Running a PR requires preparation: training, recovering, and—of course—fueling your body. For runners participating in this year’s Marine Corps Marathon, the prerace meal possibilities are endless.
You can start your eating festivities at the MCM Runners bRUNch on Saturday the 24th at 10:30 a.m. The light brunch will be served adjacent the marathon finish line, so you can scope out the last hundred meters of the race that you hope to conquer the next day. If brunch doesn’t fill you up, you’re in luck; the annual MCM pasta party—the Carbo Dining In—is later that night in the ballroom of the race’s host hotel, the Hyatt Regency Washington. Tickets to the event sell for $45.
Tami Faram, the Public Relations Coordinator for the Marine Corps Marathon, told us over email, “the Carbo Dining In includes music, mascots, giveaway and a special guest speaker at the event.” The dinner will have a buffet of pasta, vegetables, rolls, salads, drinks and desserts—a prerace meal perfect for fueling. This year’s speaker is Jeff Galloway, who was a member of the 1972 Olympic Team in the 10,000 meters, and a longtime columnist for Runner’s World.
If an organized dinner is not your style, local Yelp users recommend Italian restaurants in Rosslyn or Crystal City (both districts are close to the race course and offer a wide selection of restaurants) for a prerace meal. Bucca di Beppo, a family style Italian dining restaurant in Dupont Circle, is highly recommended as well as other pasta-heavy restaurants in the area such as Otello and Floriana. The Washington Post suggests the Italian restaurants Argia, Olazzo, and Carmine’s for energy-packing prerace meals, all of which are near the course and offer large pasta portions.
While the Marine Corps Marathon is still working with various merchants in the area to finalize race day restaurant deals and specials, a few have already been secured. The Spanish eatery Jaleo, Cinnabar at Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Tortoise & Hare (20 percent off when you mention Runner’s World!), and BELL20 at the Crystal City Marriott all have race-day deals. In the past, places such as Shake Shack, 100 Montaditos and Urbana have also offered dinner and happy hour specials for runners.
When you’re done with your race, experiment with different types of cuisine at Restaurant Row—which has Ethiopian and Thai restaurants, for example—or hit up staples like Freddie’s Beach Bar and the Crystal City Sports Pub for burgers and beer. And if you're looking for a spot to celebrate your race with a postrace brew, be sure to check out the MCM’s official Michelob Ultra beer garden for free samples. Cheers to that!
