FISHER HOUSE - HELPING MILITARY FAMILIES

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Registration for the Marine Corps Marathon opens Wednesday, and chances are, it'll sell out by this weekend. But even if you're not speedy to sign up, that doesn't mean you can't score a bib, says Marc Goldman, MCM sponsorship and marketing manager. Once the individual slots are taken, the race still welcomes runners looking to champion a cause.

"It's a personal statement, dedicating your run to something greater than yourself," says Goldman, who notes that one in five participants laces up in support of an official charity partner. Team in Training, the 22-year-old program that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Semper Fi Fund, which raises money for injured servicemen and servicewomen, field the largest groups of runners. But there are a total of 65 charities that are linked with the race, so participants have a chance to support a range of causes, from land mine removal to malaria eradication.

One new option this year: Team to End AIDS. It's filling the shoes left by the National AIDS Marathon Program, which ended in 2006. "People are very connected to the cause," says national director Mike Dilbeck. That's important because signing on with a charity means you now face two goals instead of just one — running 26.2 miles and raising a significant amount of dough.

Fundraising minimums vary by charity, but they start at a couple hundred dollars and extend into the thousands. Raising that much cash may seem daunting. "But it's often the easiest part," says Shelby Gosnell, marketing coordinator for Team in Training. Programs work with participants to set up donation websites, which are especially handy for folks who are too shy to solicit friends face to face. Plus, they'll help organize fundraising events, such as happy hours and speed-dating nights.

So, that makes the harder half the running, but programs try to ease the pain on that end, too. Dilbeck says T2 is striving to make the distance as intimidation-free as possible by offering regular workshops, hands-on coaching and weekly group runs (in four area locations). "Anyone can train on their own, but it's a lot more difficult," Dilbeck says. "Twenty miles with a group of people goes by quicker."

Not based in D.C., or travel too much to make it to regular runs? Some programs plan for those circumstances, too. Team Fisher House, which runs in support of military families, has members scattered around the globe. But they come together through an online training program that's regularly updated by their coach. And when race weekend comes around, says founder Cathy Cabrey, there's no doubt they have team spirit. Volunteers along the sidelines cheer for their members as they dash by in bright yellow shirts. "If you hear cowbells, that's Team Fisher House," Cabrey brags. That sure sounds more fun than sprinting solo.

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