Washington DC Marathon - Race Reviews

The DC Marathon was my first, and I loved everything about it. I just went online to find out when I could run it again--hoping last year's cancellation was a one-time unfortunate event--and see that it's cancelled again! How sad. I really hope it comes back somehow. I'll sign any petition to help. Mary Hanson

I just found out that the DC Marathon will not be held. I ran the first one, and was entered in the second. It was a really nice marathon: great views, and it was a thrill running in the capital of the greatest country in the world. I got into the Marine Corps due to the cancellation (way to go MARINES). I really hope that someone keeps this marathon alive. DC needs a marathon of its own, and the first year crowd of almost 10,000 runners proves that.

h20 entertainment group corp just filed bankruptcy so we won't get our registration fees back! see http://www.vaeb.uscourts.gov for the case [#03-11710-RGM]

The people at H20 Entertainment Group have some nerve to post this event when the DC Mayor's Office has not issued them a single permit! In fact, the Mayor's office has told H20 not to make any references to a 2004 event, period. I hope there will be a DC marathon next year --- I, too, was one of the people who trained hard through the winter only to be disappointed when the organizers cancelled at the last minute. My friends and I created our own event in College Park, Maryland so we did the distance at least. Thanks to the person who suggested calling the credit card company to reverse the charges....also, Mayor Williams claims his staff will sue H20 for our refunds if they are not made soon.

This was supposed to be my 30th marathon. Unfortunately the greedy organizers (H2O Sports) decided they were not going to make the profit they thought they would so they cancelled the marathon for 'security reasons.' The city officials are mad, read the Washington Times article. To H2O Sports, you should be ashamed. To the 500 who did the Unofficial Race, I salute you. To the Marine Corp Marathon for your 1,000 entries this fall for DC registrants, god bless you and your uncomparable marathon (one of my favorites). For those who registered for the DC Marathon with a credit card. Call up your credit card company and tell them that you did not receive the service because the marathon was cancelled and you want to have the charge charged back to H2O Sports. It is the only way to get a 'refund.' I got my registration charged back!!! I will stick with the Marine Corp Marathon!!!

My wife and I traveled from Ma. so I could participate in this event. We were assured by race organizers on March 19th and prior that this event would happen. Race organizers 'pulled the plug' and canceled the race on March 20th. Now race organizers refuse to refund participants entree fees according to the Washington Post and have unilaterally decided to defer fees to next years marathon. This practice is totally unjustified and does not allow runners an option. I hope that the city of DC seriously examines this issue and rethinks the merits of having H2O Enterprises run future marathons for the city.

The show must go ON!!! The NCAA tourney is still happening. Without any suggestions from D.C Metro the staff stopped the race, there were no new warnings from the FBI/CIA. The race director and staff gave in and let the situation stop our American way of life for one afternoon. Shame on them Thank God for the USMC and their Marathon this Oct Sempier Fi, Yours in running

Like thousands of others, I would have loved to run this race, for which I volunteered last year and prepared quite a bit this year. I don't know the race director, John Stanley, but I think it's fair to assume that he does not have more insight into DC's security situation than the police chief. DC Metro police did not ask for the cancellation, I can't imagine that the sponsors asked for it, and runners certainly didn't either. It's truly ironic that this race was not stopped by terrorist threats but by a unilateral decision.

For a first-time event, the race organization was extremely impressive. The water stops were well staffed and the small crowds gave a lot of support. The course sent us through a lot of interesting and untraveled areas of DC, and allowed for family and friends to find us at several different spots in the race (a couple friends saw me go by 5 times--a great booster of energy). Race photos were fantastic (with the Capitol/Wash. Monument in background) and yay for Krispy Kreme!

