Offutt warriors to run Air Force Marathon

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Several members of Team Offutt plan to be among the field of approximately 12,000 runners during the 14th Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Sept. 18.

The event, which is open to the public, kicks off at the Ervin J. Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University with a Sports and Fitness Expo Sept. 16 - 17 and features a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and wheeled events.

In 2009, more than 5,300 people completed one of the four races including 16 members of Team Offutt.

Master Sgt. Kevin Pawlik, flight chief of operations for the 2nd Systems Operations Squadron, said he plans to run the Air Force Marathon, which will be his second, after completing the Lincoln Marathon May 2 with a time of 5 hours, 25 minutes and 13 seconds. His goal for the Air Force Marathon is to finish the race in four hours and 30 minutes.

"I started running half marathons in 2009, so this year I thought I'd try to run the full 26.2 miles," Sergeant Pawlik said.

In the past year, the sergeant has completed seven half marathons in three states. He's also participated in the annual Bellevue/Offutt Runway Run since the race started in 2008.
His motivation for running, he said, comes from a desire to stay in good shape.

"I ran cross country in high school, but I never pushed myself," he said.

After joining the Air Force, the sergeant said he didn't run regularly and when the Air Force implemented the mile and half run test completing it was difficult.

"I remember the first time I ran the mile and a half without stopping and I thought, 'this is not good,'" Sergeant Pawlik said.

Shortly after arriving at Offutt, Sergeant Pawlik began running three miles on a regular basis at the Offutt Field House. Then, after he completed the 2008 Runway Run, he said he made running a priority and started looking for races to participate in.

Now, he tries to run at least twice a week and augments his training with biking, he said.

Another Offutt warrior who plans to run in the Air Force event will be doing so for the second time.

1st Lt. Rachael A. Thomas, deputy budget officer for the 55th Comptroller Squadron, completed the Air Force Half Marathon in 2008 in 2:00:45.

However, the lieutenant did more than simply finish the race; she also represented Air Combat Command in the Major Command Challenge, a competition for a traveling trophy presented to the winning MAJCOM commander at the fall CORONA conference.

After Lieutenant Thomas finished the Lincoln Half Marathon in 2008 in 1:52:00, she learned about the challenge while searching the Air Force Marathon website.

"I stumbled upon the website and at that time I had no idea what times would be considered competitive, so I submitted my times for the Lincoln half and Austin full marathons and my half (marathon) time was good enough," Lieutenant Thomas said.

"As a member of the ACC team, I competed along with three other women and four men in the MAJCOM Challenge against teams from all other commands," she added.

One of the best parts about being a member of Team ACC, the lieutenant said, was the fact that her travel to and from the race, as well as her lodging and entrance fee were all covered by ACC.

The lieutenant also didn't travel alone as 12 people joined her on her quest to complete the race.

In the end, finishing the race was an incredible experience, Lieutenant Thomas said.

"I was so honored to have a medal placed around my neck by a general officer," she said. "I was the first person from Offutt to cross the finish line, so as soon as I grabbed a quick snack, I headed right back to the course to cheer on my teammates."

Along with the MAJCOM Challenge, the 2010 Air Force Marathon will feature a Military Services Half-Marathon Challenge, with each service branch sending a team of up to 10 runners to participate. The teams will be scored based on their top four male and top two female runner times.

Lieutenant Thomas and Sergeant Pawlik highly encourage Airmen to participate in the Air Force Marathon.

"Just knowing you (finished the race) brings a (tremendous) sense of accomplishment, because not everyone is stupid enough to do this," Sergeant Pawlik said.

Training for a marathon also helps people stay in excellent shape, Lieutenant Thomas added.

As she trained for the 2008 Air Force Marathon, the lieutenant lost 30 pounds and improved her fitness assessment score from 83 to 98.5, which is a great incentive for anyone to complete a marathon, she said.

Sergeant Pawlik offered the following advice for those considering running in the Air Force Marathon.

"You need good running shoes and after that you need to have a running schedule, because you don't just wake up one day and say 'I'm going to run a marathon,' he said, "you need to train for it." "Then as you're running, if you experience pain, you should get that checked out," he said.

Sergeant Pawlik also said to make reasonable goals, both short and long term.

"Run a 10K before you run a marathon and make it part of a healthy lifestyle," he said.

"Don't waste money on fancy gear and supplements," Lieutenant Thomas added, "all you really need is a strong will, a smile and a good pair of shoes."

Finishers of the half or full marathon receive a finisher's medal which will be presented by an Air Force senior officer. Event participants also receive a race towel, marathon patch and T-shirt.

To register for the 2010 Air Force Marathon, click here. For course maps, click here.

For more information about the Air Force Marathon, call 1-800-467-1823 or click here.