ARLINGTON, Va. -- This year 80 charities have partnered with the 35th Marine Corps Marathon to raise approximately six million dollars from more than 6,000 runners. This year’s race will be held in the National Capital Region.
The Marine Corps Marathon is the 4th largest U.S. marathon and the largest marathon in the world that does not offer any prize money.
This year’s marathon is hosting 30,000 registered runners, said Tami Faram, Marine Corps Marathon Community Relations Coordinator. The 26.2-mile race starts next to Arlington National Cemetery and ends at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
The motivated marathon runners who have decided to donate to charity are not only running for themselves, but for the people all these charities support.
One of this year’s partnered charities is the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. This foundation gives money to the children of service members to attend college, said Clint Nesmith the director of development and events for the Northeast region.
For this year’s Marine Corps Marathon, 84 runners coordinated with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to make a contribution of more than 60,000 dollars.
“This is our 5th team, and so far is the largest team we have had since we started,” said Nesmith. Normally the Foundation only has 50 runners.
According to a press release from the Semper Fi Fund, it has become the most represented non-profit charity at the Marine Corps Marathon. This year the Semper Fi Fund has more than 800 runners and 80 of them are members of Team Semper Fi.
The Semper Fi Fund raises money to provide immediate financial support for injured members of U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
The Marine Corps Marathon has three times the number of partnered charities than the oldest Marathon in the U.S., the Boston Marathon.