Ok the baggage was a disaster. But if you finished in the top quarter, it was no worse than your usual race. Also it was directly next to the finish, so there was no long walk to get your gear. Bottom line, stop complaining it was a first effort and they did well. The weather was great, cool and sunny, ideal for running. The crowds were good, a little sparse in areas but then it was Palm Sunday. The three-mile hill near the end is being avoided this year, so they’ve proved that they listen to the competitors. They also provide pace teams, which will help everyone whether try for a PR or training for Boston. The Expo is by RFK Stadium, which is easy to get to by Metro. The start is also easy to get to via the Metro. So once you’ve figured out the Metro you’re laugthing. The finish is just around the corner from the White House and the National Mall, which unfortunately isn’t near any Metro but offers great views to rest up. Hotels are within easy walk from the finish, so only trouble is getting to the start early in the morning. Plenty of food and drinks at the end and easy to meet friends and family. The course is flat with the odd small up hill and some easy down hills but nothing to worry about. Road conditions are mixed but once back in the downtown area they are good and clean. I found it a quick race surface and better that most I’ve run. I would recommend this race and having improved the course, I am hoping they have done likewise with the baggage pickup.

This one was nice, good effort by a first time race. The course was nice, the spectators (in sections where they were) were enthusiastic. Organization was good except for the foul up at the baggage check. Course for this year looks to be better, they eliminated the mile 20 hill. Race organizers promise that they won't let the baggage fiasco happen again.

This was my first marathon and a blast! I did it on a dare, no training, no preparation, and no idea what I was getting myself into. I survived. H2O did an excellent job coordinating/executing the event. Unfortunately, baggage return was a bit of a mess; I found out personally that they would indeed improve the process for 2003. All things considered (i.e. Palm Sunday), the spectator support was grand, you saw a lot of familiar faces as they made their way to several points along the route. DC's Metro is an excellent way to meet up and cheer on your friends/loved ones running. I'm definitely running the 2003 DC Marathon, but this time I will 'train.' :-) Go Navy, Beat Army!

I enjoyed the race greatly last year and plan to run it again this year. The comments from the runner in NY, show their ignorance as it pertains to our area and this is very much our race. I can't speak to the other information listed on the site but it appears someone has a beef and there are more productive ways to settle it. I encourage everyone to run the race, it was amazing and look forward to running it again.

Like many others, I am also a local runner. I really enjoyed the course, particularly since it travels through somany areas that many locals would never run through on their daily routes or even long runs. Tough enough so I could not break the elusive three hour mark, but not so much I wanted to die at the end. Start time too early, bag pick up a mess, no organized runner/friend meetup area as promised, and a very disappointing expo. But much better organized than MCM. Much. On course support was great (thank god for the vasoline!), crowds were actually very enthusiastic though somewhat sparse, and the krispy kremes were awesome, though I did hear that at the end they ran out of a lot of food. Wold definitely recommend this to another runner - local or otherwise. If you want momuments galore stick to MCM, but otherwise this is the best marathon in town.

I ran this race kind of on a whim - my brother wanted to do it and I said 'what the heck.' I'm glad I came out. The course was great. It is a very different DC-based marathon from the Marine Corps. The DC Marathon is more neighborhood-oriented and the Marine Corps focuses on the grandeur of the monuments and scenery. They aren't the same course. I heard after the race that there was some problem where a couple runners at the very front got lost - not sure what happened there. And there were complaints about baggage check, which the organizers acknowledged and said they'd fix next time. Someone above mentioned beer at mile 17 - this was a 'public service' of local Hash House Harriers ('on-on'), who do this at various other marathons, too, including the Marine Corps. They weren't officially part of the race, but I know seeing them always puts a smile on my face, because they are most excellent cheerleaders, too. The race was a little expensive, but there were several discounts, including discounts for local running club members. It ended up costing me the same as the MCM, b/c they allowed you to claim more than one discount when registering. I'd recommend this race to my friends. Also, for anyone who cares about the little things: the finisher medals were full color and quite nice!

