Marine Corps Marathon 2018: Route, Course Map, Times, Event Details

The 43rd annual Marine Corps Marathon is set to take place Sunday morning. The 26.2-mile route through Washington will begin at 7:55 a.m. ET between the Pentagon and the Arlington National Cemetery. 

The marathon's official website provided some further details on the start of the race, with the blast of a M2A1 going off at 7:55 a.m. to send runners to "charge the district, beat the bridge and take the Iwo." In addition, the start will have the color guard, national anthem, special guests and flags representing all the nations in the field.

Known as "The People's Marathon," MCM is "the largest marathon in the world that does not offer prize money to its top finishers." The aim of the race is instead to celebrate all runners' "honor, courage, and commitment" to training.

Participants in the marathon include Kari Albrecht Earll, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago, and her husband, Mike. Kari will be competing without a wheelchair to raise money alongside Mike for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.

Another husband-and-wife duo joining them at the MCM, but not participating in the race, will be running legends Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson, according to Washington's Top News. Switzer—now 71—was the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon as a registered entrant in 1967; Robinson—now 79—set masters marathon records in Boston and New York after representing England and New Zealand in world championships.

Runners should be starting the race in partly cloudy conditions, with the day's high being 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the low being 48, according to AccuWeather.com.

Here's what the course map looks like:

Nicknamed the Marathon of the Monuments, runners will, according to the website:

"Begin the run situated between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, continue through Rosslyn before journeying into the District to tour Georgetown and the National Mall on the way to 'beating the bridge.' Enter Arlington and pass the Pentagon, tour Crystal City, and finish uphill (you read that right) at the Marine Corps War Memorial."

If you're not participating in the race and live in D.C., Arlingtonva.us provided the list of the planned road closures:

More event details and a schedule for the weekend can be found on the MCM website.