This year, more than 100,000 spectators are expected to come out to support the more than 30,000 runners competing in the Marine Corps Marathon and MCM10K on Oct. 27, said Marc Goldman, marketing and sponsorship manager for the Marine Corps Marathon. There are about four spectators for every one runner, plus the local population that comes out to watch the event, he said.

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Heading out to cheer on a runner? Don鈥檛 forget a way to stand out, Goldman said.

鈥淵ou either want to be wearing something identifiable or a sign that is clearly distinguishable. Some people get giant cutouts of the runner鈥檚 face that they hold up. Some people bring balloons so runners can see their support crew,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to the runners along the way to get that extra burst of energy from seeing their loved ones multiple times throughout the day.鈥�

Also, spectators want to have the downloaded on their phone so they can track the runner and receive live updates as runners hit different splits along the course.

Spectators should leave glass bottles, face masks, drones and big bags at home. There are screening points around the start and finish areas, and spectators will have their bags checked 鈥� it鈥檚 all part of keeping the race safe, Goldman said.

鈥淚t is intended to keep the experience safe for all those participating in the event 鈥� whether they are running or supporting on event day,鈥� he said.

Still, the marathon relies on spectators to be “agents of good.”

“We reinforce ‘if you see something, say something’ and hope that they are out there to keep the event as safe as possible,” Goldman said.

Where to watch runners

The Marine Corps Marathon is a good course for spectators, Goldman said.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 nice about the Marine Corps Marathon course is that it鈥檚 all pretty close quarters,鈥� Goldman said. 鈥淸Unlike other marathons,] this is 26 miles in a pretty close radius.鈥�

Spectating for the Marine Corps Marathon can sometimes be as exhausting as the 26.2-mile race 鈥� bouncing around town and dodging road closures. Spectators can see their runner in as many as five locations on the course.

Here are the stops Goldman suggests for spectators who want to cheer on marathoners.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Courtesy Marine Corps Marathon

Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

草莓传媒/Sarah Beth Hensley

Courtesy Marine Corps Marathon

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Near the finish area, runners and spectators can reunite in the 鈥渇amily link up鈥� area. There are several large 13-foot towers with letters of the alphabet where both parties can plan to meet up after the race.

Get more spectator tips on the .

View an interactive map with spectator locations:

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In 1967, Switzer, now 71, became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entrant. She was nearly tackled midrace by its director for competing at a time when women were barred from the race.

Her husband, 79-year-old Roger Robinson 鈥� a masters running pro, running journalist and author 鈥� represented England and New Zealand in world championships, set masters marathon records at Boston and New York, and won his age division after a knee-replacement. And he already has running goals after a recent second knee replacement.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e never too old to be an athlete, you鈥檙e never too old to try. You鈥檙e never too big or too slow or too out of shape to put on a pair of sneakers and start moving,鈥� Switzer said. 鈥淎nd the more you move, the better your health is going to be.鈥�

Switzer earned running icon status through her famed 1967 Boston Marathon run. Despite that fact that women weren鈥檛 permitted to run, she trained for the race and signed up for under her initials 鈥淜.V. Switzer鈥� 鈥� 鈥渘ot to defraud the officials, that鈥檚 the way I signed my name,鈥� she said.

About a mile and a half in to the marathon, race official Jock Semple saw Switzer running and grabbed her; he tried to pull her off the course and rip off her bib, the number 261, she recalled. That鈥檚 when her then-boyfriend Tom Miller, who was running alongside her, rammed Semple, pushing him to the pavement and allowing Switzer to carry on with the race.

鈥淚t was a moment that really not only changed my life, but changed millions of women鈥檚 lives because it really inspired me for change and to create opportunities for women in running,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 must say, I鈥檓 really kind of happy that the worst thing in my life became the best thing in my life because I was able to help get the women鈥檚 marathon into the Olympics games, make more women runners in the United States than men 鈥� and spearhead a global movement where women are facing their fearlessness simply by putting one foot in front of the other.鈥�

Switzer has formed a nonprofit organization, 261 Fearless 鈥� named after her Boston bib number 鈥� that empowers women through running. A D.C.-area chapter will be running in the Marine Corps Marathon race on Sunday.

鈥淚 suddenly realized that people were relating to a story about being told 鈥榶ou鈥檙e not good enough, you don鈥檛 belong, you鈥檙e not welcome, you鈥檙e too fat, you鈥檙e not really an athlete.鈥� All those things we鈥檝e heard all of our lives. And then they start running and they can do it and they feel fearless and they know they can do anything,鈥� she said.

Enthusiasm for running has been one of the keys to longevity in Robinson鈥檚 career, too.

