Celebrating a Run with the Marines

Ten individuals are celebrating their birthdays on March 23, as they #RunWithTheMarines at the Marine Corps 17.75K. Nine runners and one volunteer will participate in the event.

Why run on your birthday? There’s no better way to ring in a new era than with 3,300 other runners and friends from across the country and around the running community. This event guarantees memorable moments and the presence of the Marines.

Runners keep coming back each year to this exclusive event that grants finishers a guaranteed entry into the 44th Marine Corps Marathon this October. Run for fun and skip the Lottery. The 17.75K historically sells out and the entries are celebrated across social media, meaning for some of the runners, their birthday present came a little early.

• “I love to run more than anything. I’m truly addicted to the ‘runners high.’ It’s an honor to run with the Marines, not only on my birthday, but any day. I come from a long line of military and this Marine Corps 17.75K run brings such joy and humbleness to my heart. I’m a proud supporter of the U.S. Military and I run every race I can that donates and supports their needs,” shares Amanda Hackney from Emmitsburg, MD. The MCM will be her first marathon.
• “I ran last year and thought it was a really cool way to kick of my thirties with a race the following day,” shares Rachel Shull from Stafford, VA. “This year I want to give back more. I just like being around other runners and seeing people going after their goals. It sets a good tone for the year to do something like this with the running community.” Rachel is a USMC spouse and unfortunately wasn’t able to grab an entry this year but didn’t let that stop her. Rachel will still experience the ma 17.75K as a volunteer, alongside other members in her running group, Stroller Warriors. Rachel is a testament to the power of the event and why runners want to keep coming back.
• “A number of my friends wanted to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year, and we decided to go the route of trying to get in to the 17.75K. I was excited that it fell on my birthday because we could run the race and celebrate my birthday at the same time. I’ll be traveling down from Ohio with four of my closest friends,” boasts Christine Stamm of New Albany, OH.
• “I ran the Marine Corps Marathon two years ago and it was an absolute life changing experience. I ran the 17.75K event last year and it fell on the day after my birthday. I didn’t want to miss out on it again, and signed up for it knowing it was on my birthday,” shares Brendan White from Haymarket, VA.
• “My husband is an active duty Marine and got me into running. I’ve actually motivated him to do this run with me and we’re going to run it together. I’m excited to celebrate my birthday at the event and to do it with him,” boasts Daisy Billetdeaux, who recently moved to Stafford, VA from Arizona. Daisy is familiar with running on the flat terrain in Arizona and is up for the challenging hills and trails of Virginia. Daisy has run half marathons and thinks the 17.75K distance is perfect for training for her first full marathon at the MCM.

Each runner has their own reasons that drive them to the finish line. The 17.75K finish line for these happy individuals will be a celebration of their birthday, their 11.03 mile accomplishment and access to the 44th MCM.

Thanks for visiting this archived blog. The content and details are specific only for the event year highlighted in this article. For current information, please visit the event page within the MCM website.