AF Marathon 2002
After last year's hiatus due to the September 11th terrorist attacks, the USAF Marathon was back in good form on 21 Sep 2002. Under overcast skies and a mild temperature of about 64F at race start, the race got underway at 0705. I knew my conditioning was not as good as in year's past. I just have not had the time to train properly. With a goal of running in the mid 2:40's I set off at a comfortable pace.
Mike Lilly, who I had run much of the 2000 race alongside settled in next to me. Mike recently made the upgrade from NCO to 2Lt. In 2000 I had caught up to him at about the 16 mile mark and we ran together up until the top of the last hill at around 24 miles. We could see ahead of us the fourth and fifth place runners. I already knew I had the master's first place sewn up and would get my leather jacket again, but Mike is a young guy. I told him, "There's your jacket, go get it". He charged down the hill, successfully running down the fifth place runner, Charley Thorn, but came up about 15 seconds short of the jacket and fourth place. That was 2000, where I had set the course record for 45-49 males with a 2:41 effort.
I flew in from Osan AB, South Korea on 17 Sep. By race start I still had not adjusted to the time. Korea is 13 hours off from Ohio time. The night before the race I went to sleep at 1830. Rising at 2230 I stayed up until 0230, finally just laying in bed without sleeping because I knew I needed to rest before the race.
I started off the race with a reasonable 5:49 first mile. By the second mile you are going up a hill. I knew from my previous four AF marathons that you cannot attack this course. Because of the early hill you have to let the course come to you. The second mile was a 6:30 mile. No need for alarm, the marathon is a long event. Three members of the USAFE team had trotted out to the front, along with a couple others. Soon I found myself running alongside Mike Lilly and Charlie Thorn, who had both finished just ahead of me in 2000. We maintained touch with the leaders, though the first place runner was edging away. By around mile 11 Charlie Thorn moved out a short ways ahead of Mike and me. Shortly afterwards Mike dropped back and I was running by myself.
When Charlie stopped at a Port-a-let I moved in front of him, never to see him again for the duration. I passed a couple dieing runners and two more fleet footed runners had passed me by mile twenty, but after that I maintained my place at sixth. The eventual first place masters runner had passed me easily at mile 20 and lengthened out a lead of about 45 seconds. By mile 24 and the dreaded hill he had slowed and was walking and running. I closed the gap while he walked, but once he started running again he pulled away from me. I was struggling, barely managing seven minute miles. Going up the hill I only managed a 7:30 mile. Still I was closing the gap and ultimately finished 13 seconds behind him.
I joined the rest of the PACAF team in the Best Western hotel near Wright-Patterson AFB that was to be our base of operations.
Steve Rausch is stationed at Osan AB like me, but I didn't know him before this race. Rob is stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
Rob, me, Steve, and Sean. Sean flew in from Yokota AB, Japan.
Steve, Russ (flew in from Hickam), Rob, Sean
Sean finishing in 3:20
Rob finishing in 3:31
Post race photos
Steve Bremner gets an award and leather jacket for 2nd place Master's