鈥淚 just always loved it. I loved the process, I loved the competition, I loved the sheer joy of going out running,鈥� said Robinson, who ran his marathon personal best in his 40s 鈥� a time when most runners are on the decline.

He never saw a reason to stop running 鈥� even after a knee replacement in 2011 that was supposed to have ended his running career. Another knee replacement doesn鈥檛 dampen his spirits either. He said he hopes to be out competing again in another year with his sights set on the 2020 World Masters Championships in Toronto.

The couple is among a group of 鈥減ioneers in pushing back the aging barrier through physical activity,鈥� Switzer said.

While they won鈥檛 be running in the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend, they will be attending several events. They will be at the expo at the Gaylord Resort and Conference Center, speaking, selling and signing their most recent books, as well as the Carbo Dining In event the evening before the race.

Both Switzer and Robinson, who have been married more than 30 years, remind Marine Corps Marathon runners to have focus and purpose, and enjoy a race Robinson called 鈥渁n amazing, superbly well-organized and scenically colorful race.鈥�

鈥淛ust enjoy that experience of taking part in something completely peaceful and completely communal and that is being done with the support of the military,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat combination is something that I think is really appealing and important.鈥�

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There are about a thousand volunteers who help with the medical needs for the race, including the hundreds who work in the 14 medical tents that support runners along the 26.2-mile course through D.C. and Arlington.

Getting that many strangers from around the county on the same page for a massive one-day event can be tough, said Shelly Weinstein, who oversees medical operations for the race.

鈥淭rying to get 1,000 volunteers together to support an event is a lot of people,鈥� said Weinstein, who is also a physical therapist. 鈥淭hey are an incredible, professional group of people who come from all over, who are all here for the same reason, and that鈥檚 to support the participants and the marathon.鈥�

Courtesy Dr. Charles Stubin

Courtesy Dr. Nailah Coleman

Courtesy Dr. Nailah Coleman

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It takes a nearly year-round effort to get the medical team and resources ready for the race. Organizers determine medical supplies and equipment needed for the aid stations, decide where along the race course to put the tents, recruit volunteers and train them for their roles.

A YouTube video sent to all volunteers helps train them for their roles. But overall, most volunteers won’t see anything they aren’t able to handle.

“Even though different systems may have different protocols, the way you take care of people doesn鈥檛 change. You鈥檙e empathetic, you stop and you do vital signs and then you assess. Those rules of practice are the same no matter where you鈥檙e from and what your role is. So from that standpoint, we can actually assimilate very well and work very, very well together,鈥� Weinstein said.

All the prep work leads up to marathon weekend, which includes a kid鈥檚 fun run, a 10K race and marathon 鈥� all of which bring thousands of participants and spectators to the D.C. area.

‘First aid plus’

Most of the medical tents can do what Weinstein calls “first aid plus”: offer oxygen, automated external defibrillators, Vaseline, first aid supplies, basic medications and ice. Anything more serious may require transporting a runner to the hospital, she said.

Musculoskeletal issues 鈥� such as strains, sprains and blisters 鈥� most frequently sideline runners and cause them to stop at medical tents, Weinstein said. Most of the cases are minor, and medical teams stretch them, give them ice, tape them or bandage them before sending them on their way.

Of the 14 aid stations along the course, five of them are “enhanced,” meaning they have the ability to do additional lab work, cardiac care and treatment for heat stroke. Those stations are located “where we historically have seen people have problems. So we use our data to look back and try to make things a little bit better every year,” Weinstein said.

The marathon’s smallest aid stations have nine people; its largest ones have more than 100 people.

The race is a time for volunteers like Dr. Charles Stubin to flex some medical muscles they may not regularly use. Stubin, for example, works as an OB-GYN at Kaiser Permanente in Silver Spring.

“It gives me an opportunity to combine an interest in medicine and a love of medicine. Also, it’s a love of sports and running and being in a different medical setting than my day-to-day, week-to-week office life,” said Stubin, who will work at a medical tent for his 10th year during this fall’s marathon.

“Being on the marathon course allows me to reconnect with the primary care and just taking care of more general medical problems,” added Stubin, who trained in family medicine.

Dr. Nailah Coleman, a pediatrician and pediatrics and sports medicine specialist at Children’s National Health System, has volunteered with the event for about five years. She said the event is a way to assist during one of racing’s biggest days.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big event for the racing community. A lot of people come from far away to run in the race, so it鈥檚 great to participate and help them out and be a part of that day,鈥� she said.

