Marine Corps Marathon 2014: Route, Course Map, Times and Event Details

Sunday is a day of rest for many people across the United States, but that's certainly not the case for the thousands of weekend warriors taking part in the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 26.

This is the 39th edition of the beloved race that unites service members, their families, grateful citizens and diehard competitors under the common banners of fitness and self-improvement.

Here is a quick overview of the event:

2014 Marine Corps Marathon: Event Details, Times

Where: Greater Washington D.C. area

When: Sunday, Oct. 26

Start Time (ET): 7:40 a.m. for wheelchair, hand-cycle participants; 7:55 a.m. for runners

Watch: CSN Washington

Course Map: A map of the event can be found at MCMLocator.com.

Note: event details courtesy of MarineMarathon.com.

Preview

Cliff Owen/Associated Press

The race, affectionately known as "The People's Marathon," will start in Arlington, Virginia and wind its way through several roads and into Washington D.C., finishing near the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Residents in the area should take notice of the extensive road closures in the area, a full list of which can be found here, via WJLA.com. Competitors will be glad to know the race is mostly flat and runs along various streets and roads.

Mother Nature won't get in the way of the runners or even those coming out to cheer on the competitors:

According to Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post, around 30,000 runners will swarm the streets of Washington D.C. this weekend.

Sure, it's just another 26.2 mile excursion for some of these marathoners, but the Marine Corps Marathon offers a unique trip through an historic area of America. Kaplan provides a detailed look at some of the sights along the course:

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Sunday’s route winds past the Pentagon, through Rosslyn, over the Key Bridge and into Georgetown, shoots out and back along Rock Creek Parkway, skirts the Kennedy Center and circumnavigates Hains Point — and that’s only the first half. Runners then loop the Mall, cross the Potomac at the 14th Street Bridge and get a final burst of energy from the Crystal City crowds before heading onto Route 11o for the last lonely, grueling miles. And, because ending things gently isn’t really the Marine Corps way, the final 0.2 miles slope steeply uphill toward the Iwo Jima Memorial and the finish line.

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The Marine Marathon Twitter account has been quite busy in the buildup to the event. It gave those interested in the event a look at the bleachers set up near the finish line:

Should anyone need a quick flood of endorphins and adrenaline to steel themselves for the lung-busting task at hand, they could always look up at the start of the race. According to the Marine Corps Times' Hope Hodge Seck, Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter will skydive to the starting line of this year's marathon.

"I can’t express how excited and appreciative I am to represent wounded warriors, the Marine Corps and this great nation by skydiving into the incredible Marine Corps Marathon," he said, according to an announcement from the Marine Corps Marathon, via Seck.

Cliff Owen/Associated Press

It's not easy to pound the pavement for such a long period of time, but if anyone is in dire need of inspiration, perhaps they will come across Sean Astin, aka the star of Rudy and well known to any sports movie fan with a functioning limbic system. It will be his first attempt of the Marine Corps Marathon, per the Washington Post's Sarah Larimer.

For those not so easily swayed by the presence of a celebrity, there will be more than enough inspiration during the course of the run. One particularly notable section, per MarineMarathon.com, is the "Run to Honor," where American flags dedicated to fallen service members decorate a portion of the course.

The Marine Corps Marathon is a truly special event, and it can be a truly humbling event. It is a reminder of the freedoms allowed in this nation, and it is a chance to honor those who work to protect and honor those freedoms by engaging in a daunting run that challenges every competitor to be their best selves and put their best foot forward—all the way to the finish line.