My marathons

Army Ten-Miler

Washington, D.C.
The Pentagon
The Pentagon. Photograph by David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The Army Ten-Miler is run by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington from the Pentagon, and the organiser counts over 35,000 runners and 900 teams.

The course in short 2 lines
  • Ten miles from the Pentagon with 35,000 runnersFrom the Pentagon, over 35,000 runners and 900 teams.
  • One start line, ten waves seeded by projected finish timeOne start line, waves by projected finish time; moving forward is not allowed.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
Whole courseCrowdTen miles from the Pentagon with 35,000 runnersFrom the Pentagon, over 35,000 runners and 900 teams.

The organiser describes the course as a run past the historic landmarks of Washington, D.C. All race proceeds go to Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs. The 2026 race was on Sunday 11 October.

Sourced

Whole courseTacticsOne start line, ten waves seeded by projected finish timeOne start line, waves by projected finish time; moving forward is not allowed.

At the 2026 race, waves 1 and 2 could enter their corrals between 6:20 and 6:45 a.m. and waves 3 to 10 between 7:10 and 9:00 a.m. Timing starts when a runner crosses the start line.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

Race fuel for Washington, D.C.

One gel every 40 minutes once you are past about 75 minutes of running, plus a spare.

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
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Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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