Active duty and Reserve military servicemembers have a unique opportunity to sign up early for the Marine Corps Marathon for a 15% discount. Today, March 23rd starting at noon Eastern time, troops can sign up until the limited spots are filled. Troops signing up using this link are guaranteed a spot and will not be subject to the lottery system. [update: all limited spots have been filled].
The lottery system will open to the public on March 13, 2015 and will close on March 22nd. Signing up for the lottery doesn’t guarantee entry to the race on October 25, 2015 in Washington DC, but those lucky lottery recipients will be notified in the spring if they are selected via email.
Those not selected can still race the marathon through charities like our favorite, the Semper Fi Fund.
A lottery system was introduced last year after several years of participants crying foul from slow page loads and error messages received when trying to sign up online with Active Network. 2013’s race signup process was a 2 hour and 27 minute chaotic sellout was fraught with resentment, which lead to an apology being issued by Active and eventually lead to the CEO stepping down after several other marathon sellout problems.
The Marine Corps Marathon is one of the most popular marathons in the United States, moving 26.2 miles through our nation’s capital including the Washington Monument, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as well as the Pentagon.
If you’re looking for a shorter version of the race, the MCM also offers a 10K (6.2 miles) on the same day.
For more information and to sign up, visit the Marine Corps Marathon website.