I was pleasantly surprised by the good job that was done by the organizers of this inaugural event. On the negative side, the expo was unimpressive, the t-shirt was one of the ugliest I've ever received (even worse than the ones at some local 5K's) and the medal, while very attractive, was quite small. On the positive side, the course was beautiful, relatively flat with a few moderate hills to make it challenging, the race was well organized (plenty of water, Gatorade, toilets, etc.) and the fan turnout was better than I expected. Although much of the course did not have many spectators at all, there were a few areas where a fairly large number of spectators gathered. The spectators that did turn out were extremely supportive of the runners. Washington DC was my second marathon and I reached my goal of breaking the 4 hour barrier. While I prefer to run larger events, this marathon will always be special to me and I will consider running it again in the future.

Congrats to the TEAM H2O reps who pulled this one together. As a neophyte (my first marathon) you have set the bar high for future competitions. Race course was excellent, time was a little early, crowds were thin but encouraging. Recommend it to any other first timers tape their name on their shirt for more 'personal' recognition and encouragement by the crowds - they were inspiring! Again - good job to the H2O team and I will see you next year!

This is my 4th marathon and by far the most fun. I live in the DC area and run around DC nearly everyday and the course was well chosen. Although, some of the streets were a bit narrow in the early stages with a few too many cars on them. The only drawbacks I encountered was the early start at 7:00 AM. The DC Metro typically does not run until 8:00 AM on the weekends and my 28 minute trip took 56 minutes making me 13 minutes late for the start. Next year the race should start at 9:00 AM or later for the March 20th - 25th range. As for the Palm Sunday crowd that was around us, most of them were accomodating, but I did see some people with Palms in their window yelling at the course directors. The only real drawback was the baggage pick-up. The wait was intolerable, more people are needed there than the finish line which had perhaps too many. Also, I couldn't find a seat and sat on a box of toilet paper.

Wonderful course through a fantastic city. (I may be biased, living here, but ...) Great on-course organization and plenty of water for us slower runners. (I don't check bags so I didn't run into that problem.) The DC police we fantastic in letting traffic through to help with the whole Palm Sunday thing. The only thing missing was more spectators, which should come in the future. The course is spectator friendly though, a big plus. I will definitely run this race again. It ranks right up there after Marine Corps (my personal favorite) and is way better than Disney or Rock'n'Roll in San Diego! And the medal is pretty too!

Forgive me, I'm a first timer and I don't have anything bad to say. We stayed at the Hilton and took the Metro to the start. The sunrise from Arlington was inspiring. I was more of a sightseer and enjoyed the crowds and scenery. I had trouble from North Capitol (mile 18) on but managed to walk in and what a feeling. We had decided not to use the 'bag claim' and that turned out to be a good decision. The meeting area didn't work out but we had a back-up plan: meet back at the hotel. Thanks to all the organizers, the volunteers, the fans, the DC police and to DC itself for a great experience. I am surprised that the official website doesn't have the full results. I am also curious as to how many runners crossed the start line?

As a first time visitor to Washington, DC, I was most impressed by the spectacular, scenic course. Some of the uphill portions in the second half of the race slowed me a bit, but this was my most enjoyable marathon to date. I've completed 8. Water and Gatorade were plentiful throughout the course and who could complain about Krispy Kremes at the finish? The crowd support was wonderful, and DC cops are the best. This was the first marathon that I ran where some of the police officers encouraged me to keep it going. This one is worth a repeat trip.

The weather was great and the course is perfect for first time or experienced marathon runners. The volunteers and spectators covered 'most' of the 26.2 miles. I enjoyed seeing the nations sites during the course of the marathon. My sister and I ran with a pace group and this was a great experience. I would recommend the DC marathon to all!

Very similar to the Marine Corps marathon, but with more hills. Beautiful course. Fans are great at the end of the course, but 7am Sunday start down Constitution Avenue means many fewer fans on that section than at the Marine Corps. Very well organized except for the bag pick-up at the end. Krispy Kreme's at the finish really hit the spot!

This was my first marathon. If it could not be the marine corps marathon, I'm glad I picked this one. I had a great time. The organization was good, people were great and the time of year was perfect. What a way to spring into summer.

