Marine Corps Marathon: 'We Are SO On!'

With the federal government shutdown finally over, Marine Corps Marathon Director Rick Nealis sent a short and simple message to the 30,000 runners expected to participate in it: "We are on!"

"It is with great pleasure that the MCM can officially announce we are on. We are SO on," Nealis said in a statement to runners Thursday. "See you at the start line!"

The marathon is scheduled for Oct. 27.

The shutdown, which closed federal buildings, monuments and parks, had threatened to affect the annual marathon, with organizers announcing earlier this week that "all options" were on the table — including canceling the event or a potential route change.

More than 60 percent of the marathon's course is on National Park Service land.

"The course hasn't changed," marathon spokeswoman Tami Faram told Patch on Thursday. "We're excited."

The marathon's Facebook page added a short video message from Nealis announcing the news Thursday morning, which is included above.

Marine Corps Marathon weekend generated $31.7 million in spending for the D.C. Metro area in October 2006, according to a report from the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies.

The shutdown also threatened a course re-route for the Army Ten-Miler, which is Sunday.

Thursday morning, there was no indication from that run's organizers that such a change was any longer necessary.

Threat to Marathon Affected Oak Hill Resident Personally

Oak Hill resident Ginny Atwood was possibly more disappointed than most that it appeared as though the Marine Corps Marathon could have been canceled recently.

Not long ago, Atwood lost her brother Chris to an overdose of heroin - a substance he had been fighting hard to break free from for years.

Since the loss of Chris, Atwood has been a tireless advocate for those fighting addiction, and started the Chris Atwood Foundation along with family members in his memory.

"Team Chris" from the foundation has been training for a long time to run in the MCM in Chris' memory, and Atwood expressed her sheer gratitude that the shutdown is over Thursday, not only for the marathon, but for all the families affected by the shutdown as well.

"Team Chris is so happy to see this shutdown resolved and that the Marine Corps Marathon will not be cancelled," she said. "We have been training through blood, sweat and tears for months now, wanting to show the nation that recovery from addiction is possible, but that it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. Now we have the chance to do that."

Atwood has started blogging for Patch recently about her experiences helping others to fight addiction, and recently wrote a post in memory of her brother Chris. Read her post here.