The Marathon Initiative

The Marathon Initiative is a Washington, DC-based non-profit research organization registered in the System for Award Management since June 2021, with registration expiring March 7, 2026. The organization specializes in national security research and strategic analysis in support of U.S. defense objectives and competitive advantage initiatives. Through its federal contract awards, The Marathon Initiative provides research services focused on countering weapons of mass destruction, strategic dialogue support, competitive advantage studies, and analysis of strategic competitors including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

The Marathon Initiative has received six prime federal contract awards totaling approximately $1,073,858.66 across multiple defense agencies. The organization's primary contracting partner has been the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), which has awarded four purchase orders valued at $115,224.74, $139,854.98, $153,098.00, and $138,718.00 for countering weapons of mass destruction dialogue, tabletop research support services, and strategic trends research initiatives designed to characterize future battlespaces and inform Department of Defense operations. Additionally, the Office of the Secretary of Defense awarded a $184,351.90 purchase order for research on U.S. competitive advantage and strategic deprioritization studies. Most recently, the Washington Headquarters Service, a Defense agency component, awarded a $342,611.04 definitive firm fixed-price contract to The Marathon Initiative on September 30, 2025, for work titled "Strategic Comebacks" with completion scheduled for September 29, 2026. All of these awards are firm fixed-price contracts with no set-aside designations, and performance has been conducted primarily in Washington, DC, and Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The Marathon Initiative has demonstrated consistent engagement in federal defense contracting, conducting research that addresses strategic dialogue, tabletop exercises, and analysis of emerging threats and competitive challenges relevant to U.S. national security priorities.