A world away, Airmen enjoy hometown tradition

MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- About 50 Airmen deployed here participated in Bloomsday Away on May 7, bringing an annual tradition from Spokane, Wash., to military members half a world away. 

The city’s annual Bloomsday 12K is a popular race with more than 50,000 participants annually. Airmen deployed here from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., near Spokane, didn’t want to miss it. 

“Every year, people use Bloomsday as a fitness goal. It’s always, ‘I’ve got to lose weight and get fit to get ready for Bloomsday,” said Master Sgt. Dan Wilcox, a boom operator deployed to the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. 

He has prepared for the race two years in a row, and two years in a row has been unable to run it. Before he left for his deployment this year, he arranged with Bloomsday coordinator Dan Kardong to take the race with him to Kyrgyzstan. 

“We set it up so people could register online and send their official scores. Everyone who finishes will even get a finisher’s T-shirt,” he said. 

That’s no small thing -- Bloomsday T-shirts are controlled items. Once every finisher has one, the remainders are boxed up and burned, he said. 

Airmen from bases all across the U.S. participated in the race here. First-place finisher 1st Lt. Jeremiah Camp, deployed from Fairchild, has never run in the Bloomsday race. In fact, even though he’s an avid athlete, he’s never run a race before, he said. With 49 minutes, 8 seconds on the clock, he came in just seconds ahead of Capt. Jill Metzger, a seasoned runner and two-time Air Force Marathon champion. 

“It was fun,” said Lieutenant Camp, who added he might start racing after this. “I think I’m going to get with (Captain Metzger) for training tips.” 

Other Airmen just ran the race for fun, like 1st Lt. Valerie Solis, whose fiancé, Capt. Joe Goldsworthy, is a Spokane native. He’s deployed to Afghanistan, but the two will return home together soon. Lieutenant Solis is looking forward to comparing race stories with her fiancé's family; they run in the Bloomsday every year. 

“Hopefully we’ll all run Bloomsday ’07 together,” she said. 

Three firefighters from the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron turned the race into a military challenge, trekking all 7.6 miles in full military uniform, carrying rucksacks. 

“It was a great morale booster,” Captain Metzger said. “It gives me tons of energy for the days ahead.”