26.2 Miles: Service members endure Camp Buehring marathon

Photo By Sgt. Christopher Jones | A U.S. service member sprints on the last leg of the Camp Buehring Marathon, March 25 at Camp Buehring Kuwait.  

04.04.2007

Story by Sgt. Christopher Jones 

40th Public Affairs Detachment

By Sgt. Chris Jones
40th Public Affairs Detachment

KUWAIT - For Spc. James Dillabaugh, qualifying for the Boston Marathon was a lifetime goal - one he accomplished by finishing the Chicago Marathon last year.

He was all set to run the Boston Marathon later this month, but duty called. Two weeks ago, the chaplain's assistant with Third Army/U.S. Army Central deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Although the Boston Marathon would have to wait, Dillabaugh, a 53rd Transportation Battalion Soldier, learned recently that he could still run a marathon this spring.

At Camp Buehring, March 25, the 2nd Annual Camp Buehring Marathon took place. Dillabaugh finished first in his age group, 20 to 29, and fourth place overall.

Running a 26.2-mile race in the Kuwait desert is no small task, so organizers combated the potentially extreme heat by beginning the race at 4 a.m. and offering water and juice, along with energy bars and fruit, at several checkpoints.

Of the 110 marathon participants, 89 percent completed the race - compared to the national average of 50 percent, according to Camp Buehring sports coordinator Kevin Marts.

For Dillabaugh, running a marathon in Kuwait wasn't a personal goal nor was it something he had planned to do - but when he learned about it, he jumped at the opportunity.

"I love the sport of distance running," said Dillabaugh. "It's a morale booster. I love it."

Although the Boston Marathon was what he had trained for, the Camp Buehring Marathon gave him something few others have - and the T-shirt given out to participants is proof.

"The T-shirt is worth its weight in gold," said Dillabaugh. "I'm in a lot of run clubs back home, and to have one that says 'Kuwait' is unique... more than likely I won't run into someone who has the same T-shirt. I can say I did a marathon in the middle of the desert while deployed."

At the Chicago Marathon, Dillabaugh finished the race in three hours, seven minutes. But due to the high operational tempo, he did not have much time to train for the Camp Buehring Marathon, so he set his goal at four hours. When he finished at three hours, 37 minutes, he saw it as a major success.

As a chaplain's assistant, Dillabaugh uses a faith-based technique that helps him during long runs.

"A lot of times during long runs, I pray," said Dillabaugh. "It seems to really help me."

Dillabaugh realizes that staying physically fit during a deployment is essential to staying motivated. And when the Boston Marathon comes around again, he'll not only be ready, he will be sporting a T-shirt that perhaps no other runner will have.

• Date Taken: 04.04.2007
• Date Posted: 04.04.2007 12:01
• Story ID: 9772