U.S. Air Force Marathon official results announced

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  Runners here during the U.S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 15 were treated to crystal blue skies, cool temperatures and a new record set.

The official results, announced Sept. 19, confirmed 32-year-old Josh Cox from San Diego and Mammoth Lakes, Calif. as overall winner in the men's full marathon.

Cox's winning gun time of 2:20:57, now official, is a new record for the U.S. Air Force Marathon and qualifies him for the U.S. Olympic Team trials to be held in New York City this November.

Cox called the route "a great course -- definitely challenging."

"I ran this race for my dad, who passed away this year," Cox said. "I'm very thankful for the gifts God has given me. I'm not the owner of the gifts, just the bearer."

Air Force 2nd Lt. Karissa Goodrich, a 22-year-old who hails from Annadale, Va., was the top finishing overall female marathon runner at 3:06:54. She is currently assigned as a military intelligence student with the 17th Training Wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas.

Wheelchair racer Glen Ashlock, 46, from Dexter, Mich., took the honors in the men's wheelchair marathon with an official time of 1:54:05.

"It felt great," Ashlock said shortly after his first-place finish. "The last few hills were tough, but that's where you win the race, in the tough parts."

Holly Koester of Walton Hills, Ohio, was the top female wheelchair racer, crossing the line at 3:39:58.

The top finishing military male marathoner was Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. (Dr.) Mark Cucuzzella, a physician at Andrews AFB, Md. Cucuzzella, from Shepherdstown, W.V., won the 2006 Air Force Marathon and finished fifth overall this year with a gun time of 2:34:26.

Initially, the electronic timing system unofficially identified 2nd Lt. Michael Haugen of Roy, Utah, as the top-placing military male marathoner. However, once official results were determined, Haugen finished second among military runners and seventh overall at 2:36.00.

Weather conditions at Wright-Patterson AFB for the 7:30 a.m. start were clear skies, a temperature of 47 degrees Fahrenheit and winds from the northwest at 3 knots.

The marathon course started and finished at the National Museum of the Air Force, tracing a path around the historic Huffman Prairie Flying Field where the Wright Brothers mastered the art of flying and trained the military's first aviators. Runners were treated to a steady stream of flyovers by U.S. Air Force aircraft during marathon events which included a wheel-chair marathon, marathon, 4-person relay and half-marathon.

Including an affiliated 5K road race held Sept. 14 in partnership with Wright State University on their campus, a total of just over 6,300 runners participated in all marathon events, said marathon director Molly Loudon. In addition, nearly 2,000 volunteers supported this year's five events.

The 11th annual race, an official Boston Marathon qualifier, is one of the capstone events to commemorate the U.S. Air Force's 60th anniversary as a separate military service.

For complete results, visit www.usafmarathon.com.

Individual event top finishers for the 11th Annual U.S. Air Force Marathon
(Official Gun Times)

1st place Marathon, overall male: Joshua Cox, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 2:20:57

1st place Marathon, overall female: Karissa Goodrich, San Angelo, Texas, 3:06:54

1st place Marathon, military male: Mark Cucuzzella, Shepherdstown, W.V., 2:34:26

1st place Marathon, military female: Karissa Goodrich, San Angelo, Texas, 3:06:54

1st place Marathon, wheelchair male: Glen Ashlock, Dexter, Mich., 1:54:05

1st place Marathon, Wheelchair female: Holly Koester, Walton Hills, Ohio, 3:39:58

1st place Half marathon, overall male: Levi Severson, Boulder, Colo., 1:12:55

1st place Half marathon, overall female: Mindy Leisure, Kettering, Ohio, 1:23:32

1st place Half marathon, military male: Levi Severson, Boulder, Colo., 1:12:55

1st place Half marathon, military female: Elissa Ballas, Vacaville, Calif., 1:26:44

1st place, 5K wheelchair: Nick Cunningham, Yellow Springs, Ohio: 17:20

1st place, 5K overall male: Sam Windom, Sylvania, Ohio: 18:34

1st place, 5K overall female: Miriam Coleman, Cambridge, Mass., 22:06

1st place, 5K military male: Todd Scarbrough, Sumpter, S.C.: 19:12

1st place, 5K military female: Miriam Coleman, Cambridge, Mass.: 22:06

1st place, 5K Wright State University male, Tyler Shepard, Lakeview, Ohio: 20:05

1st place, 5K Wright State University female: Carrie Smith, Dayton, Ohio: 23:10

U.S. Air Force Marathon Relay division top finishers

1st place co-ed team: Team Wright-Patt, Beavercreek, Ohio, 2:43:25

1st place male team: AETC Men Relay, Del Rio, Texas, 2:40:24

1st place female team: Kentucky Sole Sisters, Lexington, Ky., 2:43:25

1st place masters team: Vissmmert, Centerville, Ohio, 3:22:31

1st place military team: Sheppard Air Force Base, Sheppard AFB, Texas, 2:40:03

1st place, ROTC team: Purdue Joint Forces, Indianapolis, 2:42:02