Tough course, especially the hills at end. Great organization. The fans and sights kept me charged allowing me to finish with a new PR. I will definitely run this one again.

I was skeptical of this race when I signed up. I swallowed hard at the high registration fee. Inaugurals often have growing pains and city marathons can be tedious at the start due to weaving around slower runners. Top it off that an injury prevented me from training. But I live 15 minutes from DC, so I signed on. I found the race scenic, not too difficult - but sufficiently challenging. Running up Constitution Ave & seeing the Capitol, running along Independence Ave & seeing the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument looming ahead - I have a newfound appreciation for the city, its neighborhoods & architecture. Great support, great fans for most of the race (a little sparse early on), and great post race - hey all the Krispy Kremes you could eat! Beautiful finishers medal! Great traffic control by the DC police. Only 3 negatives (besides the fee) come to mind - understaffed water station around mile 21 but I just had to grab it off the table and long lines for bag claim (glad I didn't bring one!) and 6 1/2 hour cutoff for traffic. I felt really bad seeing slower runners on the sidewalk waiting for traffic lights as I was heading to the metro. Ok, took 45 minutes to find my wife, but that was our fault. If you are a runner - this is THE way to see the nation's capitol city. Certainly hope to run it again!

I ran this and totally bonked the last 10k. Nevertheless, I thought it was a great race. This marathon takes you through the parts of the city where people actually live, not just around the monuments. I realized while I was running it that this made it so much better than Marine Corps, which is run primarily in Northern Virginia in very clinical areas. This is a relatively tough course, particularly the last real hill at about 22. Thank god for the doctors/nurses in the medical tent.

Although I had been a spectator at several other marathons and had been regaled with stories of many others by my friends, this was my first as a racer. I must admit it was a surprisingly positive experience considering my preconceptions and in comparison with the other events. I will definitely be a future participant and will highly recommend it to anyone else, particularly novices. It was an absolutely great first race. Unlike other races where one may be subjected to busing and corralling for hours in some urban wasteland before the start, here you arrive by Metro a short stroll away from Memorial Bridge and the starting line. You can then sit or recline on grassy slopes and watch the sunrise over the magnificent city and the Potomac (just like the Marine Corps (MCM)). For somebody who trained on the steep terrain of Sugarloaf Mountain, the course seemed nice and easy and relatively level--pretty comparable to MCM. As for the “too steep hill” on 13th St., it was steep but very short--only about 75 yards long. Wasn’t it better to go down rather than up it? For probably over 20 miles of the course the traffic was well separated and distant from the raceway. The police did an excellent job of handling the traffic. Yes, once in a while they would let a car or two slip through big gaps in the runners-so what?! It was done prudently and safely. At my incredibly slow 5 hour pace, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the memorials, all the statues, the beautiful buildings, and the grand vistas down PA Ave and 13th Street. Want to commend the organizers who took the course through neighborhoods (Petworth, Anacostia & Columbia Heights) most visitors never see. It was also a great way to tie the city together in a joint venture. It was wonderful to revisit SE where my father grew up and to once again cross the Sousa Bridge and the Anacostia-this time by foot. Read one comment about how the course went through “common” places & didn’t go through the most scenic or desirable areas. Firstly, I already have said it was very scenic, secondly, how deplorably elitist in tone & distinctly ignorant as well, and thirdly, a marathon with its tons of discarded clothing and trash, public urination, etc. is the last thing the fine people of “desirable” Spring Valley, North Portal, Kalorama, Burleith, etc. are going to allow in their neighborhoods. That said, DC does offer a huge potential for other interesting routes. For instance, the National Arboretum could be added, followed by a run through Trinidad to Brookland up to Missouri Ave, Rock Creek Park and a return via Beach Drive and Connecticut Ave. Probably too challenging-just a thought. Organization was great from registration through pre-race to the finish line. The Expo unlike the rat maze for MCM was enjoyable and one could actually talk to the exhibitors without being swept away by the crowd. Didn’t need to pay $5 to park if you didn’t mind walking a few feet. Seemed like the water stations worked well for the amount of participants. People complained about lack of food-aren’t oranges (which were provided) food? What do you want, steak? All the volunteers were helpful and friendly including the ones at the baggage grab. Yes it was slow but refreshments were brought to us while we waited in line plus it was nice to have time to talk to other runners and share the experiences of what was, for me, an exciting day. However I wish I could say that 2 items were not stolen from my bag-NO, they didn’t fall out-they were packed solidly beneath my clothing. Also might I echo the comments of others about the shirt? How about a long sleeve one next year or maybe even emulating the practice at the Annapolis 10-miler where very nice premiums like wind pants, jackets or race bags are provided? This should be a very high-class event. Please don’t add music or bands. The music at the MCM was painfully loud and extremely annoying. Bands are at some other marathons and that's good and I plan to run the RnR Half Marathon in VA Beach. However, there’s no need for every race to share the same formula. Isn’t there anyone else who thinks they may be a distraction? Diversity makes the world go round. Fans/spectators. Thought the support was really good considering there were only 6000 participants and that the race started relatively early. As it was, the crowds at the end started to push into the raceway. Of course it was not anything like the MCM where I witnessed a runner put out of the race because a thoughtless spectator stepped across the road in front of him. Did enjoy all the doggies who dragged their owners to the race and the little ladies in Petworth ringing bells from their doorways. Have to admit though that I don’t really need people cheering me on-after all I usually train alone-so a lack of huge crowds or cheerleaders is not a downer for me. Certainly didn’t have the energy to “high-five” everyone. I know that’s not the general opinion, however. Anyway I’ll be back next year, if able.

