WASHINGTON — Participants in the Marine Corps’ 17.75K race face a grueling more than 11-mile run through Prince William Forest Park, but before the race even starts this weekend, the National Park Service is finishing the equally arduous task of clearing the hundreds of trees that toppled on the course when a powerful windstorm swept through the region last month.
Just last week, National Park Service gave the all-clear that the March 24 race can go on as planned. But it wasn’t without some heavy lifting — literally, said Katie Liming, who works on the park’s information management team.
“It’s a great partnership and we love hosting this race, however the route was significantly impacted by the wind storm. There were a lot of trees down along the route and we did make clearing the route one of our priorities,” Liming said.
“Crews have been working 12-hour days since March 3 and we have been bringing in resources from other parks.”
The park, which is Northern Virginia’s largest protected natural area in Prince William County, had been closed since the March 2 wind storm. The wind upended hundreds of trees, downed power lines and posed a threat to visitors. Some areas of the park reopened Monday.
“The park was really impacted — much more so than other parks in the region, at least other national parks,” Liming said. “We are very glad that we are able to host the race and I’m sure the organizers are too.”
Marine Corps Marathon spokeswoman Ashley Topolosky said the Marine Corps Marathon race series team has appreciated the work of the National Park Service to make sure the event can go on.
This year, 3,100 runners from four countries and 42 states will run in the race that finishes outside Montclair Tabernacle Church located in Dumfries, Virginia, near Marine Corps Base Quantico.
But long before race day, runners faced another obstacle: a cutthroat registration process. When registration for the 2018 17.75K opened online last month, its thousands of spots sold out in about seven minutes — an impressive feat that demonstrates just how high-demand this 11.03-mile race is, Topolosky said. Part of its attraction is because finishers can earn a coveted spot in the Marine Corps’ marquee event.
“The Marine Corps’ 17.75K is very popular because it offers access granted, which is guaranteed access into the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon,” Topolosky said.
The 17.75K distance is significant: it’s the year the Marine Corps was established. Also, the distance appeals to runners attracted to the atypical mileage on an onerous course.
The race is sold out, but if you’re interested in running the Marine Corps Marathon, there is a rush registration available beginning March 21.
Want to try for the 2019 17.75K race? Registration for it typically opens the third week of February — so mark your calendars and be ready for another competitive race just for the opportunity to run.
