Four Marines stationed in Minnesota flew to the nation’s capital to run the 36th Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 30.
Gunnery Sgts. Michael Soucy and Roland McGinnis, Sgt. Maj. James Kirkland and Capt. Jacob Aldean, all from Recruiting Station Twin Cities, were three of 20,895 runners who officially completed the 26.2-mile course.
“When I decided to run my first marathon, I wanted to start with ‘The People’s Marathon,’” said Aldean, 35, from Woodbury, Minn. “Once I crossed the finish line I said I wasn’t going to do another one, but I’ve already changed my mind.”
Army reservist 1st Lt. Chad Ware was the first person to reach the finish line with a time of 2:19:16. The four Minnesota Marines completed the course in under five hours.
“We all had a great time,” said Soucy, 38, from Biddeford, Maine. “At every step of the race our fellow Marines were out there cheering us on.”
According to marathon officials, more than 11,000 participants were first time marathoners.
“The great thing about this race is that anyone can get in,” said Soucy, an assistant recruiter instructor. “You don’t need to be an elite runner or have a qualifying time to compete, you just need to put in the effort to get out there and do it.”
For additional imagery from the event or more information about the Marine Corps Marathon, visit www.marinemarathon.com.