This was my 1st marathon and I had a great time. It has a great course with great spectators, everywhere. They had an open area expo that was not crowded. Only negative points I have is the marathon never answered or returned email questions (pre and post race), gear pick-up area was a disaster, family reunion area was not to be found, and the T-shirt was rather low quality. If they fix these problems, which should be easy to do, they will have a world class marathon in 2003.

My first marathon and I had an absolute blast! Watching the sun rise above the city from across the river set the scene for an awesome run! My nits and comments: My race packet did NOT contain the 'beaded fasteners' for either my chip or the bag tag. I got by without both but there was a stuffing error. Perhaps directions to review the contents at pick-up are in order. My 'bus ticket' was missing as well. When I asked at the information booth, they did give a me a replacement - which, as it turned out, the driver didn't care about anyway. The soy pea soup was an undesirable that did nothing more than add weight to carry home. Cheap T-shirt. Expected nicer for the fee. The vendors at the expo were great - nice selections of running gear! Arriving at the start fairly early (just before 6), there was confusion about which side of the bridge we should be on. Nobody seemed to know for sure. The promised 'maps' were nowhere to be found. I ran with the 3:30 pace team. They did a great job staying just below target pace for the first 20 miles. (I lost 'em on the hill but still finsihed at 3:27.) The massage line was ridiculous. It was moving so slowly that standing there to wait for a massage was out of the question. Either don't promise these or get more bandwidth. Mile markers and clocks were great. Not leading the race - I thought directions were just fine. The only marker I missed was mile 12 - saw the mile marker but not the clock. Refreshment stands on course were great! Friendly folks! The PowerGel stop seemed to have moved from Mile 18 to Mile 19 - just after the ad hoc beer stop. The hill from mile 20 - 22 took its toll on a number of us. There were a lot of people dragging at the top. Crowds on this stretch were particularly sparse. Doing something to encourage folks to cheer in this section would be great. Music at the top of the hill, orange sections or something to give a boost for the hill would be a real perk from the runners' persepective. Finish line was great! Nice crowd, cool bridge, etc. Need more water at the finish - the drink tables were up close to the finish line and you had to kinda fight backwards to get a second cup after passing. The steps between the finish line and the bag claim gotta go. Maybe make a ramp or something but going up and then down those steps hurt after 26.2 miles. The bag-claim tent needed more volunteers - too much backup there. My elderly father was meeting me at the finish line. We'd made specific plans to use the alphabetical signs in the 'reunite' area. Though I eventually found him - we never did find the signs.

