Air Force Marathon draws runners, base community

  • Published
  • By Brett Turner
  • 88th ABW Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  Some 3,454 runners from all 50 U.S. states and seven countries participated in the ninth annual U. S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 17.

The full 26.2-mile race began the day at 7:35 a.m., followed by the four-person team relay race then the 13.1-mile half marathon race. A 5k (3.1-mile) race was held later in the day.

The race started gray, overcast skies -- perfect weather according to many runners. Participants were aided by nearly 1,800 volunteers and aid stations at every mile along the marathon route and at the finish-line area.

Hendrik Vanloon of the Belgian Air Force won the race with a time of two hours 41 minutes 15.9 seconds. He became the second man to claim two overall marathon wins here. He won the race in 2003 and was second last year by just four seconds.

Wright-Patterson's Lt. Col. Mike Michno took second place overall and was the men's military winner in 2:45:33.25. He was seventh in the initial 26.2-mile race in 1997.

Capt. Kori Delwiche, of McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., won the women's race in 3:02:22.75, upsetting two-time defending champion Capt. Jill Metzger. Captain Metzger, who is stationed at Moody AFB, Ga., took second overall for women in 3:06:38.55.

Captain Delwiche, who ran the marathon for the first time since 1999, is the fourth Air Force woman to win the women's overall division. She follows Lori Eppard in 1997; Heidi McKenna in 1998; and Captain Metzger in 2003 and 2004.

Second Lt. William Bohlke, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands and a member of the Air National Guard team, took the half marathon race in 1:11:47.15. Senior Airman Rebecca Oldenhouse, of Robins AFB, Ga., won the women's half marathon in 1:30:15.45.

The National Guard Stars and Stripes relay team won its race in 2:31:05.6. Airman 1st Class Brett Still of Shaw AFB, S.C., won the overall 5k race in 15:34.31, and Kelly Donahue, of Fairborn, took the women's division in 20:45.51.

The U. S. Air Force Marathon is about much more than who finishes first, officials said. Many enter just to see if they can finish.

No matter what level of skill, the runners found cheering throngs at many points along the route. The runners' chute, near the National Museum of the U. S. Air Force to the finish line, was lined with spectators at the sidelines cheering the finishers home.

Some runners had family and friends join in with them toward the end of the race, holding hands, struggling, smiling. They then received what some consider the best award anybody can receive at such a race -- a medallion for their particular race, awarded by a base official or one of the sponsors.

The first Air Force Marathon was held in 1997 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Air Force. It is run on the Saturday nearest the anniversary on Sept. 18 every year. The 10th annual U. S. Air Force Marathon will be Sept. 16, 2006.

Full race results are available at http://afmarathon.wpafb.af.mil/.