Marine Corps Historic Half

Course & Elevation

The Marine Corps Historic Half is a 13.1-mile road race through Fredericksburg, Virginia, held on a Sunday in May and organised by the Marine Corps Marathon Organization. The first edition was run in 2008, and the 2026 race was the 19th. The Semper Fred 5K is held the day before. The race starts at 6:00 am in Central Park, beside the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center on Carl D. Silver Parkway, with a ceremonial howitzer blast, and the start line closes at 6:15. The course goes through Central Park and down Cowan Boulevard, winds through the streets of historic downtown with views of the Rappahannock River, then climbs back up through the Mary Washington Hospital campus and returns to the finish near the starting line, where Marines present the finisher medals. The best-known feature is Hospital Hill, a 0.53-mile segment that begins at the Mary Washington Healthcare campus at mile 10.5 and sits in the middle of a two-mile uphill stretch that peaks where Cowan Boulevard crosses Interstate 95. The course map is USATF certified. Participants must be at least 14 and able to hold a 17:30-per-mile pace. The Marine Corps says the weekend draws more than 7,000 runners and 30,000 spectators, making it the largest annual running event in the city.