Today, the race directors for Monumental Marathon announced some tweaks to the course. Having shared my thoughts on how the course could go from, as we say in education, good to great, I am stoked to see those changes actually happening.

Don’t get me wrong, Monumental is a great course. Flat and fast, with a slight uphill through the first half and downhill in the second. But there were a few things that kept leaving me scratching my head — easy, minor changes. Now my dreams have come true!

Early Miles : Straighter = Faster The race will now start on the corner of Washington and Capitol, and head directly south. Like all events our size, as we continue to grow the possibility of congestion in the early miles can be a concern. The changes to the course have eliminated three turns in the first two miles and will prevent bottlenecks on corners.

First Water Stop : Now at Mile 2 The standard for marathons our size and larger is to have the first water stop in the second mile of the course. This will also help alleviate congestion concerns

Finish : Bigger is better Now finishing on Washington Street, the Monumental Finish line (for all races) is at the end of a longer and wider finishing stretch – a benefit to both runners and spectators alike!

These are exactly the issues I had. Too many turns in the congested early miles and a waterstop at mile one — in a turn. And these are all 90-degree downtown city turns. (Links go to my 2013 and 2014 reviews.)

Looking forward to a great race in 10 weeks!