Marine Corps Marathon Preparations|ABC 7 News

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Marine Corps Marathon Preparations

posted 5:26 pm Sat October 27, 2007 - Arlington, Va.

tags: marathon • marine • corps • preparations

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ABC 7 News - Marine Corps Marathon Preparations

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Marine Corps Marathon Street Closings

Preparations are underway for Sunday's Marine Corps Marathon, when 30,000 runners will venture 26.2 miles through Arlington and the district in the nation's fourth-biggest marathon.

The race starts at 8 a.m. near the Pentagon and finishes hours later at the Iwo Jima Memorial. In between, it winds through Rosslyn, Georgetown, Rock Creek Park, West Potomac Park, the National Mall, Hains Point, and Crystal City. The weather is expected to be cool, with the high temperatures topping out around 60 degrees, according to the ABC 7 Weather Team.

Runners say that's perfect for the grueling course.

"As long as there's not a downpour, this is perfect weather for running," said Julie Mullican.

The marathon began in 1976 with just 2,000 runners. The race now attracts 15 times as many people and adds an estimated $31.7 million to the metro area's economy, according to a George Washington University study.

GWU's International Institute of Tourism Studies researched spending during the 2006 Marine Corps Marathon weekend. It found the race attracted more than 96,000 people, who spent an average of three days. The event also generated an estimated $2.2 million in tax revenue.

Expect rolling street closures throughout the event. (CLICK HERE for a complete list.)

Metro will open at 5 a.m. Sunday to accommodate runners and spectators.

Latest Comment on Marine Corps Marathon Preparations

Wowzer

2:00 pm on 10/30/07

Marine mom - you are totally right about being proud and supportive of the vets and current military running in the marathon and often doing so valiantly with injuries and battle-inflicted disabilities....But the vast majority of runners don?t seem to be military nor vets.

Shovelhead - in trying to follow the thread, I searched back for the triathlon but couldn't find the remarks - any clarification available? Thanks

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