WTOP/Luke Lukert

WTOP/Luke Lukert

WTOP/Luke Lukert

WTOP/Luke Lukert

WTOP/Luke Lukert

WTOP/Luke Lukert

WTOP/Luke Lukert

Thousands of runners completed 26.2 miles of walking in D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, Sunday morning at the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon. The race brings dozens of road closures, cheering crowds and more than a few emotional tears.

Kyle King of Yucca Valley, California, crossed the men's marathon finish line first, finishing with a time of 2:26:06. Tessa Barrett of Arlington, Virginia, took first place in the women's marathon with a time of 2:39:36.

Calum Neff of Fulshear, Texas, won the men's 50K with a time of 2:56:36. Anna Staats of Arlington, Virginia, took first place in the women's 50K with a time of 3:44:42. Staats also won the women's 50 km race in 2023.

Robert Taylor, who has run the race for four decades, called the race a “pilgrimage.”

“I started in 1983 with a bet from a friend who was in the Marines and got hooked. I ran it once and have been back every year since,” said Taylor, a New Jersey native.

Taylor's wife, Donna, has accompanied him every year since 1989.

“He told me I could never do that. And I said, 'Oh yeah, I could do that,'” she said.

“Many times we said, ‘Okay, this is it. This is the last one.' And the next thing I knew, she signed me up for the next one,” Robert said. “So we came back. We had groups of up to 10, 15 with us and we are the only two who survived.”

Robert, a veteran, called the organization of the race excellent and pointed to the Wear Blue Mile, a route displaying posters of fallen troops, as one of the most impressive parts of the event.

Jason Mercado, who is visiting from the Bronx to run his first Marine Corps Marathon, said he is looking forward to this course at Haynes Point.

“I’ll be emotional about it. It’s one of those marathons where it’s going to be a completely different experience,” Mercado said before the race.

He plans to dedicate this run to his family members who served in the Marines and other military branches.

The Marine Corps Marathon is the largest marathon in the world with no prize money. It is considered the “people’s marathon”. It is often a runner's first race over the 26.2 mile distance.

“Not only is it in D.C., it seems to be one of the top events,” said Sarah Lowe, a District resident. “This will be my first.”

While Sunday's weather is ideal for running, Lowe says the months of training — including long runs on the streets of Washington, D.C. during the summer months — have been brutal.

“I always picked the worst time of day. “It’s like sweating a lot,” she joked.

Most of the D.C. waterfront and dozens of streets in Northern Virginia are closed for the race. Thousands of spectators line the route for most of the route to cheer on the runners.

“Both of my parents ran the Marine Corps Marathon and said the most amazing thing was the support from the crowd. “This is one of the most emotional races ever,” said Elle Monticello, who runs the 10K race.

“It's my first Marine Corps, but I'm really excited to compete in the race in my hometown and I love the marathon distance. That's why I'm happy that my running club exists, and I just know a lot of people who run. “I’m looking forward to the crowds and running through the streets,” Grace Marmaris of Arlington, Virginia, said before the marathon.

For the many new racers, Taylor, a four-decade Marine Corps marathoner, has simple advice: “Don’t get caught up in other people’s pace and have fun.”

WTOP's Valerie Bonk contributed to this report.

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