40,000 runners hit streets for 50th Marine Corps Marathon – Stars and Stripes

Report on the 50th Annual Marine Corps Marathon: An Analysis of Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals

Event Overview and Context

The 50th annual Marine Corps Marathon was held on Sunday, October 26, 2025, across Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va. The event demonstrated significant institutional resilience, proceeding as planned with over 40,000 participants despite a concurrent government shutdown. This mass-participation event serves as a powerful platform for promoting several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The marathon’s organization and execution directly support a range of global sustainability objectives.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: By engaging over 40,000 individuals in a significant physical challenge, the marathon is a large-scale initiative promoting active lifestyles and physical and mental well-being for all ages.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The event ensures equal participation and recognition for all athletes, with distinct divisions and comprehensive coverage for both male and female competitors. This structure champions gender equality in sports.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Known as “The People’s Marathon,” the event distinguishes itself by not offering prize money. This policy reduces economic barriers to participation, fostering inclusivity and focusing on personal achievement and community spirit over financial reward.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The racecourse, which passes iconic cultural landmarks, promotes community engagement and utilizes public urban spaces to foster social cohesion and celebrate shared heritage.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: The successful execution of the marathon by the U.S. Marine Corps, a major institution, during a government shutdown highlights organizational strength and commitment to public service. The event itself is a peaceful gathering that unites people from diverse backgrounds.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Staging an event of this magnitude requires robust partnerships between military organizations, municipal governments, community volunteers, and participants, exemplifying a multi-stakeholder approach to achieving common goals.

Race Results

The event concluded with the following top finishers in the men’s and women’s divisions, celebrating their athletic achievements.

Men’s Division Results

1. Kyle King (2:18:51)
2. Wojciech Kopec (2:23:07)
3. Michael Schmidt (2:23:45)

Women’s Division Results

1. Tessa Barrett (2:34:11)
2. Meghan Sevcik (2:43:18)
3. Julie Hartenbach (2:48:05)

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article, which describes the Marine Corps Marathon, connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) primarily through its focus on health, community engagement, and gender equality in sports.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The most direct connection is to SDG 3. A marathon is a large-scale event that promotes physical activity, which is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing non-communicable diseases. The article highlights that “more than 40,000 runners participated,” demonstrating a significant community engagement in a health-promoting activity.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article implicitly addresses gender equality by giving equal prominence to both male and female athletes. It separately announces the winners for the men’s and women’s divisions, providing their names and winning times. For example, it states, “In the men’s division, Kyle King won… In the women’s division, Tessa Barrett won.” This equal representation in a major public event supports the principles of gender equality in sports and public life.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The marathon is a community event that utilizes public spaces and infrastructure. The article notes the race course “guided runners through parts of Arlington… and past iconic Washington, D.C., landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol.” This showcases the use of public spaces to foster community interaction and cultural engagement, making the city more inclusive and vibrant.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  Organizing an event with over 40,000 participants requires extensive collaboration. The Marine Corps Marathon is an example of a partnership between a government institution (the U.S. Marine Corps) and civil society (the runners, volunteers, and local communities). The event’s success, as described in the article, highlights an effective public-civil society partnership to achieve a common goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s description of the marathon, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health

   This target aims to “reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.” The marathon directly contributes to the prevention aspect by encouraging mass participation in vigorous physical activity, a key strategy for combating diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

2. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities

   This target focuses on ensuring “women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership… in public life.” The article demonstrates this principle in the context of sports by reporting on the women’s division with the same level of detail and importance as the men’s division, thereby promoting equal participation and recognition.

3. Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces

   This target aims to “provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces.” The marathon temporarily repurposes the “streets of Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.” into a space for community recreation and sport, demonstrating an inclusive use of public areas for a large-scale community event.

4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships

   This target encourages effective partnerships. The Marine Corps Marathon, organized by a military branch for the general public (“The People’s Marathon”), is a clear example of a public-civil society partnership. The participation of “more than 40,000 runners” underscores the scale and success of this collaboration.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides specific data and qualitative information that can serve as indicators for the identified targets:

• Indicator for Target 3.4:

  The number of participants in the marathon serves as a direct indicator of engagement in health-promoting physical activity. The article explicitly states, “more than 40,000 runners participated,” which can be used to measure the scale of public involvement in activities that prevent non-communicable diseases.

• Indicator for Target 5.5:

  An implied indicator is the equal media representation and recognition of male and female athletes. The article’s structure, which dedicates separate paragraphs to the winners of the “men’s division” and the “women’s division” and includes photos of both, serves as a qualitative indicator of equal participation and recognition in a major sporting event.

• Indicator for Target 11.7:

  The successful organization of a large-scale public event utilizing city streets and landmarks is an indicator of access to public spaces for community activities. The article’s description of the race course through “Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.” confirms the use of public infrastructure for recreational purposes.

• Indicator for Target 17.17:

  The number of participants in a collaborative event organized by a public institution and civil society is a strong indicator of a successful partnership. The figure of “more than 40,000 runners” in an event organized by the Marine Corps quantifies the reach and effectiveness of this public-civil society partnership.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: stripes.com