This was my second marathon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Family and friends were able to see me a number of times thanks to the course design. Fans and course support were outstanding. I was particularly impressed that organizers were able to get Metro running early so runners could easily get to the start. I didn't check my bags so I avoided what appears to be the major drawback and I was more than a little dissappointed with the race t-shirt. However, these things are minor in what I believe was an outstanding first event.

I decided not to finish my home town marathon (Los Angeles) to be able to run DC. Although it is still early in 2002, it was by far my best decision to date. The DC marathon was terrific- running through history. Picture perfect monuments. The capital of this great country. What a trip! I loved it and will be back in 2003 (just wish it was a few weeks later in the year, so i could still run LA) Anyone looking to have a great time on a fairly flat and easy course should consider this race. The only issues I had were the traffic, cars on the course and the lack of porta-jons- I marked many a bush along the 26.2 miles.

I had nothing but a wonderful experience running this marathon! The expo was well stocked, not crowded and had some fun stuff to keep the kids happy too! What a great idea to have FREE pacer groups ... perfect for anyone looking for a PR or just wanting some support through the course. The course was beautiful! I thought the fans were great. I liked having a mix of quiet areas to run and focus and then hitting strips of screaming fans! They seemed to be there just when you needed them and DC fans know how to cheer runners! The finish was a bit crowded (I personally never check a bag - and was glad not to have to wait in that line) and the markers for meeting family were a bit hard to see. I know both will change next year. The pumping music and great crowds at the finish were great! A big thanks to all those smiling volunteers! What a great group of people! Well done everyone!

Great course. It was thrilling to run by the Capital and historical monuments. The course was challenging at the end because of some uphills. Runners and crowd very friendly. Would recommend this marathon for both experienced and novice marathoners. This race will give NY and Chicago serious competition. I will run it again in 2003!

Glad to see that the overall comments are favorable because the race was a very good experience for me. Reading the negative comments it seems that some runners never give up searching for that perfect marathon (nor do they give up complaining when they don't find it). Whether it's no beer at the finish, or a steep downhill where they think it shouldn't be, or not enough rabid spectators where they think they should be, or no bands (since when did bands become a required part of a marathon?), they are never satisfied. I'd rather remember the great weather, the fair and interesting course, and the many volunteers who helped us before, during, and after the race.

This was my second marathon (MCM was first), and I had a blast! Not big crowd support by any means, but I appreciate anybody willing to spend some time cheering us on! I wasn't sure what to expect from folks stuck in traffic, but received only encouragement from everybody I passed. Saw totally new parts of DC, and greatly appreciated the running downhill for the last couple of miles. I also really appreciate having both spring and fall marathons so close to home, so hope that they continue this one. It certainly was a bonus that DC dished up an absolutely gorgeous day to be out and running. Couple of suggestions. As a back-of-the-packer, it was unnerving to have the streetsweeper nipping at my heels (though it certainly provided motivation), and my goal became to get to the next mile marker before they unplugged the clock. Bathrooms earlier in the course would be greatly appreciated. Great thing about being a slow runner - no lines at the bag pickup! Since I plan/hope to increase my pace over the summer, I definitely plan to run this again!

I enjoyed running this marathon. There were few spectators along the route. I did love the beer in paper cups at mile 17, although I'm sure that was not a part of the organized effort. The small number of runners made getting into and out of the port-a-potties very easy. My one negative observation is the traffic control problem. Streets with no center island and car traffic in one lane, runners in the other, separated only by orange cones. Later in the race police officers were allowing cars to cross the race path also. Sometimes the traffic wouldn't even stop or obey the police officers. A potential disaster in the making. My hunch would be that this marathon should improve next year.