‘The runners are happy to know that we are there’

Teams at each medical tent are equipped to help anyone who needs medical attention. While the medical teams are happy to assist runners, they are just as fine to go unnoticed.

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鈥淚 think the runners know we are there. I think most of them want to go past the aid station and never have to stop, but I think there鈥檚 a reassurance for them that if they need to seek care, we have great care that we provide to these athletes 鈥� with a smile on our face,鈥� Weinstein said.

“We know we are in the background. We don鈥檛 ever want to be in the forefront of an event. We recognize that, but I think that the runners are happy to know that we are there.鈥�

The goal is always to get runners back on the course 鈥� and the medical teams do it well: More than 98 percent of the runners finish the race, Weinstein said.

鈥淢ost of our runners, if they start, they are going to finish, and we will do everything we can to safely let them continue to finish the race,鈥� she said.

The medical team’s loyal band of volunteers help make the event a success, Weinstein said. They come back year after year “for the love of the sport and taking care of these athletes to make sure everyone is OK at the end of the day,” she said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any participant really thinks they are going to end up at an aid station, let alone sick or going to the hospital that night. So I think this group of volunteers that we have is just very proud to take care of them, and they take their job incredibly serious, but they have fun. People have made friendships out of this,” she added.

For Stubin, he’s just happy contributing to a bigger mission.

“I feel like I’m a very small fish in a very big pond of talent associated with the Marine Corps,” he said.

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Metro announced Friday that 53-year-old Christopher Riggins, a Laurel, Maryland, resident, was arrested Sept. 14. during a sting while in Tennessee for official business travel. Certain Metro employees regularly travel for work purposes, such as inspecting contractor facilities or meeting with vendors.

Riggins, who had worked at the transit agency for a decade, worked as an engineering technician in the Track and Structures Department, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said.

During the trip, Riggins used a Metro-issued electronic device to arrange a meeting with a person he believed was a 15-year-old girl for a sexual encounter. The person he was communicating with, however, was an undercover investigator with the Knoxville Police Department.

Police arrested Riggins at the meeting place they had arranged. He was charged with felony solicitation of a minor and aggravated statutory rape.

Following Riggins’ arrest, Metro placed him on administrative leave. He was terminated following an internal investigation that concluded Friday.

Metro is asking anyone with information pertaining to the case to contact its hotline at 888-234-2374 or via email at wmata-oig-hotline@verizon.net.

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Wendy Martinez 鈥� who was described by her family as an 鈥渁vid runner鈥� 鈥� was fatally stabbed Tuesday during an evening run. Even the most experienced runners have to keep safety in mind every time they head outside, said Julie Sapper and Lisa Reichmann, co-founders of the running coaching company .

“Sometimes really awful things happen, and in this case we very much believe that Wendy was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and there was nothing she could have done. But generally speaking, we can always be safer,” Sapper said.

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“Running with other folks is an automatic protective mechanism that allows people not only to feel safer, but they actually are safer,” Sapper said, adding that when runners aren鈥檛 able to run in a group, they might choose to run in a busier, more populated place, such as a track.

If running in a group is not an option, runners should let someone else know where they鈥檙e going, how long it will take and when they will check back in, said Reichmann.

Wearing the right gear can be essential. Runners should always dress to be seen 鈥� that means headlamps, reflective vests or lights on their shoes. For runners who don鈥檛 have any of those things, 鈥渆ven a simple flashlight, if it鈥檚 dark or becoming dark on your run, is really great to be seen,鈥� Sapper said.

Runners should be wise about the gear they bring, too. Don鈥檛 leave the house without a fully charged cellphone, Reichmann recommended.

“Not only for personal safety to use if you are in danger yourself, but if you come across a runner or a pedestrian or a car or someone else who needs help, having a fully charged cellphone with you is really important,” Reichmann said.

Whistles, key chains and alarms, such as , that trigger noise and light can frighten an attacker. Other gear such as Garmin GPS watches and the Strava run-tracking app can share runners鈥� locations with a designated groups, so friends or family know where runners are.

So what should runners leave behind? Headphones, the run coaches said. Runners should focus on being aware 鈥� that means running without headphones. If you must wear headphones, put just one earbud in.

Weapons should not be part of a runner鈥檚 plan because it could be turned against them, Sapper said.

“If someone is going to use pepper spray or some type of weapon, they need to be experienced and understand how to use it,” she said.

Runners, no matter where they decide to go, need to vary their routes and be cognizant of their patterns, Reichmann said.

鈥淚f you go out every evening after work or every morning at a certain time and you run the same route time after time, you鈥檙e very predictable, so if someone is watching you and waiting for you it鈥檚 pretty easy to become a target,鈥� Reichmann said.

