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Marine Corps Marathon adds new spring 13.1-mile race

Washington-area runners who have used the Quantico Half-Marathon as their tune-up race for the annual Marine Corps Marathon will need to find a new event next year.

The half-marathon on isn’t being eliminated, though — quite the opposite, in fact. It’s becoming part of the Marine Corps Marathon family, according to marathon spokeswoman Beth Johnson.

With the change, the race shifts from September to May, grows in size from 1,500 to 5,000 runners and moves from Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., to nearby Fredericksburg.

In recent years, a 10K race has been held as part of the traditional marathon “race weekend” in October; the addition of the 13.1 mile race marks the first Marine Corps Marathon event to be held during the spring racing season.

The course is basically set, Johnson said, though some minor adjustments are possible along the way. Starting and ending at the Fredericksburg Convention Center, the race will be run inside the city limits, including a stretch along the Rappahannock River.

Registration details for the May 18 race are expected to be announced this fall.