Running Together, Remembering Together: Marine Corps Marathon Weekend 2025

This past weekend, Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, were alive with purpose. Over 40,000 runners moved through the wear blue Mile, each step a tribute, each name a story remembered. Along the course, 268 posters honored our fallen heroes—including a service member who was lost as recently as October 18th—reminding us all that remembrance is both personal and collective, sacred and immediate.

Volunteers begin lining the wear blue Mile with posters beginning at 3 AM. SGT Terrel Seales, who died just days before the Marathon, was honored on the wear blue Mile.

286 flags were adorned a flag tag and ribbon, sponsored by JLL, for each of our fallen service members honored on the wear blue Mile.

At the heart of the weekend were our twelve Gold Star and Survivor Endurance Program athletes ran with courage, determination, and unwavering heart. Crossing the finish line was more than a personal triumph; it was a testament to the power of community and shared support. These athletes embodied the spirit of wear blue, showing how we carry one another forward through grief, through challenge, and through every mile.

Throughout the weekend, our ambassadors brought energy, spunk, and story to every corner of the event, capturing real-time reels on the course and sharing moments of joy, pride, and remembrance. Their presence reminded us that honoring our heroes is not just a solemn duty—it’s a celebration of the lives they lived and the legacies they leave behind.

“The Marine Corps Marathon was an opportunity for wear blue family from across the US to join for a weekend of remembering and honoring the fallen through the challenge of completing 26.2 miles! Having the opportunity to represent a community and the lives we honor all to see. There was nothing more motivating than seeing other runners in blue, wear blue bibs with fallen names on the backs fo strangers, and having a boost of the wear blue Mile to remember why I run.” - Kayla Martin, Gold Star Daughter, GSSEP Alumni, wear blue Ambassador

From the Shakeout Run to the finish line, the wear blue community showed up in numbers. Volunteers, runners, Gold Star and Surviving family members, veterans, active-duty service members, and supporters all stood together, shoulder to shoulder, breathing life into the mission. Flags waved, cheers rang out, and every gesture reminded every runner and every spectator that remembrance is alive in action.

Our sponsors and fundraisers were touched by the weekend, seeing the tangible impact of their support and the living power of remembrance on the course.

Marine Corps Marathon weekend is more than a race—it’s a living expression of our mission. Through every mile, every cheer, and every poster, we honor those who sacrificed and stand with the families they left behind. It’s a reminder that remembrance is not a moment in time—it’s a movement, carried forward by runners, volunteers, supporters, and the resilient Gold Star and Surviving families who inspire us all.