QUANTICO, VA (March 27, 2013) – The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) has sold all available public entries in a record 2 hours, 27 minutes today surpassing last year’s record sellout by 14 minutes. But as thousands of runners worldwide attempted to register, system challenges contributed to registration delays posing additional hurdles for runners wanting to secure a coveted spot for the Oct. 27 event in Arlington, VA and the nation’s capital. MCM registrations were being processed by the Active Network.
“While the Marine Corps Marathon sold out in record time, many runners experienced the frustration of error messages and slow-loading webpages,” said Director Rick Nealis. “These individuals were essentially in a holding pattern as entries were being processed and capacity was reached.”
Despite significant load testing on the system and preparation exercised over the past six weeks, the registration site experienced unexpected errors.
“Active Network experienced system issues with registration for the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon today as the demand shortened from hours to minutes,” said Eric McCue, General Manager Sports for the Active Network. “For this, we at Active sincerely apologize.”
Registered runners should expect to receive a confirmation email this afternoon. Any registration related questions should be directed to Active at (877) 228-4881, option 3.
“The MCM continues to celebrate the enthusiasm of the running community for ‘The People’s Marathon,’” added Nealis. “Unfortunately, today’s online experience is inconsistent with the organizational excellence that has become the hallmark of the Marine Corps Marathon. Everything regarding the MCM registration process will be reexamined for future years.”
The first runner to register was Alexey Egorov, 42, a native of Russia who now resides in Rockville, MD. Egorov ran his first MCM last year. “I’m so surprised I was the first to register,” says Egorov. “I loved running the Marine Corps Marathon. It is a great organization. It’s close to home and a good course to run for improving on your PR [personal record].”
Over the past few years, the pace of the MCM’s registration boon has significantly accelerated from just under six days in 2010 to the registration sellout of 28 hours, 4 minutes in 2011 to last year’s then-record time. Those unable to get into the MCM before registration closed today still have the opportunity to participate by signing up with any of the 130 MCM Charity Partners. Each is listed on the Charity Page of the MCM website.
The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is the third largest marathon in the United States and voted the “Best Marathon for Charities, Best Race in DC and the Best Race to Spectate.” The MCM honors the dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. “The People’s Marathon,” is the largest marathon not to offer prize money. The 38th MCM sponsored by Boeing, Brooks and GE, will be held on October 27, 2013 in Arlington, VA. No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is implied.