ACC runners seek 'niki' at Air Force marathon

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Steven Goetsch
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) --  Your heart feels like it's beating in your throat. Your shirt is soaked, and as you come around that last turn on the track, you feel great as you conquer your annual 1.5 mile fit test run. Now picture doing that 17 more times.

On Sept. 20, several members of Air Combat Command will be doing just that in the 12th Annual Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Every September the Air Force Marathon is ran, commemorating the founding of the Air Force as a separate service.

The marathon is steeped in military tradition. It was the heroic run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, from the town of Marathon to Athens to claim "niki", or "victory," that began the marathon tradition in 590 B.C.

Almost 2,600 years later, the ACC team of Jesse Simon, Kristin and Robert McKay, Jamoya Jemison, Natasha and Heath Horton, Meghan McCarthy and Valerie Bertha are looking to claim "niki" for ACC.

The ACC runners will be stacking up points toward the MAJCOM Challenge. The MAJCOM challenge is a point system based on a demographic ratio of participation. The winning MAJCOM commander will receive a trophy at fall Corona, a senior leader conference.

Besides representing ACC, each runner has a different idea of what victory is. For some, it's to set a personal record, to break an hour mark or some just want to finish the 26.2 mile course.

Capt. Jamoya Jemison, 1st Logistics Readiness Squadron, initially drawn to the Air Force Marathon as a volunteer, already has several marathons under her belt. "My goal for any marathon is just to finish," she said. 

Second Lt. Jesse Simon, a Langley nurse running her first marathon, still likes a time to shoot for. "I would say finish is a goal, but anything under five hours would be great."

No matter what the goals for the marathon are, the ACC runners have one thing in common; they have dedicated hundreds of hours and miles training for this race.

"The hardest part of prepping was just to get out and run," said Lieutenant Simon. "Finding motivation to dedicate myself to long, intense training was pretty challenging for me." 

First Lt. Kristin McKay, who trains with Lieutenant Simon, found her strength and motivation boosted by her co-worker and running partner. "If someone asked me for advice, I would say, find friends to train with. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone--we held, and still hold each other accountable."

Staying dedicated to training is tough for a runner, but especially a runner who is also a mother. "The toughest part is juggling the time versus my family," said Lt. Col. Valerie Bertha. "I'm up at 5 a.m. to run before work, and by 6 on the weekend for my long run before my kids activities start."

If a marathon seems too daunting, there are other events scheduled the entire weekend. There is a 5K, individual and team 10K, half-marathon and wheelchair marathon.

If financial hurdles are preventing you from participating, non-appropriated funding support is allowed when available. Check with your local services squadron for details.

If you are up to the challenge, there is still time to register. Participants can register all the way up to the marathon expo Sept. 19, or online at http://www.usafmarathon.com/

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