day. Post-9/11, approval by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to proceed with the marathon was contingent upon a new security plan. With approval in place, mile five on the MCM course gave runners an up-close view of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Many 2001 MCM finishers agree this was a very special year. More than 15,000 runners from 50 states and 39 countries participated in the 26th annual Marine Corps Marathon. Shadow Runs The Marine Corps Marathon is one of the top stateside military event with sanctioned "shadow runs." In 2014, the shadow run was held at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.(Miller, and Amanda. "Event Rundown." Army Times (2014): 31. ProQuest. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.) Social Media The popularity of the Marine Corps Marathon continues to grow as more social media sites develop. Blogs, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Notes References Further reading Banker, George. The Marine Corps Marathon: A Running Tradition. Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd., 2008. Print. External links MarineMarathon.com, Official website. Contains a detailed history of the origins of the event, and a course description. Marine Corps Marathon Elevation Profile "ATHLETE" (film) director David Lam's interview with Rick Nealis, Marine Corps Marathon race director Marathons in the United States Marathon, Marine Corps Running in Washington, D.C. Recurring sporting events established in 1976 Sports in Northern Virginia Annual sporting events in the United States