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    KAF runners pull all nighter

    KAF runners pull all nighter

    Photo By Sgt. Matthew Diaz | Runners on Kandahar Airfield in Kandahar, Afghanistan, participte in a 24-hour ultra...... read more read more

    KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN

    04.16.2011

    Story by Spc. Matthew Diaz 

    Fort Drum Public Affairs Office

    KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - A crowd of achy, sweat-drenched people slowly starts to grow. As the group gets bigger the applause grows louder. More and more people stumble across the finish line, their race is done.

    Twenty-four hours earlier: the music keeps the mood light as people stretch and hydrate for the challenge ahead. Everyone clambers to the starting point, eager to get the long day started. An official shouts “Go!” and the crowd bursts into motion, starting the Kandahar Airfield ultra-marathon.

    The event allowed participants to support a charity of their choice through pledges based on distance completed. More than 350 runners showed up either as a member of the 35 teams or one of 30 people running alone, representing 21 charities.

    “I was telling my wife, I don’t know why I do these things anymore but when I was running through the night and all those runners were out there it really inspired me to keep going,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Lee True, command master chief of the Role 3 and organizer of the event. “I’m really anxious to see the overall total of money that was raised.”

    As an avid runner, True has participated in more than 25 marathons in 15 different states, and four in Afghanistan. True ran 52 laps at 2.5km per lap for a total of 130km.

    “I wanted to do this in honor of the soldiers out in the field who can’t do this - as well as an opportunity to raise money for different charities,” said True.

    Among the participants were 12 runners from Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion 10th Mountain Division (LI). Ten mountain soldiers teamed up under the banner of the chaplain’s office supporting Japan tsunami relief through the American Red Cross.

    “Right now I feel like a true champion,” said Sgt. Jonathon McGeouch, RC-South chaplain’s assistant and team.

    Running by themselves from HHBN were Capt. Loan Vo and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Sullivan. Vo, engineer projects manager for RC-South with Operations Company, ran 125km on behalf of the Lung Cancer Alliance. Sullivan, officer in charge of the Automation Support Management Office for RC-South, went 125km as well, for the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation and generated a staggering $21,050.

    The idea for the run began in January when True hosted a marathon on KAF and noticed a large amount of first-time marathon runners and decided to put on an ultra marathon. It took several months to get everyone on board and all the pieces into place. By the end of the process, as most things in Afghanistan are, it was a multi-national effort.

    “One of the things I had to figure out was how to put this on and how to make sure each of the units were responsible for raising money for their charities by themselves,” said True. “Once I figured that out, all I needed was the overall report at the finish.”

    In total, participants ran 3,772 laps for a total distance of 9,430km.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 04.16.2011
    Date Posted: 04.24.2011 06:56
    Story ID: 69261
    Location: KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF

    Web Views: 76
    Downloads: 0

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