Marine Corps Marathon: Ooh-rah!

October 26, 2009
Marine Corps Marathon: Ooh-rah!
Mark Remy


Yesterday, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon. What was the experience like? I sat down with myself to find out.

RW Daily: Was this your first Marine Corps Marathon?
Mark Remy: No, I ran Marine Corps back in 1996 -- my second marathon ever.

Was the race the way you remembered it?
I don't have many memories of running it the first time; 1996 seems like forever ago. I think the course has changed since then, though the uphill finish to the Iwo Jima Memorial remains the same. Awesome finish. Plus, I've never felt quite so safe in a race before. Or possibly in any scenario. I mean, besides the usual police presence, you're surrounded by thousands of tough-looking Marines. Everywhere.

Even at the aid stations.
Right. The whole experience is just outstanding. Very smoothly run operation. It makes you understand where the phrase "military precision" comes from.

Did you wind up getting that massage post-race, or no?
Nope. For one thing, I never saw the massage area. For another, we were kind of in a hurry to get back to the hotel.

What was the coolest thing you saw on race day?
In terms of sheer coolness? It had to be the two V-22 Ospreys I saw flying overhead before the start. I'd never seen one in person. I want a V-22 Osprey for Christmas.

Did you pass at least one runner talking on her cell phone during the race?
Funny you should ask. Yes, I did. A spectator, of all people, tried to embarrass her into hanging up: "Get off the phone! Just run!" She laughed and basically ignored him. What a world.

Weren't there several RW Marathon Challengers at Marine Corps, as well?
Again: Funny you should ask! Yes, there were. Bart Yasso, Jen Van Allen, Brian Sabin, and I met up with a bunch of Marathon Challengers on Saturday morning for an easy jog. Which was great fun. Many of those Challengers raced Sunday, and did very well. Here's a recap, courtesy of Jen:
Margaret Webber, coming back from a double mastectomy and injuries, landed a 3:22 in her first marathon.
Christopher Sanford, our Marathon Challenger of the Week who, through running has lost more than 50 pounds and been able to manage his Tourette's Syndrome, ran 4:51 -- a 40-minute PR.
Phil Erwin, father of four who lost 50 pounds, ran a 3:08 in his second marathon.
Eric Martin, the former ballet dancer from Nashville who lost like 70 pounds, ran a 4:10 in his first marathon.
Alice Huffman and her friend ran a 5:10 in their first marathon.
Vanessa Taylor ran a 3:39:55 -- qualifying for Boston in only her second marathon. [Corrected.]

Way to go, Challengers!
I know, right?

So what was the high point of the weekend, and the low point?
High point, apart from generally the race itself, had to be meeting readers -- both the Marathon Challengers we ran with, and some RW Daily readers at the expo on Saturday, where I was hawking my book. (Hi, guys!)

Low point, without question, was the traffic. The 3 1/2 hour trip took us, like, 5 hours each way. D.C. area traffic is just a nightmare.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. And enjoy your recovery.
My pleasure. Ooh-rah.

Ellie