Marine Corps Marathon 2019: Route, Course Map, Times, Event Details

An M2A1 Howitzer will go off, and the runners will begin racing from the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery to the Marine Corps War Memorial on Sunday for the 44th Marine Corps Marathon.

The race will be one of numerous events taking place, with the 26.2-mile marathon attracting many of the thousands of participants and spectators who will be in attendance. The marathon is the largest in the world that doesn't award prize money. Instead, this race is The People's Marathon, taking runners through a great course around Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia.

There will be runners from all 50 states and more than 60 countries in this year's marathon field.

2019 Marine Corps Marathon Information

When: Sunday, Oct. 27

Start time: 7:55 a.m. ET

Course map: Available on MarineMarathon.com

Road closures: Many roads will be affected because of the races, with some closing as early as 3 a.m. and not reopening until 5 p.m. The full list of closures can be found on the event's official website.

In addition to the Marine Corps Marathon, there will also be 10K and 50K races taking place. Those participating in the 50K race, which is 31.25 miles, will start at 7:30 a.m. and will encompass the entire Marine Corps Marathon course and more.

When the Marine Corps Marathon begins, not only will the cannon signal the start of the race, but there will be the color guard, a playing of the national anthem, special guests and flags from all the countries represented in the race field.

In the afternoon, there will be an awards ceremony for each race and a finish festival at the Marine Corps War Memorial, which will feature live musical performances.

Last year's Marine Corps Marathon winner on the men's side was Jeffrey Stein of the United States, who finished the race in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds. The men's record is 2:14:01, which was set by Jeff Scuffins of the United States in 1987.

Jenny Mendez of Costa Rica was the winner on the women's side last year, finishing in 2:40:19. The women's record is 2:37:00, which was set by Russia's Olga Markova in 1990.

But the marathon isn't just for those participating in the race. It's also a fun event for spectators, who will have five locations along the race course to watch and support the runners. Two of those spots are at the start and finish lines.

However, weather may not be the best for this year's race. According to the Weather Channel, there is a 100 percent chance of morning thundershowers, which will turn to partly cloudy skies. Sunday's high temperature is expected to be 77 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the warmer days in the 10-day forecast.

Even with that high chance of rain, the Marine Corps Marathon runners and spectators alike should have a great time, as thousands will once again gather to honor the Marines while participating in a fun event.