QUANTICO, VA (Oct. 21, 2013) – Runners from around the world will descend on Arlington, VA and the nation’s capital as they prepare to run the 38th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) on Sunday, Oct. 27. Transportation information is essential to the 40,000 runners participating in the MCM and MCM10K, and to thousands of spectators, including family and friends who are supporting their runner’s success. The MCM makes getting to and from the event easy by offering early access to Metro and continuous shuttle service throughout the day at no cost to participants and spectators.
Metro
Metro rail service begins at 5 a.m. on MCM day. All MCM participants should take the Blue or Yellow line to the Pentagon Station to access Runners Village hosted by Boeing in the Pentagon North parking lot. Event signage will direct runners to UPS Baggage Drop Off and to the Route 110 start line in Arlington, VA. The Arlington Cemetery Station (Blue) will not open until 8:30 a.m. on event morning. This Metro station will serve spectators immediately following the Marathon start and those exiting the event throughout the day.
The MCM10K start is located near the Smithsonian Metro station (Blue) on the National Mall in Washington, DC. For easiest access to Metro, a SmarTrip card can be purchased ahead of the event.
Convenient on-course Metro stations:
| Pentagon | Blue/Yellow | Runners Village/Start |
| Arlington Cemetery | Blue | Spectator Finish/Runner Post-Race Exit |
| Rosslyn | Blue/Orange | Finish Festival/Runner Post-Race Exit |
| Crystal City | Blue/Yellow | Miles 22-23/Crystal City Kids Festival |
| Smithsonian | Blue/Orange | MCM10K Start/Miles 18-19/National Mall |
Parking
On Sunday, Oct. 27, free parking is available in Crystal City at the corner of 23rd and Crystal Drive.
Pre-Race Shuttles
Free shuttles are available for runners and spectators starting at 5:30 a.m. from the Crystal City, VA parking area (listed above) to Runners Village in the Pentagon North parking lot.
Post-Race Shuttles
Runners and spectators can depart from the Finish Festival in Rosslyn and return directly to the parking area in Crystal City. These shuttles are parked at the corner of Oak Street and Wilson Boulevard in the Finish Festival.
Post-Race Taxi Service
The taxi stand will be located near Family Link-up in the Finish Festival on the corner of 19th and Lynn Streets. Taxi service is not free of charge, but taxis are continuously running throughout MCM day.
This year, the MCM is partnering with Area Wide Protective to provide traffic management services and traffic control devices throughout the MCM and MCM10K certified courses. Teams from AWP will mark the courses with 600-700 cones while employing several fully-equipped trucks and the professional traffic control services of 20 volunteers from AWP’s facilities in Virginia and Maryland. AWP’s corporate team (based in Ohio) is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the MCM to develop temporary traffic control plans to ensure the safety of the runners, MCM volunteers and the public.
“As America’s Traffic Control Leader, we are excited to be a part of this nationally significant event by providing the safe, compliant and reliable services and equipment for which we are well known,” says Sammy Rice, AWP Operations Manager, Manassas, VA.
More information about the 38th MCM is available at www.marinemarathon.com
About Area Wide Protective: Formed in 1993, Area Wide Protective (AWP) has become the largest traffic control operation in the United States. Daily, AWP deploys over 1,000 traffic control professionals to nearly every major public utility & contractor throughout 17 states. AWP provides a full range of traffic control services, including traffic management and flagging, design and engineering, inspections, training, and temporary traffic control sings and equipment for rental or sale to a diverse customer base. Whether it be a simple single lane closure on a two lane road or a complex detour, AWP’s unparalleled experience, technical competency, and unrelenting focus on safety allows its customers the freedom and peace of mind to concentrate on their core competencies, leaving all aspects of work area protection to AWP’s fully capable team.
About the MCM: The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is the third largest marathon in the United States, eighth largest in the world and voted “Best Marathon in the Mid Atlantic” and “Best Marathon for Spectators.” The MCM honors the dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. Also known as “The People’s Marathon,” runners from all walks of life participate in the MCM, which is the largest marathon not to offer prize money. The 38th MCM sponsored by Arlington, Boeing, Brooks, GE and Nissan, will be held on October 27, 2013 in Arlington, VA. No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is implied.