The Wirefly National Marathon

I ran the Wirefly National Half Marathon in Washington DC this morning. In it's second year, this race is rapidly gaining in popularity. 1,170 runners finished the marathon and 2,306 runners finished the half marathon. The race drew people from 48 states. Unfortunately, these people didn't get a very scenic or historical view of Washington. The only notable landmark that the course passes through is the Capitol, at the beginning of the race. Otherwise, the course goes through run-down neighborhoods of the city. No nice view of the Potomac river like in the Marine Corps Marathon. There was no view of the monuments or the White House. Just dirty, run-down neighborhoods.

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty ran the marathon, and completed it in just over 4 hours.

This marathon is following the popular trend of including a half marathon option. The half marathon is rapidly increasing in popularity. Each year, more and more marathons add a half marathon option to the race to draw more people. I ran the half marathon because I am scheduled to run a full marathon at the end of April, and two marathons within a month of each other would likely wear me out. Additionally, I wouldn't have been attracted to the full marathon course because there is a huge hill at around mile 20, with rolling hills until the finish line.

The course was different this year than last year. Last year, marathon runners ran through parts of Maryland. This year, the marathon was entirely in the District of Columbia. Additionally, the course was USATF certified this year, meaning that runners can qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon if they finish within a certain time.