Rock 'n' Roll Washington DC Marathon
The St Jude Rock 'n' Roll Running Series - Washington DC, formerly known as the National Marathon, is an annual half marathon and 5k held in Washington, D.C. since 2006. The half marathon, 5k, and formerly offered marathon distance races take place entirely within Washington, D.C. While the marathon finished near RFK Stadium, the half marathon and 5k finish at 4th St. NW & Pennsylvania Ave. NW at the bottom of Capitol Hill.
The race is organized by Competitor Group, Inc.
History
The marathon was started by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance in 2006.In 2007, the National Marathon was sponsored by Wirefly, an online cell phone retailer.
In 2008, SunTrust Banks became the race's primary sponsor. The number of participants was limited to 8,000 in 2008.
The race was sold to Competitor Group, Inc. in 2011 to become part of their Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series.
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers announced that the race would return on as a "Half Marathon event".
Course
Both the marathon course and the half marathon course start on Constitution Avenue near the National Mall and finish near RFK Stadium. In addition, both courses are entirely contained within Washington, D.C.The course for the inaugural race in 2006 was largely in Washington, D.C., with about located in Prince George's County, Maryland.
In 2007, the course was altered so that it was located entirely within the District of Columbia. The race in 2008 and thereafter passes through 6 of the District's 8 wards.
In 2012, the start was moved westward from a location near the RFK Stadium and the finish to a location near the National Mall on Constitution Avenue, beginning with the 2013 race.