Photo By Staff Sgt. Kim Snow | COLUMBUS, Ohio (Oct. 15, 2006) - Cadet Clint Sheets (L) from the Chillicothe-based A...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Pfc. Ryan A. Cleary
196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Oct. 15, 2006) - Cheers erupted tumultuously from a crowd gathered near the starting line of the Columbus Marathon.
More than 7,700 national and international runners participated in the 27th annual "Our World is Flat" marathon along with tens of thousands of spectators who lined the course to support participants in the 26.2-mile race.
Forty-degree weather tested the bodies of the athletes as many huddled for warmth prior to the start of the race, which featured both the full marathon, and for the first time, a 13.1-mile half marathon event.
About 80 of the chilled competitors were servicemembers from the Ohio National Guard (Army and Air), who ran, in part, to support the National Guard's involvement in the race.
"Through this event, Soldiers and Airmen feel a little more pride in what they do and in being a U.S. servicemember," said Chief Master Sgt. Chris Muncy, the state command chief. "Also, many community members have never met a Soldier or Airman and we want to get them out here in front of them."
The Ohio National Guard co-sponsors the annual event, which provides a great medium to be seen positively in the public eye, said Diane Farrow, marketing director for the Recruiting and Retention Command.
Ohio National Guard participants, who were offered a registration fee waiver and ran in both the marathon and half-marathon events, also benefited from the physical training involved in preparation.
"I wish I had started to prepare a little earlier, although I increased my mileage for training and the (Army physical fitness training) helped me stay loose for the race," said 1st Lt. Claudio Garcia from the Newark-based 211th Maintenance Company. "I don't know if I'll run the half or the full (marathon) next year, but I'll do something."
Garcia, who was the Ohio National Guard's top finisher in the half marathon event, completing it in 1:33:59, said community members enjoy seeing their citizen-Soldiers in uniform.
Capt. Christopher Sopko, a C-130 pilot from the Ohio Air National Guard's 179th Airlift Wing, was the Guard's top full marathoner, finishing in 3:11:05, and nearly qualifying for the Boston marathon.
"I wasn't trying to qualify for Boston initially," he said. "I was shooting for a 3:20, but was feeling pretty good so I thought I'd go for it. When I crossed the finish line, I knew it was going to be close and I didn't find out until the next day when the chip times came out that I missed it by six seconds! I've already picked out Memphis in December to beat 3:10 so we'll see what happens."
In addition to the runners, about 200 Soldiers and Airmen volunteered during the marathon's three-day event calendar, beginning Friday, Oct. 13 and culminating in Sunday's race.
Volunteers assisted with activities at the Franklin Park Conservatory as well as the Columbus Marathon Health and Fitness Expo held at the Hyatt Regency's Battelle Hall. At the conservatory Saturday, Sgt. Maj. Atrel Henderson, a former drill sergeant and the current state equal employment opportunity specialist, conducted a physical training and drill and ceremony demonstration while several other Guardmembers assisted in keeping participants on course during the children's Red Nose Run.
Numerous other Guardmembers handed out t-shirts, manned water points and recruiting booths, and assisted where needed.
The Ohio National Guard also provided a color guard, a flyover from a C-130 cargo airplane from Mansfield's 179th Airlift Wing, as well as pace and sweep vehicles during the event.
"The Columbus Marathon has been one more way for the Ohio National Guard to interact with the public," Muncy said. It's one more way to put a face with the U.S. Armed Forces and to let the people of Ohio meet their 'home team.'"
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2006 14:52 |
| Story ID: | 8104 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 240 |
| Downloads: | 157 |
This work, Ohio Guardmembers go the distance in Columbus Marathon, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
