Six Dates-to-Know for MCM Registration

So you missed out on a spot in the Marine Corps 17.75K when all 3,100 spots in this run-to-register event sold out in just over seven minutes. Time to move on to Plan B in the mission to “secure a spot in the 2018 Marine Corps Marathon.”

To lock down an entry in “The People’s Marathon,” happening on October 28, runners must be aware of these six important dates on the registration calendar.

1-March 1. Active Duty/Reserve, 2017 Deferment Runners and MCM Runners Club may begin registering for the MCM on this date. These special programs will conclude on March 14. Thanks to GEICO Military, runners currently on Active Duty or serving as a Reserve will enjoy a special discount on registration. Those that deferred from 2017 and the MCM Runners Club members, individuals who have finished the MCM five or more times, will receive an email with special registration instructions.

2-March 21. MCM Lottery opens at noon and continues through March 28. While signing up for the Lottery, runners may opt to purchase a ticket to the MCM pasta dinner, order limited edition MCM Brooks training apparel or get the discounted runcoach training service. Transactions will only occur when the runner is officially registered. There is no fee to participate in the Lottery.

3-March 29. Notification day for those selected through the MCM Lottery. Runners hit the ‘refresh’ button on their inboxes on this date more than any other as they await the most anxiously anticipated email of the year.

4-July 11. For those that get a spot and find they will be unable to participate and, just as important, for those that didn’t get a spot, the MCM Transfer Program is available starting on July 11. Runners often broker the transfer in the visitor posts section of the MCM Facebook page. There is a fee associated with this service that traditionally helps hundreds of runners annually. This is why it’s important to officially and not illegally transfer a bib. This program concludes on August 31.

5-August 15. Registered runners can hold onto their spot in the MCM but push participation to next year through the MCM Deferment Program. If 2018 isn’t your year but you’ve got an entry, then simply defer until 2019. A limited number of deferment spots are available beginning on August 15 for a small fee.

6- October 26-27. Finally, runners take possession of the coveted MCM participant bib at Packet Pick-up during the Health & Fitness Expo. Registered runners will receive their eCard by email in early October featuring the assigned bib number. Bring a printed eCard or present it on a phone at Packet Pick-up to receive the bib. The Expo is hosted at the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center.

As a reward for reading this blog, here are two bonus tips.

1-Charities. The MCM has more than 90 charity partners that already have entries and are registering runners right now. Many have posted announcements on the MCM Facebook page. So motivated runners willing to adopt a cause could find the right fit for a charity affiliation and secure an entry now. The official list of MCM charity partners will be posted on the MCM website beginning on April 1.

2-Instant Access. Pay attention to the MCM website and social media accounts in early March for details about a new instant access option for MCM registration.

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.