The archive • Season one

Beat the Bridge 2026

Eighteen weeks of training for the Marine Corps Marathon, frozen exactly as it stood on race day. The bridge at mile 20 closed at 14:00 a mile, and the bus was waiting for anyone who didn't make it. Five regular guys spent the summer making sure that wouldn't be them.

Weeks: 18
Crew miles: 665.3
Runs logged: 118

Marine Corps Marathon • Sun Oct 25, 2026 • Washington, DC

Honor roll

26.2 miles through the capital, across the bridge before it closed, and up the last hill to the finish. They beat the bridge. They earned the medal.

Chair Force
6:02:35
13:50/mi • finisher
Cletus
6:02:33
13:50/mi • finisher
The Kid
5:59:42
13:44/mi • finisher

Official chip times, still marked preliminary by the race.

The build, run by run

Every run of the 18-week build, replayed in order. 26.2 training miles moves your dot one full lap of the course — and earns a chalk mark on the board.

The season so far

run 0 of 118

every run of the build, in order — one lap of the course per 26.2 miles

MILESone slash per 26.2 mi

Chair Force0.0no laps yet

Cletus0.0no laps yet

The Old Man0.0no laps yet

The Kid0.0no laps yet

The Holdout0.0no laps yet

PACEtrailing 7 days, fastest first

Chair Forceno runs this week

Cletusno runs this week

The Old Manno runs this week

The Kidno runs this week

The Holdoutno runs this week

Crew telemetry

JUN 22

four-week window, streaming day by day like a heart monitor

CUMULATIVE MILESthe whole block, day by day

PACErolling average, last 5 runs — faster ↑

Chair Force0.0 mi · —Cletus0.0 mi · —The Old Man0.0 mi · —The Kid0.0 mi · —The Holdout0.0 mi · —

table view

Week ending	Chair Force	Cletus	The Old Man	The Kid	The Holdout
JUN 28	0.0 mi	0.0 mi	3.1 mi · 18:18/mi	0.0 mi	0.0 mi
JUL 5	0.0 mi	5.0 mi · 13:46/mi	3.1 mi · 18:18/mi	0.0 mi	0.0 mi
JUL 12	6.1 mi · 11:44/mi	9.6 mi · 13:05/mi	6.2 mi · 18:05/mi	0.0 mi	0.0 mi
JUL 19	24.6 mi · 11:46/mi	26.0 mi · 12:57/mi	21.7 mi · 18:01/mi	4.2 mi · 9:05/mi	3.9 mi · 12:23/mi
JUL 26	43.9 mi · 11:32/mi	40.3 mi · 12:38/mi	45.8 mi · 18:32/mi	9.2 mi · 9:34/mi	8.1 mi · 12:21/mi
AUG 2	49.9 mi · 11:18/mi	43.5 mi · 12:37/mi	63.8 mi · 18:10/mi	15.4 mi · 10:32/mi	11.4 mi · 12:33/mi
AUG 9	73.0 mi · 11:01/mi	66.6 mi · 12:29/mi	76.9 mi · 18:59/mi	16.9 mi · 10:38/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
AUG 16	88.0 mi · 11:19/mi	81.1 mi · 12:21/mi	76.9 mi · 18:59/mi	21.6 mi · 11:07/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
AUG 23	96.1 mi · 11:33/mi	94.2 mi · 12:11/mi	76.9 mi · 18:59/mi	25.6 mi · 10:53/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
AUG 30	117.6 mi · 12:08/mi	111.4 mi · 12:18/mi	76.9 mi · 18:59/mi	31.6 mi · 10:24/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
SEP 6	120.7 mi · 11:51/mi	117.6 mi · 11:34/mi	76.9 mi · 18:59/mi	37.6 mi · 10:23/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
SEP 13	133.8 mi · 12:10/mi	137.0 mi · 11:43/mi	86.2 mi · 16:49/mi	37.6 mi · 10:23/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
SEP 20	150.9 mi · 11:26/mi	153.7 mi · 10:59/mi	92.4 mi · 16:01/mi	46.6 mi · 11:05/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
SEP 27	155.9 mi · 11:47/mi	161.8 mi · 11:06/mi	92.4 mi · 16:01/mi	46.6 mi · 11:05/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
OCT 4	178.2 mi · 11:32/mi	186.1 mi · 11:07/mi	94.5 mi · 17:11/mi	58.6 mi · 12:00/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
OCT 11	196.3 mi · 12:02/mi	204.2 mi · 11:50/mi	94.5 mi · 17:11/mi	58.6 mi · 12:00/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
OCT 18	196.3 mi · 12:02/mi	210.4 mi · 12:30/mi	94.5 mi · 17:11/mi	72.8 mi · 12:05/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi
OCT 25	222.5 mi · 12:51/mi	236.6 mi · 13:04/mi	94.5 mi · 17:11/mi	99.0 mi · 12:52/mi	12.7 mi · 12:29/mi

Final block totals

Crew	Miles	Runs	Longest
Chair Force	222.5	31	26.2 mi
Cletus	236.6	38	26.2 mi
The Old Man	94.5	26	8.4 mi
The Kid	99.0	17	26.2 mi
The Holdout	12.7	6	3.3 mi

Jun 22 – Oct 25, 2026, race day included. Roster order.

Likelihood to beat the bridge

fitness • consistency • volume • long run

50 is even odds. Predictions only count as far as your long runs vouch for them — the score gates speed by endurance, checks the pace you actually held on 10+ milers against the 14:00/mi requirement, and measures your longest run against where an 18-week build should be by now. Plus week-completion rate and volume vs plan. No data means the bus is idling for you.

Frozen on race morning, Oct 25, 2026 — the last read before the gun.

Gunny signs off

Listen up. Eighteen weeks ago I inherited a crew of regular guys who thought a marathon was a long walk with snacks. I yelled. You ran. That was the deal, and you kept your end of it.

On October 25th the Marine Corps Marathon asked its question, and these men answered it all the way to the finish:

Chair Force6:02:35
Cletus6:02:33
The Kid5:59:42

Twenty-six point two. Across the bridge before it closed, up the last hill, medal around the neck. The bus never got you. Nobody takes that from you — not even me, and I have tried to take everything.

My orders are up. I'm handing this crew to Top. He's a Master Sergeant, he has never once raised his voice, and that is the most terrifying thing I can tell you about him. Do what he says. Hydrate. And if I ever see that bus again, it had better be empty.

Gunny, out.