ISKANDARIYAH FREEDOM RACE

Some race details: We had 16 start the marathon and 15 complete. One had just come back from three weeks leave the day before (one of my two training partners, SSG Johnson from Michigan) and still did the race; my other training partner lucked out and was back for a refit day on race day. He used the refit to race. It was SSG Gallant’s first marathon, and he finished in 4:04. He can run a lot faster, trust me, I have seen him lap me on training runs.

The marathon started at 0400 and finished around 0830. Fastest time was 3:19 by SSG Sotelo from our Easy Company. He is one of our cooks. He runs at 0300 in the morning to get to the mess hall in time for breakfast prep. Dedication. Not a bad time to run though. He beat our perennial Battalion Champ, SSG Iozzo from Massachusetts, who won every race he entered into this year on the FOB. He missed one or two due to missions. The slowest time was 4:30. We enjoyed a meteor shower the first hour of the race, pretty spectacular and a benefit of starting the race in the dark. The other benefit was that it was very cool, much cooler than finish time when it was well over 80 and getting higher every minute. It ended up 93 degrees later that day. Not bad for October 25th!

We had around 40 relayers and another 30 half marathoners complete the race. Everyone got medals (courtesy of the Anchorage Running Club) and prizes for the winners. Pictures enclosed on a separate email.

Overall – a great race and everyone enjoyed it. No injuries or heat problems, despite the conditions, and no mortars or pop shots either (unlike one of our last training runs which was being run the morning of Eid (Muslim Christmas equivalent); after continuing to hear automatic fire very close by and constant, we began to consider ducking into a bunker until I remember it was Eid and sunrise – the official start. Eid starts the day after you can see the faintest touch of the rising moon – meaning the month of Ramadan is over. No more fasting – hence celebratory gunfire).

Thanks for your support. We didn’t have a chance to put the Anchorage Running Club on our shirt as a sponsor, or Skinny Ravens, but we did put on Chugiak Soccer Club in honor of you Sheri and all your support. One of my lone t-shirts is heading back to you as thanks.

We are a month from leaving today. Hope to see you all soon.

MAJ Craig Whiteside

Here are the results:
Half Marathon:
1. SPC Bramwell 1:43:42
2. 1LT Wachob 1:44:42
3. SGT Loggins 1:52:00

Full Marathon
1. SSG Satelo 3:19:35
2. SSG Iozzo 3:35:42
3. SGT Decarlo 3:50:00

Full Marathon Relay
1. Medics 2:59:00
2. Apache 1 3:29:00
3. Apache 3 3: 37:55

View photographs from the race.