Yesterday, while going through my social media feeds, I came across something that really grabbed my attention; an opportunity that would have been unimaginable under different circumstances ... the Marine Corps Marathon was going completely virtual this year!
I think many of you know that I am retired from the US Navy. The US Marine Corps is a component of the US Navy and I have served side-by-side with Marines most of my career. Every year, the Marine Corps sponsors many athletic events; one of the most popular is the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) held in October in Washington, DC. The Marine Corps Marathon is one of the largest marathons that does not offer cash prizes; thus it is often called "The People's Marathon". This year was to be the 45th running of the MCM and a very special medal was designed for it ... the medal includes a bit of sand from the beach of Iwo Jima as well as a ribbon designed as a filmstrip of the iconic planting of the US Flag on Iwo Jima.
Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, this year's event has gone virtual, and some spots have opened up for the public; which means that I can participate and collect this very special medal without traveling to Washington, DC! An unexpected opportunity for sure! The challenge (for me) is that I did not discover this opportunity until 32 days before the event.* Is it possible to train for and complete a marathon in 31 days? Hang on to your hat, and we shall soon see! :)
*Technically, being a virtual event, participants will have from 27 September to 10 November to complete it; but the event was scheduled for 25 October (and that is the date on the medal), so that will be the target. If weather is horrid, that day, then at least I have some options to reschedule it to 30 October (Poya Day), or even 01 November (Sunday).
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