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The course, in 3D

Marine Corps Marathon

Arlington, VA · Sunday, October 25, 2026

Marine Corps Marathon official site →registration and course details
Race day
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Climb
1182 fttotal ascent
Race-week weather
48°F to 66°Ften-year normals, 23% of days wet

Fly the course

All 26.2 miles through a model of Arlington built from OpenStreetMap: real building footprints, heights and roof shapes, the water, and the course line itself. Scrub it, switch cameras, or let it play.

Route statusa community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. matches the current course; official USMC ArcGIS geometry cross-checked

Course line a community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. matches the current course; official USMC ArcGIS geometry cross-checked Buildings, roads, parks and shorelines are OpenStreetMap, ODbL, so building coverage varies block to block. Public-domain USGS/USDA aerial imagery and USGS 3DEP terrain are served as static site assets; no paid map API runs in the browser. This is photographic terrain with modeled architecture, not photogrammetry. Bridge approaches, elevations and facade details remain approximate. The organizer's published route is the reference.

Accuracy check: drawn line is within 1.7% of the certified 26.2 miles; no part of the line passes through a building; 100% of it sits on a mapped road; closest it ever comes to a building wall is 8.9 m.

Note on bridge grades: Where a course crosses a bridge, the elevation now follows the deck rather than the ground underneath it. A terrain model contains no bridges, so it used to sample the riverbed and report a gorge the runner never descends. Decks are held level between their abutments and never allowed to sag below them; a genuine climb across a long span, like the Golden Gate approach, is left exactly as measured. The camber of a long suspension deck is not modelled, so a bridge that really does rise toward mid-span may read slightly flatter here than it feels.

The elevation profile

-60 -10 40 90 140 190 240 Mile 0.0 to 0.2: -0.2% Mile 0.2 to 0.4: +0.3% Mile 0.4 to 0.6: -0.1% Mile 0.6 to 0.8: +2.7% Mile 0.8 to 1.0: -0.7% Mile 1.0 to 1.2: +1.1% Mile 1.2 to 1.4: -0.6% Mile 1.4 to 1.6: +2.2% Mile 1.6 to 1.8: +2.0% Mile 1.8 to 2.0: +1.0% Mile 2.0 to 2.2: +2.1% Mile 2.2 to 2.4: +5.7% Mile 2.4 to 2.6: -0.5% Mile 2.6 to 2.8: -2.0% Mile 2.8 to 3.0: -2.4% Mile 3.0 to 3.2: -1.5% Mile 3.2 to 3.4: -0.9% Mile 3.4 to 3.6: -2.4% Mile 3.6 to 3.8: -7.0% Mile 3.8 to 4.0: +1.1% Mile 4.0 to 4.2: -0.7% Mile 4.2 to 4.4: +2.9% Mile 4.4 to 4.6: +6.4% Mile 4.6 to 4.8: -2.9% Mile 4.8 to 5.0: -0.5% Mile 5.0 to 5.2: -4.1% Mile 5.2 to 5.4: -0.4% Mile 5.4 to 5.6: -0.0% Mile 5.6 to 5.8: -0.5% Mile 5.8 to 6.0: +0.1% Mile 6.0 to 6.2: +1.0% Mile 6.2 to 6.4: -0.3% Mile 6.4 to 6.6: +1.4% Mile 6.6 to 6.8: -0.3% Mile 6.8 to 7.0: +1.0% Mile 7.0 to 7.2: +0.4% Mile 7.2 to 7.4: -0.4% Mile 7.4 to 7.6: +0.1% Mile 7.6 to 7.8: -0.9% Mile 7.8 to 8.0: +0.7% Mile 8.0 to 8.2: +0.3% Mile 8.2 to 8.4: -0.8% Mile 8.4 to 8.6: -0.3% Mile 8.6 to 8.8: +1.1% Mile 8.8 to 9.0: +0.6% Mile 9.0 to 9.2: -0.8% Mile 9.2 to 9.4: -1.1% Mile 9.4 to 9.6: +0.2% Mile 9.6 to 9.8: -0.1% Mile 9.8 to 10.0: +0.0% Mile 10.0 to 10.2: +0.2% Mile 10.2 to 10.4: +0.4% Mile 10.4 to 10.6: -0.8% Mile 10.6 to 10.8: +0.8% Mile 10.8 to 11.0: -0.2% Mile 11.0 to 11.2: -0.2% Mile 11.2 to 11.4: -0.0% Mile 11.4 to 11.6: -0.1% Mile 11.6 to 11.8: +0.7% Mile 11.8 to 12.0: -0.1% Mile 12.0 to 12.2: +3.2% Mile 12.2 to 12.4: +0.2% Mile 12.4 to 12.6: -0.0% Mile 12.6 to 12.8: -0.1% Mile 12.8 to 13.0: -0.5% Mile 13.0 to 13.2: -0.3% Mile 13.2 to 13.4: -0.1% Mile 13.4 to 13.6: -0.2% Mile 13.6 to 13.8: -0.1% Mile 13.8 to 14.0: -0.2% Mile 14.0 to 14.2: -0.0% Mile 14.2 to 14.4: +0.0% Mile 14.4 to 14.6: +0.2% Mile 14.6 to 14.8: -0.2% Mile 14.8 to 15.0: -0.1% Mile 15.0 to 15.2: +0.0% Mile 15.2 to 15.4: +0.0% Mile 15.4 to 15.6: +1.1% Mile 15.6 to 15.8: -0.6% Mile 15.8 to 16.0: +2.0% Mile 16.0 to 16.2: -1.4% Mile 16.2 to 16.4: +0.4% Mile 16.4 to 16.6: -2.4% Mile 16.6 to 16.8: +1.6% Mile 16.8 to 17.0: +0.6% Mile 17.0 to 17.2: +0.2% Mile 17.2 to 17.4: -0.7% Mile 17.4 to 17.6: -0.3% Mile 17.6 to 17.8: -0.4% Mile 17.8 to 18.0: -0.0% Mile 18.0 to 18.2: +0.1% Mile 18.2 to 18.4: +0.3% Mile 18.4 to 18.6: +0.0% Mile 18.6 to 18.8: +0.3% Mile 18.8 to 19.0: +0.3% Mile 19.0 to 19.2: +1.0% Mile 19.2 to 19.4: +0.2% Mile 19.4 to 19.6: +0.4% Mile 19.6 to 19.8: -1.3% Mile 19.8 to 20.0: -0.1% Mile 20.0 to 20.2: +0.1% Mile 20.2 to 20.4: +2.2% Mile 20.4 to 20.6: -2.8% Mile 20.6 to 20.8: -0.5% Mile 20.8 to 21.0: +0.8% Mile 21.0 to 21.2: +0.6% Mile 21.2 to 21.4: -0.5% Mile 21.4 to 21.6: +0.8% Mile 21.6 to 21.8: -0.6% Mile 21.8 to 22.0: -0.5% Mile 22.0 to 22.2: +0.7% Mile 22.2 to 22.4: -0.4% Mile 22.4 to 22.6: -0.1% Mile 22.6 to 22.8: +0.0% Mile 22.8 to 23.0: +0.2% Mile 23.0 to 23.2: -0.5% Mile 23.2 to 23.4: +0.5% Mile 23.4 to 23.6: -1.3% Mile 23.6 to 23.8: +0.2% Mile 23.8 to 24.0: -0.1% Mile 24.0 to 24.2: +0.4% Mile 24.2 to 24.4: -1.4% Mile 24.4 to 24.6: -0.1% Mile 24.6 to 24.8: -0.0% Mile 24.8 to 25.0: +0.1% Mile 25.0 to 25.2: +1.0% Mile 25.2 to 25.4: +0.8% Mile 25.4 to 25.6: -0.1% Mile 25.6 to 25.8: -0.1% Mile 25.8 to 26.0: +0.5% Mile 26.0 to 26.2: +2.9% 5 10 15 20 25 mile +87 ft +177 ft
steep up up flat down steep down

