Rick Nealis ALex Hetherington MCM

MCM Hall of Fame Member Announced As New MCMO Director

QUANTICO, VA (December 14, 2022) – The Marine Corps Marathon Organization (MCMO) announced today that Alex Hetherington will be the new MCMO Director effective immediately.

Hetherington’s predecessor, Rick Nealis, retired on November 30 after serving the last 30 years at the helm of the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). Under Nealis’ leadership, the MCM has become one of the largest marathons in the country and world, and the organization has evolved into offering numerous events of all distances throughout the year.

“While on this journey, I have been blessed to watch millions of runners discover long-distance running and accomplish their dreams. I am now thrilled to hand the Marine Corps Marathon reigns over to Alex and watch him lead “The People’s Marathon” to new levels of running greatness,” expressed Nealis. “As I move on, I urge all to remain Semper Fidelis (always faithful) to our running and values. Oorah!”   

Hetherington comes to MCMO after 5 years as the Show Director of the Modern Day Marine (MDM) Expo. He is a retired Marine aviator, having primarily served with the squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group-39 at Camp Pendleton, CA, flying the AH-1W Helicopter.  Hetherington was an All-Marine runner from 1995-2009 and is the 1998 Armed Forces Marathon Champion in the inaugural year of the event. He was inducted into the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame in 2009 and has run the MCM 27 times.

“I begin my tenure with great respect for what has been accomplished through Rick’s sustained visionary leadership.  In many ways, I feel like I’m standing on the yellow footprints,” said Hetherington. “The yellow footprints at the Marine Corps Recruit Depots have been the transformational starting line for generations of those seeking to earn the title of United States Marine. For over 641,670 finishers to date, going back to the first Marine Corps Marathon in 1976, the starting line of The People’s Marathon has been an immersive opportunity to experience the Corps values of honor, courage and commitment through an inspiring race on an iconic course organized by the world’s finest fighting force.”

Further information about MCMO and the organization’s event lineup can be found at www.marinemarathon.com.

Scroll to Top