Runners and spectators of the 37th Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 28, will notice a course change this year when participants make their way through Crystal City.
The up-and-back loop along Crystal Drive has been eliminated for Miles 22-25. This year, as runners enter Crystal City from the 14th Street Bridge, they will continue along Army Navy Drive and turn onto 12th Street South. Then, the new route will take participants along Clark Street and 23rd Street before reaching Crystal Drive.
The changes were necessary due to construction on Crystal Drive.
Another change involves runners traveling along a stretch of Long Bridge Drive and then turning onto North Boundary Channel Drive. Parallel to the LBJ parking lot, runners will continue along Boundary Channel onto the Route 110 on-ramp on the same stretch of highway where the MCM began. Marathoners will continue to run alongside Arlington National Cemetery to the finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
As in previous years, the race begins on Route 110. However, this year the starting line will be 700 feet closer to the Pentagon.
All of the changes can be viewed online on the course map.