1182 feet of total climb across the 26.2, between 2 and 183 feet of elevation. the Key Bridge climbs from mile 4.41 to 4.62, 87 feet up. Click the profile to jump the flythrough to that mile.

Mile by mile

Every mile of the course on the same vertical scale, so they compare at a glance. Net is what the mile does to your elevation; steepest fifth is the sharpest continuous fifth of a mile inside it, the same unit the colour strip above uses.

MileShapeNetElevation Steepest fifthStreets
1+19 ft52 ft+2.6%Richmond Highway
2+76 ft128 ft+2.6%Langston Boulevard, Wilson Boulevard, North Lynn Street
3+44 ft175 ft+5.4%Langston Boulevard, Spout Run Parkway
4-148 ft22 ft-6.3%Spout Run Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway
5+45 ft69 ft+6.4%Francis Scott Key Bridge, George Washington Memorial Parkway, M Street Northwest
6-48 ft21 ft-3.7%K Street Northwest, Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest, Wisconsin Avenue Northwest
7+23 ft45 ft+1.5%Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
8+1 ft40 ft+0.5%Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
9+3 ft36 ft+0.6%Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
10-31 ft8 ft-1.0%Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest, Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway
11+4 ft11 ft-0.7%Ohio Drive Northwest, Independence Avenue Southwest, Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
12-1 ft10 ft+0.7%West Basin Drive Southwest, Ohio Drive Southwest
13-6 ft2 ft+2.9%Ohio Drive Southwest, West Basin Drive Southwest
14-3 ft0 ft-0.2%Ohio Drive Southwest
15+3 ft3 ft+0.3%Ohio Drive Southwest
16+26 ft29 ft+2.3%Ohio Drive Southwest, 15th Street Southwest, Maine Avenue Southwest
17-5 ft25 ft+1.8%Independence Avenue Southwest, 15th Street Southwest, Maine Avenue Southwest
18-14 ft10 ft-0.9%Madison Drive Northwest, 15th Street Northwest, 15th Street Southwest
19+8 ft18 ft+0.4%Jefferson Drive Southwest, Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Maryland Avenue Southwest
20-6 ft13 ft-1.8%14th Street Southwest, Jefferson Drive Southwest
21+14 ft27 ft+3.4%395 Express Lane, 14th Street Southwest, Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway
22+6 ft33 ft+1.8%Army Navy Drive, 12th Street South, South Eads Street
23+6 ft40 ft+0.7%Crystal Drive, 12th Street South
24-25 ft15 ft-1.3%Long Bridge Drive, Crystal Drive, 12th Street South
25-4 ft14 ft-1.4%North Boundary Drive, Long Bridge Drive, Pentagon Access Road
26+15 ft28 ft+1.0%Richmond Highway, Pentagon Access Road, US Marine Corps War Memorial Access Road

The course on a map

1 5 10 13 15 20 25 26

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Marine Corps Marathon planning

Open the complete race guide: course, hotels, expo, spectators and the city.

Course geometry a community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. City geometry is OpenStreetMap, ODbL. Weather normals are ten years of Open-Meteo reanalysis around race day at the start line. Confirm dates and registration on the official site. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.