Record Crowd turns out for Air Force Marathon

  • Published
  • By Ted Theopolos
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Nearly 10,000 runners - an almost 35 percent increase over last year -- lined up at the starting line here for the 2009 U.S. Air Force Marathon. 

The 13th annual running event started with remarks by Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Owen, commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center, and included a first-ever visit by an Air Force Chief of Staff, when Gen. Norton Schwartz arrived to present awards to the winners. 

"Welcome to the 2009 U.S. Air Force Marathon," said General Owen. "It's an honor to assist and kick off the 2009 Air Force Marathon. I'd like to welcome our guests from the USAF Marathon Team, Lieutenant Caroline White, and the Royal Air Force Scampton Running Team from Britain. I also want to thank the more than 2,000 volunteers." 

Air Force 2nd Lt. White ran in the half marathon today to prepare for the 2012 Olympics Trials which will be in Minnesota in October. 

"There are Airmen who have once deployed and are running today in this year's marathon," stated Lt. Gen. Owen. "There are runners from 50 states and eight foreign countries in today's race. Thanks to all of you and I look forward to doing this next year in 2010." 

The three-day event started with a Sports and Fitness Expo at the Ervin J. Nutter Center located on the campus of Wright State University just down the road from the base. The Expo was for two days with a 5K race with more than 1,200 runners to scurry around the college campus on the second day. That evening the marathon runners indulged in a gourmet pasta dinner at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. 

The events of today included the full marathon to include a wheeled division, a half-marathon and a 10K run. The race course not only winds through the historical places on the base but also through downtown Fairborn, Ohio, where onlookers cheered the race participants. 

"It was wonderful weather and a great course," said Dave Johnston the winner of the U.S. Air Force Marathon with an unofficial time of 2:30:42. "I worked very hard training for this." 

Jean Belman from Hazel Park, Michigan, has participated in every Air Force Marathon. "I come every year," Belman said. "I have to. It improves every year and grows too." Belman served 23 years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve. 

This was my first time for this race," said Michael Postell from Atlanta, Georgia, winner of the marathon wheel division. "I enjoyed the course." 

Postell races in about 25 marathons a year. "It takes a lot of training to prepare for this event." 

Seventy-six-year-old Frank Robinson from Louisville, Ky., ran the 10K. "I've been a runner for about 40 years," said Robinson. "I was here for the second race and now this one. I wasn't going to race, but was talked into it and signed up yesterday. I'm coming back next year for sure." 

A special runner for the second year was Army Capt. Ivan Castro, a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who was blinded during a mortar attack in Iraq in 2006. Last year the Capt. ran the full marathon but opted to run the half marathon this year. 

Winners are listed below. Times are unofficial at the time of this release: 

Men's full marathon: Dave Johnston from Xenia, Ohio - 2:30:42 

Women's full marathon: Kate Papenberg from RAF Lakenheath, England - 3:08:55 

Full Marathon, Wheeled Division: Michael Postell from Snellville, Ga - 1:23:13 

Men's Half Marathon: Brent Martin from Gambier, Ohio - 1:08:44 

Women's Half Marathon: Air Force 2Lt. Caroline White from Colorado Springs, Co - 1:22:17 

Men's 10k Individual: Chacon Kristoffer from Tyndall AFB, Fla. -- 33:11 

Women's 10k Individual: Varinka Barbini from Lexington, Ky. -- 39:55 

Friday's Race 

Men's 5K: Kory Kennedy from Kokomo, Ind - 16:50 

Women's 5K: Dianne Striebel from Dayton, Ohio - 19:31