Boston Marathon comes to Iraq

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jon Hanson
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
Not everyone can run in the Boston Marathon -- especially if he or she is deployed. But, for U.S. and coalition forces here, the marathon came to them.

For the second year, the Boston Athletic Association has brought this sanctioned event to Iraq. More than 250 men and women ran either individually or as part of four-person teams here April 15. The association provided the runners with medals, T-shirts and other items. The Boston Marathon, itself, was held April 17.

One of those runners was Capt. Casey Jackson, with the 407th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron. Captain Jackson, who is deployed here from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is an avid runner with three international marathons under his belt.

The 5-foot-7-inch, 140-pound runner finished first among all Air Force members and second in the individual race with a time of 3 hours, 2 minutes, 17 seconds. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Matt Simms, who had a time of 2:53:35, won the race. He is based at Camp Slayer in Baghdad.

With temperatures reaching nearly 95 degrees -- well above the 58 expected in Boston -- the 2000 graduate of Western Oregon University said he was doing fine until the 23rd mile. After that, he said, “It was hell.”

“The wind was a little bit stronger than expected,” said Captain Jackson, who ran this race five minutes faster than his personal best. “The tailwind made it hotter. It was easy to glide and keep a fast pace, but it was hotter.”

The captain averaged a 6:57 pace throughout the race, and that included stopping to go the bathroom.

“It’s so hard to be patient out there because it is such a long race and you want to get it finished,” he said.

The 26.2-mile course took runners around Ali Base and Logistical Support Area Adder, past the Ziggurat of Ur, a 4,000-year-old temple in the ancient city of Ur where the Prophet Abraham was born.

The last mile took runners alongside the runway to make the turn to the finish line.

Preparation is the key to running a marathon, Captain Jackson said. He has been running 17 years and running marathons for six years.

“Do your research first and have a training plan that you can adhere to for more than three months," the captain said. "If you know someone who has ran a marathon, then it is good to talk with them about their experiences in order to get an idea of what you can expect.

“I try to run almost every day, but that doesn’t always happen,” he said. “A typical training day is about eight to 10 miles. My long-run days are anywhere from 14 to 18 miles.”

Not only is training important, but so is diet.

“I eat a ton of bananas along with plenty of carbs and protein, and drink lots of water,” Captain Jackson said. “On race day, I choke down more bananas and a couple of power bars right before and during the race.”

Running that distance takes its toll on a body.

“I’ll probably pass out for a couple of hours in my tent before I can rally and make it over to the chow hall to eat whatever is in sight," he said. "The race depletes your body of almost everything and walking is a slight challenge for the next couple of days.

“The greatest challenge is always mental,” Captain Jackson said. “You feel pain which makes you want to quit. In this case, the biggest challenge in the desert would have to be the heat.”

“It feels good to (do well in) any event, but this race is special and unique, just because of where we are located and why we are here,” Captain Jackson said. “I feel very fortunate to be running near a place with as much history as Ur while in a combat zone.”