Deployed troops run Honolulu Marathon

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, AFGHANISTAN

01.07.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By Master Sgt. Terry Anderson

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan ---- Running in his first marathon with limited training, 1st Lt. Mike Baskin beat the field, Dec. 12, in a race held in the birthplace of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

One hundred and ninety one service members and civilians completed the "Honolulu Marathon" at Forward Operating Base Ripley. Runners traveled to FOB Ripley from all over Afghanistan, arriving by helicopter early on the morning of the race.

"I wasn't actually supposed to be here to run it," said Baskin, the acting company commander for Company A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment. "Our company commander is on leave and I wasn't supposed to leave Forward Operating Base Anaconda, but I worked it out with our battalion commander, and here I am."

Baskin, a 24-year old California native, finished the 26.2 miles in 3 hours, 12 minutes and 16 seconds, more than 15 minutes ahead of second place runner and friend, Capt. Ian Grimstead.

Spc. Jill Stevens was the first female runner to cross the finish line in 3 hours, 45 minutes and 20 seconds, placing her seventh overall.

Grimstead and Baskin joked with each other about who was going to win the race, said Baskin.

"But we all came out and our main goal was to have fun. It's something non-mission related that we've enjoyed," he said.

The "Bobcats" of 2nd Bn., 5th Inf. Rgt., hosted the marathon, provided logistical support for the race and coordinated for every finisher to receive a T-shirt, a medal and a shell lei.

Artillerymen from 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment fired the cannon that began the race. Engineers from the 65th Engineer Battalion assisted in flattening the run route prior to the race.

The runners had to run the perimeter of the base five times, battling a hill dubbed "mini-Diamond Head" halfway around the airfield, a callback to a grueling summit runners of the actual Honolulu Marathon must endure.

An unexpected rain shower the night before kept the dust down, but made parts of the course muddy. The base is at 4,400 feet in elevation and the thin mountain air presented a challenge to all the runners.

The run course consisted of gravel and rock, adding to the race's difficulty. Palm trees made of wood decorated the run route to remind the service members of their home base in Hawaii, helping the runners to endure the grueling monotony of the race.
Part of the excitement of participating in the marathon was the possibility of direct or indirect attacks by insurgents, attacks that never materialized.

"Running a marathon in Afghanistan is interesting," said Stevens, a medic with 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, before completing what was her fifth marathon. "It is a combat zone and you've got to be careful where you step, but I'll be proud and honored to finish a marathon in Afghanistan."

• Date Taken: 01.07.2005
• Date Posted: 01.07.2005 11:03
• Story ID: 809
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, AF