Photo by bloodyeyeballs.

Tough news: The Marine Corps Marathon may be canceled this year if the federal government shutdown continues past this week.

Lt. Dave Green, of the Arlington County Police Department division that deals with traffic control, told ARL Now that the October 27 race is “probably not going to happen” if the shutdown continues past Friday evening. The marathon begins in Arlington, Va. and continues through D.C., with 60 percent taking place on National Park Service property.

“I don’t want to put people in panic mode, but if as of Friday evening the government is still closed, it’s probably not going to happen,” Lt. Green said of the race.

Green said police agencies are still “plowing ahead” on the assumption that the government shutdown will be lifted in time.

“As of right now all participating jurisdictions are moving forward as if it is going to take place,” he said.

In a statement on the Marine Corps Marathon’s website, organizers say they are still planning for the race to take place.

The MCM is busy planning the multitude of details necessary for successful execution of the event operations plan. The organizers remain focused on firing the howitzer at 0755 on 27 October and launching 30,000 runners across the nation’s capital and Arlington, Va. The government shutdown, however, certainly adds a new element to what is already a hectic period in the planning cycle. Since the shutdown occurred, the MCM staff has been in communication with those partners that are affected and is working to develop a comprehensive understanding of potential challenges to hosting the event. For the participants, the shutdown may raise questions and doubts if months of training will still result in the receipt of a medal at the Marine Corps War Memorial. Marines are known for being Semper Fidelis, always faithful. In this spirit, the expectation is that runners will remain faithful to their training and the MCM will continue to plan diligently for an amazing MCM Weekend.

Update: Director Rick Nealis confirms in a statement that the marathon is in “jeopardy of being canceled.” Organizers will let participants know about the status of the run by October 19.