Woobridge Runner Leads The Pack At Quantico 12K

QUANTICO, VA — A Woodbridge runner led the pack at the 2019 Quantico 12K on Saturday, Aug. 24. The Quantico 12K and Quantico Tri drew 1,210 participants as part of the MCM event series, which leads up to the Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 27.

Matt O’Neil, 24, was the top male runner in the 12K with a time of 41:10. The finish marked O’Neil’s fourth ribbon-breaking performance this year with the Marine Corps Marathon Organization (MCMO).

“I approached this 12K differently than last year (when he set the course record at 40:17),” O’Neil said. “I wanted to run it at a desired marathon pace to be prepared for what is ahead. My goal is to be on the MCM podium this October.”

Runners can earn a Distinguished Participation medal by participating in the year's qualifying MCM event series. This year's qualification will finish with the Marine Corps Marathon in October and the Turkey Trot in Alexandria Nov. 13. Over 350 runners currently qualify for the Distinguished Participation medal.

Nearly 650 runners participated in the 12K, a 7.46-mile run. An additional 563 participated in the Quantico Tri, which included swimming in the Potomac River at sunrise, biking through Marine Corps Base Quantico, and running the trails at the Officer Candidate School.

Marine Corps Maj. Jamie Ash, 33, also from Woodbridge, finished second in the Quantico Tri with a time of 1:17:36, “I was the female top finisher in the Quantico Tri last year, and it’s great to be back and run alongside the community,” Ash said.

See full results at www.marinemarathon.com/results/quantico-tri.