He was awarded a trophy-provided by Secretary Middendorf-for his achievement. Kenneth Moore of Eugene, Oregon, finished the inaugural event with a time of 2:21:14, becoming the first MCM winner.

The 1,175 participants ran a course through northern Virginia and finished at the Marine Corps War Memorial, becoming the first of thousands of MCM runners over a span of 38 years to take the final hill and finish at the Iwo Jima memorial. William Middendorf, the inaugural running of the MCM was held on November 7, 1976. Through the efforts of the marathon coordinators and with support from Secretary of the Navy, J.

With Gunnery Sergeant Breckenridge acting as an ambassador for the marathon effort, local jurisdictions approved of the event. With news of the inaugural marathon quickly spreading, Gunnery Sergeant Alex Breckenridge, a member of the 1960 Olympic Marathon Team, soon lent his support. With General Wilson's backing, the planning process for the first MCM began. General Ryan embraced the idea of a Marine marathon and submitted it to then Marine Corps Commandant General Louis H. The Marathon also serves as a way to raise money for a wide variety of charities. Colonel Fowler believed an event like this would showcase the Marine Corps, serve as a recruiting tool, and give local Marines an opportunity to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Ryan, outlining his idea of creating a Marine Corps Reserve Marathon to promote goodwill between the military and the post-Vietnam community. Fowler wrote a memo to his supervisor, Major General Michael P. On October 17, 1975, MCM founder Colonel James L. The event typically occurs on the final Sunday in October, a few weeks before the United States Marine Corps' birthday on November 10. Known as 'The People's Marathon', the MCM is open to all runners ages 14 and above and is the largest marathon that does not offer prize money. The event field of 30,000 is composed of runners from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 50 countries. The MCM was established in 1976 and is currently the fourth largest marathon in the United States and the ninth largest in the world. The mission of the MCM is to promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill, and showcase the organizational skills of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is an annual marathon held in Washington, D.C.

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