Runners from 40 states are arriving in Prince William County, Virginia this weekend to participate in the Marine Corps 17.75K. While the event occurs in beautiful Prince William Forest Park, runners from near and far are encouraged to take advantage of the trip to Prince William & Manassas, VA to visit sites of major Civil War battles, picturesque historic towns, and numerous other attractions including the beautiful golf courses.
Jeanna Hilton of Haymarket, VA will run her third Marine Corps 17.75K on March 25. She is Director of Sales for local golf courses including Prince William County’s Stonewall Golf Club.
The local runner has been participating in MCM events since 2014, when she completed the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg, VA.
“I started running because I had FOMO (fear of missing out),” Hilton said. “I had a couple of very good friends who ran together all of the time and I wanted to know what I was missing out on … I wanted to be a part of something with them.”
Hilton says she initially began running a couple of miles with her husband but soon realized she could cover more mileage and ran about six miles further while training on own. From there, she felt she could complete a half marathon distance and decided to “run with the Marines” at the Historic Half.
The following year, in 2015, Hilton ran the Marine Corps 17.75K as an opportunity to gain entry in the Marine Corps Marathon that October.
While she was thrilled to run the 40th MCM, Hilton says she also enjoys participating in the Marine Corps 17.75K as an event separate from the guaranteed entry it offers. She says the Marine Corps 17.75K lends its own spirit for each participant.
“I love the 17.75K for a number of reasons,” says Hilton. “Of course, the 17.75K is a great location in beautiful Prince William Forest and it’s close to home. But it’s also a challenging run and will help me to prepare for a 50k trail run I am doing in April.
“I’m also all about the medals,” Hilton adds, “and the 17.75K gives out an awesome [finisher] medal.”
PLAN YOUR 1775 WEEKEND TODAY
To plan your 17.75K race weekend and learn more about places to play, dine, do and stay – visit DiscoverPWM.com for information on Prince William & Manassas, Virginia tourism.
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.
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