Also, while women are often the focus of running safety messages, men can just as easily be targets, Reichmann added.

鈥淚t can be anybody. I think we focus a lot on women鈥檚 safety, but I think it can be any runner 鈥� men included.鈥�

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Prince William County police announced Thursday that, after consulting with the Commonwealth Attorney鈥檚 Office, no charges will be placed after a collision that led to the death of 53-year-old Larry Walker on Aug. 8.

Walker, a Woodbridge resident, was driving a pickup truck on northbound Prince William County Parkway near Minnieville Road when he was involved in the road rage incident with another vehicle, police said. Walker got out of his truck to confront the driver he had a problem with 鈥� a 34-year-old Woodbridge man. The driver tried to maneuver past Walker, hitting him and another vehicle in the process.

The collision caused Walker to get caught between the sedan and the minivan. He died at the scene as a result of his injuries, police said.

The driver of the vehicle that hit Walker contacted police following the crash and stayed at the scene.

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While strains and sprains can happen to runners, “runner’s knee” is one of the more common injuries that befall the group.

As training ramps up for thousands of people getting ready for the in October, Dr. Wiemi Douoguih, medical director of MedStar Sports Medicine, shared tips for spotting runner’s knee, identifying its causes and preventing it.

“Runner’s knee” is a catchall term for numerous conditions that cause knee pain. Most of the injuries are “attritional injuries that occur over time, and once they get above a certain threshold, either pressure on bone and cartilage and other tendons results in pain,” said Douoguih, who also serves as the head team physician for the Washington Wizards.

Runner’s knee is more common in people who participate in sports that involve running and jumping, according . It is usually marked by a dull, aching pain in the knee that is aggravated when walking up or down stairs, kneeling or squatting, sitting with a bent knee for a long period of time, and, of course, running.

Treatments such as rest and ice can help, but sometimes physical therapy is needed, according the Mayo Clinic.

While runner’s knee may sideline runners, Dr. Douoguih says there’s no need for them to fret.

鈥淚f they are generally healthy and they haven鈥檛 had problems, they shouldn鈥檛 panic,” he said. “Most of the time, injuries to the knee in a runner are correctable and fixable with conservative measures, such as modifications to their training, anti-inflammatory medications and rest.鈥�

To prevent these types of knee injuries, warming up and stretching can be key, Douoguih said. Additionally, it’s important that runners choose a training plan that is tailored for their skill level, he added.

鈥淚n general we preach that you shouldn鈥檛 exceed your running mileage or intensity by more than 10 percent each week 鈥� a number of studies have shown that can increase your risk of injury,” he said.

The shoes on your feet can play a role in injury risk, too, Douoguih said. Training with the same pair for too long can lead to injuries.

People who are newer to running may be more vulnerable to injuries, Douoguih said. Injury incidents for runners that are experienced tend to be lower 鈥� ranging from 3 to 25 percent, Douoguih said; whereas the incidents with novice runners can go as high as up to 85 percent.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure you have an older family member who told you 鈥榚verything in moderation,鈥� and that鈥檚 great advice for the runner 鈥� particularly the novice runner and the casual runner/recreational runner,” he said.

Runner’s knee isn’t the only injury that imperils runners: 鈥淎nkle injuries, knee injuries, hip injuries are all very common in runners,” Douoguih said.

To prevent those and other injuries, runners should check with a doctor to make sure they are healthy enough to exercise 鈥� particularly runners over the age of 30 “just to make sure you are generally healthy,鈥� he said.

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Angie Rodriguez Rubio, 12, and Elizabeth Rodriguez Rubio, 48, had last been seen聽 Aug. 5聽with suspect Hareton Jaime Rodriguez Sariol at a strip mall along South Main Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Harrisonburg police recovered the Rubios’ bodies Wednesday聽in the park.

Sariol entered into a plea agreement with the Rockingham County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney on two counts of first-degree murder on the condition that he lead investigators to where he hid the bodies. The move would help bring “closure for the Rodriguez Rubio Family,” said聽Rockingham County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Marsha Garst.

Sariol faces a minimum of 40 years in prison.

Sariol was infatuated with the elder Rubio, investigators said. After the pair went missing, officials found Sariol’s red Honda burning along the highway near the strip mall, and police arrested him in Pennsylvania driving another vehicle toward New York.

Searches for the pair continued for the last month even after the Amber Alert was canceled later in August.

草莓传媒’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.

