know about running the MCM is in here somewhere including training. We try to do everything we can for our runners except actually run the race. But we are happy to support your training. Right now, you can click over to the virtual training page and register for our completely free service designed by Jeff Galloway. He's been providing the training support for thousands of runners every year to reach their goal of finishing the MCM. The program works, that's why we provide it to our runners whether your ambition is just to finish or to finish at a particular time.
Registration! Registration! (Posted April 3):
Registration opened this past Wednesday at noon online. Marinemarathon.com gets so overloaded with activity at registration time that we actually take down the entire website and only host a splash page and online registration form. At 1300 on registration day, the Marine Corps Marathon was the second most searched term on Google. We were a top ten topic for most of the day on the Google trends chart. So where are we now? As I write this blog entry, it is approaching 48 hours since registration opened and the marathon is 70 percent filled. So tell your friends and those still on the fence that there's a bib waiting for them. A special salute to Suzanne Barron of Washington, DC. She was the first runner to officially register this year. And a sincere thank you to all who chose to run in the Marine Corps Marathon. We hope everyone chases down their dreams, achieves a PR and meets their goals.
Get Ready for MCM Registration!(Posted March 25):
This time next week, MCM online registration opens. April 1 at noon.During the early years of the internet, the online component of registration couldn't meet the high demand and immediate volume of activity. So we held a lottery. Even though we've been away from the lottery for as many years as we used that approach, people still ask if we use the lottery. Answer is 'no'. We've got a powerful server farm that handles the activity that accompanies the opening of MCM registration. For the MCM staff, registration is a great day to watch the returns. We check to see who the first runner is that registers; how many states are represented; how many runners register in the first hour; and who has the top anticipated finish times. Look forward to welcoming everyone to this year's start line but lots of training miles between now and then. If you are still on the fence, make the commitment. We'll have Marines waiting to award you a medal at the finish and the accomplishment is something you'll carry for a lifetime.
Start the MCM @ your House (Posted March 17):
Just a few more days for runners to enter the "Start the Marathon at Your House" contest. Comcast Sports Net is our partner in this promotion. They joined the MCM family last year and provided raceday coverage like we've never had before with a live show from the start and a highlight show in the evening. For this contest, we will actually take the MCM start arch, our mascot, hospitality, the finish ribbon and other instruments of race day operation to someone's home on March 31, the day prior to registration opening, to officially kick off the MCM season. I plan to do a training run with the winner. So tell us why we should start the MCM at your house. What better opportunity to have me as a captive audience than on a training run dedicated to you. I look forward to hearing our winner's thoughts on running, tales from the MCM or predictions for how my Phillies will do defending their World Championship this year.
REGISTRATION (Posted February 20):
Registration for the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon will begin at noon eastern on April 1! Members of the military can register for the MCM early and for a special discount beginning March 2. And you can still register for the Marine Corps Historic Half and the MCM Event Series.
The MCM is proud to be a member of AIMS- The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. Click here to learn more about AIMS. Or view the full event calendar of its members' races.
Let me know your thoughts about my blog or anything related to the MCM. Email marine.marathon@usmc.mil and put Blog in the subject line.
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