National Marathon
Encyclopedia
The SunTrust
Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon, formally known as the National Marathon, is an annual marathon
and half marathon
held in Washington, D.C.
It was established in 2006 as an annual event. It was organized by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance
and was sold to Competitor Group, Inc.
in 2011 to become part of their Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series
.
The 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) course starts and finishes at RFK Stadium
and the number of participants was limited to 8,000 in 2008. The course for the first running of the race was in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland
, but altered in 2007 for the course to be run entirely within the District of Columbia. The race in 2008 and thereafter passes through 6 of the District's 8 wards.
Among the beneficiaries of the marathon are Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Special Olympics
District of Columbia, United For D.C., Fort Dupont Ice Arena, Washington Tennis & Education Foundation and Black History Invitational Swim Meet.
In 2007, the National Marathon was sponsored by Wirefly
, an online cell phone retailer. In 2008, SunTrust Banks became the race's primary sponsor.
SunTrust Banks
SunTrust Banks, Inc., is an American bank holding company. The largest subsidiary is SunTrust Bank. It had US$172.7 billion in assets as of September 30, 2009...
Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon, formally known as the National Marathon, is an annual marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
and half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It was established in 2006 as an annual event. It was organized by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance
Greater Washington Sports Alliance
The Greater Washington Sports Alliance is a non-profit organization, founded in 2003 under the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Currently, an independent entity, its board is headed by Chairman Fernando Murias, Managing Partner of PriceWaterhouseCoopers. It is the regional sports commission...
and was sold to Competitor Group, Inc.
Competitor Group, Inc.
Competitor Group, Inc. is a privately held, for-profit, sports marketing and management company based in Mira Mesa, San Diego, California. The company owns and operates over 40 national running, cycling, and triathlon events; of which includes the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series...
in 2011 to become part of their Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series
The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series is a collection of road running events owned and operated by Competitor Group, Inc. The series is known for lining race routes with live bands, cheerleaders and themed water stations.-Events:...
.
The 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) course starts and finishes at RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
and the number of participants was limited to 8,000 in 2008. The course for the first running of the race was in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, but altered in 2007 for the course to be run entirely within the District of Columbia. The race in 2008 and thereafter passes through 6 of the District's 8 wards.
Among the beneficiaries of the marathon are Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
District of Columbia, United For D.C., Fort Dupont Ice Arena, Washington Tennis & Education Foundation and Black History Invitational Swim Meet.
In 2007, the National Marathon was sponsored by Wirefly
Wirefly
Wirefly is an online retailer of wireless services and devices, operated by parent company SimplexitySimplexity assumed control of in November 2007, after 2006 purchasing the assets of InPhonic. Inphonc filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code....
, an online cell phone retailer. In 2008, SunTrust Banks became the race's primary sponsor.
Race winners
| Year | Men's winner | Country | Time | Women's winner | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Michael Wardian Michael Wardian Michael Wardian is an American marathoner and ultra-marathoner. He won the 2008, 2009 and 2010 US 50 km championships. In 2008, he won the U.S. National 100 km championship. Wardian also is the 2007 JFK 50 Mile winner, and won the National Marathon in Washington D.C... |
 United States  Virginia |
2:30:55 | Susan Graham-Gray | United States  Pennsylvania |
2:58:05 |
| 2007 | Michael Wardian | United States Virginia |
2:26:35 | Katie Blackett | United States  Colorado |
2:44:57 |
| 2008 | Michael Wardian | United States Virginia |
2:25:00 | Myriam Grenon |  Canada  Quebec |
2:54:02 |
| 2009 | Patrick Moulton | United States  Rhode Island |
2:21:12 | Jeannette Seckinger | United States  Massachusetts |
2:48:41 |
| 2010 | Michael Wardian | United States Virginia |
2:21:59 | Krista Vrombaut | United States  Illinois |
2:51:16 |