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As the Marine Corps Marathon’s October start nears, training runs are getting longer. The importance of fueling properly during those longer workouts can’t be understated 鈥� including runs where mileage reaches double digits, said Andrea Goergen, a clinical dietitian at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

While different tastes and dietary restrictions may dictate what some people eat, there are guidelines that can help runners and all athletes alike make it through longer training periods.

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Around 1 p.m. Monday, a body was found in the same area where search efforts were underway for 34-year-old Melissa Lehew. Later Monday, Maryland State Police identified that the body was Lehew.

Lehew, a Darlington, Maryland resident, had been missing since Friday after she was caught in floodwaters while helping a stranded motorist in the area of Route 136 and James Run in Harford County.

Lehew and another man tried to help the driver of the sedan who had been stranded; floodwaters had submerged the car up to its roof. At some point during the attempted rescue, Lehew fell and was swept over the bridge and into the rushing water.

The next morning, the body of the motorist, 67-year-old Daniel Samis of Abingdon, was found.

Authorities spend the weekend searching for Lehew. On Sunday, two Baltimore police divers assisting in the search were taken to shock trauma after having difficulties diving in the quarry near the area where Lehew disappeared.

An autopsy will be performed on Lehew’s body at聽the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Maryland State Police said.

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Morris Graham, a 27-year-old D.C. resident, was sentenced Friday to 32 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy on Feb. 28 at Union Station.

The boy and his family were visiting from out of town and stopped in Union Station’s food court after attending events honoring the late Rev. Billy Graham at the U.S. Capitol. The teen left his family to find an elevator for his brother, who was in a wheelchair, that would reach the food court.

The victim and Morris Graham were on the elevator at the same time. When they were alone, Graham moved beside the victim and grabbed his left hand, according to prosecutors.

The 14-year-old turned around and Graham exposed himself to the boy, prosecutors said. Graham then forced the teenager to touch his penis, prosecutors added.

The victim ran out of the elevator and found his family. Officials were able to identify Graham based on the victim’s description, surveillance video and previous encounters with him.

Graham was arrested the next day at Union Station and has been in custody since then. In May, he pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted second-degree child sexual abuse.

When Graham completes his prison term, he will be placed on 10 years of probation and will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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Around 8:45 a.m., police and fire crews responded to the聽Heights School in Potomac, 10400 Seven Locks Rd., for the report of a construction accident.

Police said 27-year-old聽John Thomas Moran Jr. was working outside the school moving a portable building. During the move, the building struck Moran, who died at the scene.

Montgomery County police are continuing to investigate the accident and said the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Department was notified and is assisting in the ongoing investigation.

草莓传媒’s Kristi King and Anna Isaacs contributed to this report.

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Police say the suspect has targeted three laundromats in four days 鈥� two of which occurred Wednesday morning. Police released surveillance photos of the suspect Wednesday afternoon in hopes it would help identify and locate the man.

Courtesy Prince George’s County police

Courtesy Prince George’s County police

Courtesy Prince George’s County police

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Around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the suspect walked into a laundromat in the 4100 block of Branch Avenue in Temple Hills, Maryland, pulled out a knife and demanded money. The suspect cut an employee on the arm before running out of the store. He did not get any money, Prince George’s County police said.

About two hours later, the same suspect pulled a knife and demanded money at a laundromat in the 7100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway in Landover, Maryland. The employee handed over money and no one was injured, Prince George’s County police said.

At 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, the suspect threatened the employee of a gas station in the 6000 block of Annapolis Road in Landover Hills with a knife and demanded cash. The employee complied; there were no injuries.

Around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, the suspect robbed a laundromat in the 4700 block of Marlboro Pike in Capitol Heights. Police said that in that case, he assaulted the employee by slamming him into a door and then demanded cash.

Police are offering a cash reward for any information leading to the suspect鈥檚 arrest and indictment. Anyone with information can call police at 301-772-4905.

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A woman and girl were struck by the bus near Broad Branch Road and McKinley Street in Northwest D.C. around 3:30 p.m. D.C. Fire and EMS responded and safely extricated the woman, who was partially trapped under the bus.

The woman and child were transported to the hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries.

First responders said they believe the two were together when they were hit, D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said.

Below is a map with the location of the incident:

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The tolls were suspended around 5 p.m. but were then reinstated around 8:20 p.m.

A tanker overturned in the southbound lanes of I-95 in Woodbridge, Virginia, around 2 p.m. The crash caused the roadway to close between Prince William County Parkway and Dale Boulevard. Delays began around at Springfield.

All lanes were reopened around 8:50 p.m.

Police have not released any additional details about the crash, including if there are any injuries.

Visit our for the latest updates, follow us on Twitter , and listen to live traffic reports every 10 minutes on 103.5 FM or via our .

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